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- float: left; - margin-right: 1em } - -.align-right { clear: right; - float: right; - margin-left: 1em } - -.align-center { margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto } - -div.shrinkwrap { display: table; } - -/* SECTIONS */ - -body { margin: 5% 10% 5% 10% } - -/* compact list items containing just one p */ -li p.pfirst { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0 } - -.first { margin-top: 0 !important; - text-indent: 0 !important } -.last { margin-bottom: 0 !important } - -span.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; line-height: 1 } -img.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.5em 0 0; max-width: 25% } -span.dropspan { font-variant: small-caps } - -.no-page-break { page-break-before: avoid !important } - -/* PAGINATION */ - -.pageno { position: absolute; right: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; text-indent: 0 } -.pageno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } -.lineno { position: absolute; left: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; text-indent: 0 } -.lineno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } -.toc-pageref { float: right } - -@media screen { - .coverpage, .frontispiece, .titlepage, .verso, .dedication, .plainpage - { margin: 10% 0; } - - div.clearpage, div.cleardoublepage - { margin: 10% 0; border: none; border-top: 1px solid gray; } - - .vfill { margin: 5% 10% } -} - -@media print { - div.clearpage { page-break-before: always; padding-top: 10% } - div.cleardoublepage { page-break-before: right; padding-top: 10% } - - .vfill { margin-top: 20% } - h2.title { margin-top: 20% } -} - -/* DIV */ -pre { font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.9em; white-space: pre-wrap } -</style> -<title>CLUTTERBUCK'S TREASURE</title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/img-cover.jpg" /> -<meta name="DC.Language" content="en" /> -<meta name="PG.Id" content="46582" /> -<meta name="PG.Released" content="2014-08-13" /> -<meta name="PG.Title" content="Clutterbuck's Treasure" /> -<meta name="DC.Creator" content="Fred Whishaw" /> -<meta name="DC.Title" content="Clutterbuck's Treasure" /> -<meta name="PG.Producer" content="Al Haines" /> -<meta name="PG.Rights" content="Public Domain" /> -<meta name="DC.Created" content="1910" /> - -<link href="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" rel="schema.DCTERMS" /> -<link href="http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/" rel="schema.MARCREL" /> -<meta content="Clutterbuck's Treasure" name="DCTERMS.title" /> -<meta content="/home/ajhaines/clutter/clutter.rst" name="DCTERMS.source" /> -<meta content="en" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC4646" name="DCTERMS.language" /> -<meta content="2014-09-08T15:57:09.488727+00:00" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF" name="DCTERMS.modified" /> -<meta content="Project Gutenberg" name="DCTERMS.publisher" /> -<meta content="Public Domain in the USA." name="DCTERMS.rights" /> -<link href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46582" rel="DCTERMS.isFormatOf" /> -<meta content="Fred Whishaw" name="DCTERMS.creator" /> -<meta content="2014-08-13" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF" name="DCTERMS.created" /> -<meta content="width=device-width" name="viewport" /> -<meta content="Ebookmaker 0.4.0a4 by Marcello Perathoner <webmaster@gutenberg.org>" name="generator" /> -</head> -<body> -<div class="document" id="clutterbuck-s-treasure"> -<h1 class="center document-title level-1 pfirst title"><span class="x-large">CLUTTERBUCK'S TREASURE</span></h1> - -<!-- this is the default PG-RST stylesheet --> -<!-- figure and image styles for non-image formats --> -<!-- default transition --> -<!-- default attribution --> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="clearpage"> -</div> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="align-None container language-en pgheader" id="pg-header" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the </span><a class="reference internal" href="#project-gutenberg-license">Project Gutenberg License</a><span> included with -this ebook or online at </span><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a><span>. If you -are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws -of the country where you are located before using this ebook.</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-None container" id="pg-machine-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>Title: Clutterbuck's Treasure -<br /> -<br />Author: Fred Whishaw -<br /> -<br />Release Date: August 13, 2014 [EBook #46582] -<br /> -<br />Language: English -<br /> -<br />Character set encoding: UTF-8</span></p> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-start-line"><span>*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK </span><span>CLUTTERBUCK'S TREASURE</span><span> ***</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-produced-by"><span>Produced by Al Haines.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span></span></p> -</div> -<div class="align-None container coverpage"> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 73%" id="figure-51"> -<img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Cover art" src="images/img-cover.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Cover art</span></div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container frontispiece"> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 62%" id="figure-52"> -<img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt=""INSTANTLY A THIRD SHOT WHIZZED PAST OUR SANCTUARY." (See page 42.)" src="images/img-front.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">"INSTANTLY A THIRD SHOT WHIZZED PAST OUR SANCTUARY." (See page </span><a class="italics reference internal" href="#id1">42</a><span class="italics">.)</span></div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container titlepage"> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 55%" id="figure-53"> -<img class="align-center block center" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Title page" src="images/img-title.jpg" /> -<div class="caption center centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Title page</span></div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="xx-large">CLUTTERBUCK'S -<br />TREASURE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">BY</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="large">FRED WHISHAW</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">LONDON -<br />HENRY FROWDE -<br />HODDER AND STOUGHTON -<br />1910</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">CONTENTS</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span class="small">Chap.</span></p> -<ol class="upperroman simple"> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-cowardly-attack">A Cowardly Attack</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-old-miser">The Old Miser</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-great-prize-is-offered">The Great Prize is offered</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#i-enter-for-the-race">I enter for the Race</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#treachery">Treachery!</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#rats-in-a-trap">Rats in a Trap</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#ghosts">Ghosts</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#neck-and-neck-for-the-first-lap">Neck and Neck for the First Lap</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#more-treachery">More Treachery</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-serious-check">A Serious Check</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#stalking-a-man">Stalking a Man</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#scotching-a-snake">Scotching a Snake</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#an-unexpected-tragedy">An Unexpected Tragedy</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-glimpse-of-the-winning-post">A Glimpse of the Winning-Post</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#eureka">Eureka!</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#all-that-glitters-is-not-gold">"All that glitters is not Gold!"</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#lost">Lost!</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#how-we-buried-ourselves-alive-for-the-love-of-science">How we buried ourselves alive for the Love of Science</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-night-with-a-lion">A Night with a Lion</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#our-trusty-nigger-to-the-rescue">Our Trusty Nigger to the Rescue</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-bad-elephant">The Bad Elephant</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#i-am-mourned-for-dead">I am mourned for Dead</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-rude-awakening">A Rude Awakening</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#strong-sprints-and-gains-a-lap">Strong sprints and gains a Lap</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#lapped-but-still-in-the-race">Lapped, but still in the Race</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#how-we-prospected-for-coal">How we prospected for Coal</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#eldorado-orhogland">Eldorado or—Hogland</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#what-the-elder-did-with-strong">What the Elder did with Strong</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#much-digging">Much Digging</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#i-take-a-strong-lead-in-the-race">I take a Strong Lead in the Race</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-elder-makes-a-good-bargain-and-michail-a-poor-one">The Elder makes a good Bargain, and Michail a poor one</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#we-receive-a-terrible-shock">We receive a Terrible Shock</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#how-strong-escaped-from-prison">How Strong escaped from Prison</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#exit-strong">Exit Strong</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#more-checks">More Checks</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#we-find-an-old-friend">We find an Old Friend</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#mr-strong-makes-an-effective-reappearance">Mr. Strong makes an Effective Reappearance</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#arrested">Arrested</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#digging-again">Digging again</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#jack-proves-himself-a-genius">Jack proves Himself a Genius</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-excitement-becomes-intense">The Excitement becomes intense</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#all-over-but">All over but—</a></p> -</li> -<li><p class="first noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-shouting">—the Shouting</a></p> -</li> -</ol> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-cowardly-attack"><span class="bold x-large">CLUTTERBUCK'S TREASURE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER I</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A COWARDLY ATTACK</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>When my father died and left me unexpectedly -penniless, all those kind friends -whom I consulted upon my obvious failure to find -anything to do were quite agreed as to this fact: -that when a young man is desirous of finding -employment in this world, and of making his way -and keeping his head up among his fellows, his -failure to do so, if he does fail, must certainly be -his own fault. He lacks, they said, either energy -or perseverance or pluck, or all three; in a word, -he wants "grit."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Therefore the reader will kindly understand -this about me as a standpoint: that since I failed -miserably to find employment befitting a young -person of my position, at a time when it was -necessary to find employment or go to the wall, -I must—by all the rules of the probabilities—not -only have gone to the wall, but also be deficient in -all those qualities which are most dear to the -British intelligence, namely—pluck, perseverance, -and so forth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And yet I did not go to the wall. On the -contrary, I am, though still a young man, in an -exceedingly comfortable position; while as for the -British virtues which I am supposed to lack, I do -not think—though I will not boast—that the -reader will hesitate to acquit me of the charge of -wanting every quality that goes to make an -average Englishman, when he shall have read the -curious tale I have to unfold.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My father's death, followed by the unexpected -revelation of his insolvency, was a terrible blow to -me. I had been educated without regard to -expense. At Winchester I had plenty of pocket-money, -and was, for this reason—and because I -was a good athlete and but a moderate scholar—a -popular character. At New College, Oxford, -during the one year I spent there, I was in a set -whose ideas centred rather upon the pleasures of -life than upon its duties and responsibilities.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I still had plenty of money, and undoubtedly -the last thing in the world that would have been -likely to trouble my head at this time was any -reflection as to where the funds came from. My -father, as I believed, was a rich man, a member of -the Stock Exchange, and having the disposal, as -I had always understood, of practically unlimited -supplies of money.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then came the telegram from home announcing -disaster, and at a moment's notice I found myself -fatherless, penniless, and as good as hopeless -too; for at my age, and with my inexperience, I -was utterly at a loss to know what to do or how -to set about to find some means of supporting -myself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My father's business, it appeared, had suddenly -and completely collapsed. He had "got himself -cornered," as I was informed, though I did not -understand the term, and had lost every farthing -that he possessed and more. The shock of it all -had proved fatal to my poor parent, and he had -succumbed suddenly—a broken heart, as I heard -someone say; but I fancy my father's heart had -always been a weak point in his economy, and the -collapse in his fortunes doubtless gave to it the -finishing touch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So then, at the age of nineteen, I found myself -master of my own fortunes, which certainly looked -very like </span><em class="italics">mis</em><span>fortunes; and in that stress of -circumstances it was that I applied to my friends for -advice, and received from each the assurance that -if I possessed those British qualities to which -reference has been made I should certainly find -something to do; and that if I failed to "get on" -I might rest assured that I had no one to thank -but myself. Nevertheless, I found nothing to do. -There could be no talk of any of the learned -professions; I was too old for Sandhurst, even if I -could have passed the examination; the navy was, -of course, out of the question.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My ideas wildly wandered from professional -football or cricket to enlistment in the line, and -from that to life in the bush, or digging for hidden -wealth in the soil of Rhodesia or of Klondyke, but -the expense of the outfit and journey rendered this -latter project impossible. There remained ultimately -two resources from which to choose: enlistment or -desk-work at a London office, which I believed I -could obtain without difficulty if I should be reduced -to so unpalatable an alternative.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But office life, I felt, would be worse than -purgatory to me. The very idea of confinement -and the lack of plenty of fresh air and exercise was -intolerable, and I ultimately resolved that I would -take the Queen's shilling, and submit to barrack -discipline and all the indignities of existence -among my social inferiors rather than bind myself -for ever to the misery of the city. Indeed, I had -quite made up my mind to journey to Trafalgar -Square, in order to interview one of the recruiting -sergeants generally to be found at the north-eastern -corner of that favourite rendezvous, when -something happened to set my ideas flowing in a new -channel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My father's house, in our days of prosperity, -had been one of those fine mansions overlooking -Streatham Common; and though I had left the -dismally stripped and dismantled place as soon as -the miserable formalities of funeral and sale were -over, I had taken a cheap lodging in Lower -Streatham, because in the chaos of my ideas and -plans it appeared to me that I might as well stay -in the neighbourhood of my old home as anywhere -else, until the fifty pounds still remaining to my -credit at my Oxford bankers had gone the way of -all cash, or until I should have made up my -bewildered mind as to where, in all this wide and -pitiless world, I should go for a living.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I had practically determined, as I say, to enlist, -and was walking one warm summer evening along -the green lane which runs from Thornton Heath to -Lower Streatham, deep in somewhat melancholy -reflection upon the step I was about to take, when -a noise of scuffling and bad language distracted my -thoughts from the contemplation of to-morrow's -barrack-yard trials, and brought them up with a -run to the consideration of the present instant. I -suppose the noise that they were themselves -making prevented the four persons taking part in -the scrimmage, which I now suddenly saw, from -observing my approach, for they continued to -tussle and to wrangle on their side of the hedge, -while I watched them for a moment from mine, -desiring, if possible, to discover what the quarrel -was about and on which side the right lay, if either.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then I soon perceived that the fight was an -iniquitous and unequal one, for three younger men -had set upon one elderly person and were obviously -engaged in attempting to relieve him of his money -and valuables, an attempt which the old gentleman -made gallant but naturally futile efforts to frustrate, -hitting out right valiantly with his umbrella, but -doing far more violence to the Queen's English -than to the heads and persons of his assailants, -upon whom the blows of his feeble weapon produced -little effect.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I need scarcely say that, having ascertained -what was passing, I did not waste time in making -up my mind as to which side should receive the -favour of my support, and in far less time than it -takes to write the words, I had burst through the -hedge and rushed to the assistance of the swearing -and furious old gentleman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At my appearance one of the fellows bolted -like a hare across the field towards Norbury, and I -saw no more of him. Now, I had paid some little -attention to the study of self-defence while at -Oxford, and though the remaining two rascals -stood up to me for a moment, I soon placed my -right fist in so convincing a manner upon the tip -of the nose of one that he went down like a -nine-pin and lay where he fell, while the other, after -feinting and dodging and ducking for a few seconds -as I squared up to him with the intention, if -necessary, of treating him like his fellow, suddenly turned, -darted through the hedge, and was away down the -lane towards Thornton Heath in the twinkling of -an eye, I following.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Away we went at hundred-yards' speed, he -leading by about ten paces, and for about fifty yards -it was anybody's race. Then I began to gain, and, -seeing this, the fellow threw something down and -ran on; he careered for another half hundred paces -and then ridded himself of something else; and I, -fearing, if I continued the pursuit, to lose my -chance of recovering the old man's property—which, -I rightly conjectured, was what the fellow -had relieved himself of—stopped to pick it up -while I could. I thus allowed my friend to escape, -which was, of course, what he most desired at the -moment, even more than the possession of the -pocket-book and the gold watch which I soon -found in the road and recovered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then I returned to the spot where I had left -my fallen foe and the old gentleman whose property -had been the original cause of disagreement -between the contending parties.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-old-miser"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER II</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE OLD MISER</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>I found my ally beating the prostrate enemy -with his umbrella, and still using language -which would have been unseemly in any person, -and sounded doubly shocking in the mouth of an -old man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come," I said, "you needn't swear, sir; and I -wouldn't continue to whack a man who is down, if -I were you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Kill him! kill him—the cowardly rascal! Kick -him on the head and kill him!" shrieked the -infuriated old gentleman; "they have robbed me -between them, and I'll have his life for it! I'm a -poor man, and they've taken my all; kick him in -the head, if you're a man, and kill him!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I could not help laughing. "It's because I'm a -man that I shall do nothing of the kind," I said. -"Stop dabbing at him with your umbrella and -attend to business; here's your property—take it." I -presented him with his pocket-book and watch as -I spoke, and never did I behold so complete a -metamorphosis in the expression of a man's face as -now passed over his. He seized his property with -both hands and hugged it to his breast. He -beamed and chuckled over it, mumbling inarticulate -words of delight as he fondly drew forth a bundle -of notes and counted them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It struck me that here was a considerable sum -of money for a poor man to carry about with him; -for though he jealously hid from me the figures -that would have revealed the value of the notes, I -was able to observe that there were at least fifteen -or twenty of these, which, even supposing them to -have been mere "rivers," would represent a -decidedly respectable sum. The old fellow observed -me watching him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Private papers, private papers!" he muttered; -"letters from my dead wife that I would not lose -for their weight in diamonds!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You old humbug!" I thought; "if ever you -had a wife you starved her, I'll bet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the condition of our prostrate enemy began -to give me some anxiety, and I was obliged to -transfer my attention from the old miser to him. -He lay groaning and snoring, his eyes shut, and -his nose still bleeding a little. Suddenly he opened -his eyes slightly and looked at the old man and at -me. He scowled as he saw me, but his lips -muttered "Water!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go and fetch the man some water—you, sir," -I said; "you can finish counting your notes -afterwards. I would go, but I dare not leave him -with you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Water for the rogue that robbed me? Not -I," said the old fellow; "let him lie and rot first!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then I will go," I said, for positively the -rogue looked like expiring, and I was really anxious -for him. If he were actually as bad as he looked -there was not much danger in leaving him. I -knew of a duck-pond near a farmhouse close by, -and towards this I proceeded at my best speed, for -the fellow must not be allowed to die—rascal though -he undoubtedly was.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The rascal, it appeared, had no intention of -dying, however, just at present; for when I returned -with water from the duck-pond, he had departed, -and departed—as I gathered—in company with the -old gentleman's pocket-book, for its owner sat on -the grass evidently dazed, nursing a portion of the -</span><em class="italics">porte-monnaie</em><span>, for which, I suppose, he had made -a good fight, if the jagged and torn appearance of -the remnant was any indication of a struggle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I could see our friend careering down the lane, -some distance away, towards Thornton Heath, well -out of reach of pursuit, and I was straining my -eyes after him in hopes of marking him down -somewhere, when the old miser behind me suddenly -interrupted my reflections by bursting anew into a -paroxysm of abuse and bad language, which threw -even his previous excursions into the shade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Whether I or the thief, or both of us, were the -objects of his frenzy was not very apparent, for his -vituperations were incoherent and inarticulate; but -I gathered presently that I was at least in part -responsible for the disaster, for he inquired, with -many added flowers of speech, why I had been so -foolish as to go for water and leave him with a -cold-blooded ruffian who had robbed a poor old -man of his entire fortune.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was sorry for the unfortunate victim to my -ill-judged humanity, and did my best to soothe him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You must stop the notes at once," I said; -"and as for the fellow himself, why, we'll describe -him to the police and identify him in no time; we -shall get your money back, never fear."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's a lie!" he shrieked; "I am ruined! I shall -never see a penny of it; you and your accomplices -will fatten upon the old man's savings. Curse you -all! I wish you were dead!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you," I said; "if that's the case I shall -wish you good afternoon and depart, or my -accomplices will levant with my share of the spoil." I -started to go in the direction of Streatham. The -old fellow came to his senses at once.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stop a minute!" he cried; "I don't mean -that. Stop and help me to recover my money."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What, from my own accomplices?" said I. -He took no notice.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Help me to recover my money," he continued, -"and to bring that rogue to the gallows, and—and -you won't be sorry for it!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It isn't a hanging matter," I said; "but I am -ready to help you if you talk like a sensible man. -How much has the fellow taken?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was an unfortunate remark, for it instantly -plunged the old man into renewed paroxysms of -rage and woe. I therefore did not pursue my -inquiries, but led my friend slowly towards Streatham, -he spluttering and muttering his maledictions, -I patiently awaiting the dawn of reason. I -inquired, however, presently, whether he knew -the numbers of his stolen notes, and as my -companion inquired, in response, whether I took -him for a fool, I concluded that he did possess this -information.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man grew calmer after a while, and I -accompanied him first to the police station, and -afterwards to the telegraph office, where he wrote -and despatched a wire to the manager of the Bank -of England. The clerk read out his message as -we stood at the counter, and I was astonished -and rather shocked to learn that my new friend's -loss, according to his list of notes, amounted to -something very near three hundred pounds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During the next few days my acquaintance -with the strange old man ripened considerably; -for together we were called upon by the police -authorities to attend, at least once </span><em class="italics">per diem</em><span>, at -the Streatham police station, in order to identify -the culprit among a large assortment of suspicious -characters brought up daily for our inspection. -I think it was on the fifth or sixth day after -the robbery that our pilgrimages to the police -station were at last crowned with success, and we -had the pleasure of seeing once again the -unmistakable features of the rogue we were in search -of, and afterwards of getting him condemned by -a magistrate to a period of enforced virtue and -innocence. We were, moreover, successful in -recovering a portion of the stolen property, -though not all of it—a circumstance which -greatly pleased me, for I honestly believed that -the lost three hundred pounds represented the -whole of my old friend's worldly possessions, as -he had led me to understand, and I had been -grieved to think of the poor old fellow's sudden -misfortune and ruin through the guile of a -fellow-creature.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Clutterbuck, which was the old miser's -name, lived in a small villa in Lower Streatham—a -dingy, dull-looking house situated in the midst of -a moderate garden surrounded by a high brick wall. -So far as could be seen, there was no way of -entering the abode excepting by a small door in -the wall leading up through the square garden to -the house; and though I several times, during that -week of attendance at the police station and the -police court, accompanied the old man home, he -never once invited me within doors; neither did he -ever express to me one word of thanks for the -services I had rendered him in connection with the -loss he had sustained and the recovery of a good -portion of his property.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, however, this affair had delayed my -enlistment for more than a week, and during that -period I received an invitation from a college friend -in the country to pay him a visit at his house in -Gloucestershire; an invitation which I gladly -accepted, thanking my lucky stars that some good, -at least, had thus come of my strange encounter -with the eccentric old miser, Clutterbuck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Assuredly, when I parted from him for the last -time, after the completion of the business which -had brought us daily together for a week or near -it, I never supposed that any other good could -possibly proceed from the acquaintance, or from -the delay in my "career" which the affair had -occasioned. After my visit to Gloucestershire I -should return to London and enlist without -further delay; and as for old Clutterbuck, I had -neither expectation nor desire ever to behold his -face or hear his name again. For how could I -know that—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As a matter of fact I never did see the old man -again. I went to Gloucestershire and forgot him, -or at all events forgot to think of him, -until—nearly a month after—I received a letter which -brought him suddenly and very forcibly to -remembrance—a letter which was destined to lead to -a complete "general post" of all my ideas and -plans in life, driving from my mind all thoughts -of enlistment and office drudgery and everything -else of the kind; a letter which told of the miser's -end and gave me hope of a new beginning, -and which proved, after I had learned its full -significance, that even misers may remember -benefits conferred, and show a sense of gratitude -for which they do not, as a rule, obtain much -credit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I read the letter, first, with my heart all -a-flutter with excitement; but presently my agitation -cooled down, for, I reflected, even though I -should have been chosen as the old man's heir, -or part-heir, what could the old fellow have to -leave?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't be a sanguine fool, man!" I said to -myself. "There isn't much in the business."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Which showed that, though good at games, I -was no better prophet than I was scholar!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-great-prize-is-offered"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER III</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE GREAT PRIZE IS OFFERED</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The letter, so far as I can remember the -wording of it, read something like this—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"DEAR SIR,"—(it ran)—"By desire of the late -Mr. William Clutterbuck I have to invite you to be -present at his burial, on Friday next, in the -churchyard of St. Mary's, Norbury, and also at the -subsequent reading of my late client's will on the -same afternoon at Aston Villa, Lower Streatham."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The signature was that of some lawyer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George! Peter, old chap," said my college -chum, to whom I handed the letter after reading it, -"you're in for a legacy, you lucky old rascal! Who -is it?—an uncle? You won't have to enlist after -all!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Uncle?" I repeated; "no! I haven't such a -thing in the world; and as for legacy—there may -be a fiver or so in it, but nothing more. It's an -old fellow who carried all his fortune in a -pocket-book and got it stolen;" and I told Henderson the -whole story of my futile attempt to defend old -Clutterbuck's property in Green Lane a month ago.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Henderson was immensely interested.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't you make any mistake; that pocket-book -never contained his entire fortune," he said. -"The old boy was a miser on the face of him, any -fool could see that; he may have got a hundred -thousand hidden in a cellar, half eaten by the rats, -and all left to you. Why, man, I have heard of -huge fortunes left to fellows for far less."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And Henderson proceeded to tell me of how a -man he had read or heard of was left fifty thousand -for letting an old lady look over his hymnbook in -church; and how another fellow got as much again -for paying an old gentleman's omnibus fare when -the conductor refused to give him change and -threatened to be disagreeable; and many other -choice examples of a similar character.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But I was firmly convinced that there was -nothing romantic forthcoming as the result of my -acquaintance with old Clutterbuck, at least nothing -more romantic than a five- or ten-pound note, and -I took the train to Paddington with the sense that -the journey was an unmitigated nuisance, since it -was unlikely to lead to anything seriously interesting, -while it cut short an extremely pleasant visit in a -circle of society from which I should perforce be -excluded before long in my capacity of plain -Tommy Atkins, the recipient of the Queen's -shilling and wearer of the uniform of the humblest -of her servants militant.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Steggins, the lawyer, was, however, decorously -polite when I made my appearance at Aston Villa. -There were three or four other persons present, -expectant legatees like myself, I concluded; so -that the contents of dead Mr. Clutterbuck's -pocket-book were to be divided among five, at least, of us. -There was nothing in the business—I was certain -of it; I had been a fool to leave my comfortable -quarters in the country upon such an errand; would -that I had stayed!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Clutterbuck had died, I was told, of heart -disease. He had never quite recovered the shock -of the assault in Green Lane, and it was believed -that he had encountered one of his assailants on -the day of his death and recognised him, and that -the excitement of the </span><em class="italics">rencontre</em><span> had proved fatal. -My fellow-legatees were, it appeared, relatives of -the deceased, and one and all of these looked -askance at me as an interloper, several of them -inquiring of Steggins, in my hearing, what I had -had to do with the testator, and what claim I -possessed upon the property.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Steggins replied that he believed I had -performed some service to the deceased for which -the testator was grateful.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's the figure, Steggins, old man?" asked -one. "How does the old boy cut up?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's what we are about to learn," said the -man of law.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We did learn it a few minutes later; and a very -remarkable lesson it was!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I suppose that Mr. Clutterbuck's testamentary -dispositions were just about as surprising and -unexpected as such dispositions can well be, unless -indeed they had emanated from an absolute lunatic, -and this Mr. Clutterbuck certainly was not. We -who were present as expectant legatees were taken -aback, one and all, and when I use this expression -about my own feelings I am choosing an exceedingly -mild one.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As a matter of fact, I was, to use a more -serviceable word, "flabbergasted." For me alone -of those present the large amount of money which -the testator had to dispose of was an absolute -surprise. I learned afterwards that all the rest -were well aware that their relative had been -possessed of considerable wealth, though perhaps none -of them may have realised the real extent of his -hoarded riches. At all events no one could possibly -have guessed how the eccentric old man intended -to dispose of his money. So that in this matter -the surprise of the rest was as great as my own.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The will, gentlemen," said Mr. Steggins, -preparing to read that document, "is very short, -very clear as to its dispositions, though not worded -in the customary legal phraseology" (I could not -help laughing at the </span><em class="italics">non sequitur</em><span> involved in this -explanation), "and exceedingly eccentric. It begins -with the words, 'The Prize to the Swift,' which -sentence heads the document as a kind of text, and -it continues as follows:—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'I wish to preface my testamentary dispositions -with the remark that my personal estate amounts, -at the time of writing, to exactly ninety-seven -thousand eight hundred and ninety-two pounds -three shillings and sixpence, free of legacy duty. -The accumulation of this sum of money has -occasioned me much hard labour, much thought, -much disappointment, many dangers, much travel -by land and sea. I have no intention that my heir -should acquire that which has been gained by the -sweat of my brow without corresponding labour -and suffering on his own part.'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is the opening paragraph of the will itself," -said Mr. Steggins; "this is how it proceeds:—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'I have therefore decided that, as I have -indicated in the initial sentence of this my will, the -prize shall go to the swift. Let me explain my -meaning. Those of my possible heirs who have -known me long are aware that I have devoted -considerable time during recent years to foreign -travel. During one of my latest journeys I took -the opportunity to bury a box containing treasure -at a place indicated in the map of Bechuanaland -which I have sketched.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'I now bequeath to him who first succeeds -in reaching that spot, and in finding the treasure, -the entire fortune which I possess, and which I -estimate to be the equivalent of the sum quoted -above. Those whom I have authorised by name -to compete in this race for wealth are advised that -many qualities of mind and body will be called into -requisition by the winner: such as energy, -perseverance, pluck, judgment, acuteness. Without -the determination to employ each and all of these -qualities, it would be useless to undertake the -search which must be the toilsome preliminary to -enjoyment of my wealth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'The competitors who shall alone be legally -competent to inherit from me are the following:—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'William John Clutterbuck, nephew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'James Strong, nephew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Charles Strong, nephew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'John Ellis, cousin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Godfrey Bernard Hewetson, of 13 Enderby -Terrace, Streatham, to whom I am indebted for a -service rendered.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>(This last name is my own.)</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'If none of these five persons shall have -succeeded within three years of my death in finding -the buried treasure, my lawyer, Mr. Steggins, shall -have power to seek new instructions within the -sealed letter which has been entrusted to him for -that purpose.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Each competitor, as above enumerated, shall -receive, immediately after the reading of this my -will, one-fifth share of any money found upon my -person or within my house at the time of my decease. -To save trouble, I may add that any such money -will be found within my pocket-book; there is none -anywhere besides the notes and change therein -contained. The house and garden will, of course, -remain the property of the successful discoverer of -the rest of my estate.'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The will ends there," said Steggins; "but -there is a postscript which I may read out, though -it has no actual bearing upon the matter in hand:—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'I should like to add' (writes the testator) -'that, since none of my relatives have ever shown -me the slightest affection, or paid me any attention -which was not obviously interested, I should be -glad if the last-named among the competitors—Mr. Godfrey -Bernard Hewetson, who has, at least on -one occasion, done me a very signal service—should -prove himself, as I fancy he is as likely as any to -do, the successful competitor. My relatives are, -so far as I know them, but poor specimens of -humanity, and little likely to carry away the prize -in a competition requiring such qualities as energy -and courage. I have authorised them to compete, -however, as a matter of family duty. Possibly the -desire for gain may transform one or all of them -into animated human beings.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The faces of those surrounding the table at -which Steggins had sat and read this remarkable -document were black enough when he had finished. -One or two men swore audibly. Every one of -them scowled at me, as though I were in some way -to blame for the eccentric dispositions, which had -evidently disappointed them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for me, I was so dumbfounded by the -stupefying thoughts and considerations to which -the recital of Mr. Clutterbuck's dispositions had -given rise, that I think I must have made a poor -show as I sat and blushed and helplessly blinked -my eyes, while the others burst into a torrent of -angry conversation.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="i-enter-for-the-race"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER IV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">I ENTER FOR THE RACE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Do you consider, Mr. Steggins," said one, -"that any British jury would regard the -precious document you have just read as the work -of a sane man?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly," replied Steggins; "I don't see -how any British jury could help themselves. It is -surely proper that you gentlemen, his only relatives, -should have been accorded equal chances of -becoming his heirs with this other gentleman, in -whose favour his sympathies had been gained."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is not the point," said another—one of -the Strongs, I think; "the question is, What right -has this Mr. Hewetson to benefit, and whether -undue influence can be proved?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very doubtful indeed, I should say," said -Steggins. "I happen to know that, beyond the -fact that Mr. Hewetson saved the life of -Mr. Clutterbuck, as the deceased firmly believed, and -afterwards assisted him in the recovery of certain -bank-notes of which he had been robbed, the -testator had no acquaintance whatever with this -gentleman; his act is one of disinterested gratitude."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How do we know that this person is not in -possession of private information which will enable -him to discover the treasure while we are helplessly -searching for it all over Africa?" asked another -of the amiable nephews. The question aroused -me from my stupor, and from this moment I was -myself again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To suggest such a thing is an insult to the -deceased," said Steggins gravely; "and as for -searching all Africa, the little map which you hold -in your hand, together with the footnotes explaining -it, affords a precise guide to the spot, within an acre -or so, in which the treasure is declared to lie -buried."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"As to that," I broke in hotly, "allow me to add -my assurance that I know no more about this -matter than has been read aloud by Mr. Steggins. -I have no information whatever beyond that which -the map and explanations convey. If any -gentleman present still feels doubt as to my </span><em class="italics">bonâ fides</em><span>, -I shall be grateful if he will kindly mention it." No -one spoke. "As a matter of fact," I continued, -"I shall probably take no part in the search for -this problematical treasure. I shall consider the -question, but I shall perhaps decide to remain at -home."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did not say this because the idea of a journey -to South Africa was in any way distasteful to me. -On the contrary, nothing, I felt, could possibly be -more congenial than such a trip, especially when -combined with the delightful excitement of a search -for hidden treasure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The fact was that I did not see my way to -undertaking the journey, for the best of reasons. -My last fifty pounds were all but spent already; -my one-fifth share of the old gentleman's petty -cash could not well amount to more than thirty -pounds (it was actually twenty-eight pounds four -shillings and twopence). How should I equip -myself for the enterprise, or pay my passage to the -Cape and the expenses of the trip up-country -afterwards?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My fellow-heirs did not, however, set much -faith in my assertion, so I gathered from their looks, -though none of them replied in any way to my -remark. This galled me again, and I added that I -intended to consider the question thoroughly before -finally deciding. I should not, I said, surrender -my rights if I could help it!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before leaving the room, I took the precaution -to interrogate Mr. Steggins as to certain matters: -whether, firstly, Mr. Clutterbuck had actually been -in possession of the large sums of money he claimed -to dispose of; and whether, secondly, my own legal -position, supposing that I should be fortunate enough -to find the treasure, would be unassailable; whether, -in two words, there was any treasure to find, and -whether the "finder" would be recognised by the -law as the "keeper."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Steggins assured me that he knew for a positive -fact that a very few years ago Mr. Clutterbuck had -undoubtedly possessed at least as large a fortune -as that named in the will, and that it was extremely -unlikely that he should have spent all or any large -portion of it in the interim. My position would -certainly be unassailable. It might be argued that -the journey to South Africa for the purpose of -burying his fortune in order that his heirs might -not succeed to it without personal trouble was the -act of an eccentric; but the desire to test the -perseverance and energy of his heirs was sane -enough, and the device—if clumsy—was not an -insane one. Mr. Clutterbuck had disliked his -nephews, Steggins explained, and had often -declared that he would "make the lazy young rogues -sweat a bit before they touched his money." The -will had been made out before the event which -introduced myself to his notice, and my name had -been added.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mr. Clutterbuck often expressed the wish," -concluded Steggins, "during the last week or two -of his life, that you should be the successful one, -and disappoint these nephews of his, upon whom, -as I say, he did not waste much affection."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And no wonder, thought I, for a more disagreeable-looking -set of fellows than the three nephews -I do not think I ever saw. The cousin was an -elderly man, and was a person of a different stamp -from the rest, two at least of whom obviously -belonged to that class of society of whom it is often -remarked that one would not care to meet them -alone in a dark lane.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Steggins's remarks were rather encouraging, and -I began seriously to regret that my funds—or, -rather, my lack of them—was likely to prove a -stumbling-block to success, or even to any attempt -on my part to take a hand in the extremely -"sporting" game which dead Mr. Clutterbuck -proposed to us. The more I thought over it the -more I deplored the poverty which not only stood -in the way of my winning this tantalising race, but -which actually made it impossible for me to find -the preliminary entrance fee! And such a prize at -stake—oh, why had I not a few hundred pounds! -Truly my luck was abominable!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>I returned the same night to Henderson's place -in Gloucestershire, and talked the matter over with -my college chum.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To my surprise and great pleasure Henderson, -who was a year senior to me at Oxford and -had just taken his degree, received my news with -extraordinary excitement and delight. Not only did -he instantly insist upon my "entering for the race," -as he called it, but he insisted also upon constituting -himself my "backer" and trainer, and announced -his intention of coming with me to see fair play.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Henderson had no reason whatever to mind the -expense of journey and equipment. I should pay -him back my share, he laughingly declared, out of -the treasure when we found it! He had nothing -in the world to detain him in England at present. -On the contrary, he longed for a big travel before -settling down to country life as a Gloucestershire -squire. This business was simply a godsend for -both of us!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Needless to say, I was easily persuaded that it -was even as Jack Henderson declared, and that he -really desired to accompany me and to take the -risk of my being able to repay him some day for -his outlay on my behalf. As a matter of fact, I -am quite as certain that Jack really wished to go -(he was always a sporting character, was Jack -Henderson) as I am that he cared no more whether -I ever repaid him my expenses than he reflected -whether these should amount to one hundred -pounds or two thousand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Actually they came to a good deal, because -Jack Henderson insisted upon doing everything in -the best style. We should enjoy a bit of sporting, -he said, after I had found the cash; and therefore -we provided ourselves with heavy rifles for big -game, small ones for antelope, shot guns, revolvers, -knives, ammunition enough of every kind to stock -a fortress, and every luxury and convenience that -the up-country sportsman in Africa can possibly -expect to require.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What is more, in spite of all the purchases and -preparations we made, we were on board ship -within forty-eight hours of my return to Gloucestershire, -fortified with the knowledge that none of my -fellow-competitors could, at all events, have stolen -a march upon me in this, the first move of the -campaign; for the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>, the fine steamer -in which we had secured berths, was the first vessel -that had left any London dock for the Cape since -the day on which Steggins read out the will and -metaphorically fired the pistol which started us five -competitors upon our race.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I had secured a flying start at anyrate.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="treachery"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER V</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">TREACHERY!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>For several days I was under the impression -that, for some reason or other, the rest of -Mr. Clutterbuck's potential heirs had left me to -"walk over." Probably, I thought, they intended -to allow me to find the treasure unchallenged, and -would contest the will and my right to inherit after -I should have saved them the trouble of unearthing -the money. This, I felt, was foolish of them, -because my position, according to Steggins, was -unassailable. It could easily be proved that I had -not, and could not possibly have, exerted any -undue influence upon the old man. They might -contest as much as they pleased, but no British -jury would listen to their nonsense, and I should -remain in blessed possession! I should, moreover, -have all the fun of this "big travel," as Henderson -called it, and the excitement of the treasure hunt -thrown in! Poor-spirited creatures these nephews -of old Clutterbuck; the old man had not been a -bit too hard upon them in the postscript to his will!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But about the fifth day out I was almost sure -that I caught sight of one of my rivals—the -man called James Strong, who had made certain -unpleasant innuendoes as to my good faith after -the reading of the will. The fellow stood, half -hidden, behind a donkey-engine on the deck used -by second-class passengers, well wrapped to the -chin in a waterproof or some kind of long cloak. -I suppose I must have betrayed the fact that I had -recognised, or half recognised, him, though I did -my best to conceal it; for the next time that I -came in sight of the spot which he had occupied -he had disappeared, and I did not see him again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Anxious to discover whether the fellow really -had been James Strong, or merely some -second-class passenger whose appearance bore an -accidental resemblance to that individual, I made -friends with the steward of the second-class mess, -and begged from him a sight of the list of passengers -under his charge; but in his list there was no person -bearing the name I sought, neither was there a -Clutterbuck nor an Ellis.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They may be on board under assumed -names!" suggested Jack Henderson, but I scouted -the idea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why should they?" I said. "They would -gain nothing by that sort of game, for we should -be sure to see them at landing, if not before; and, -besides, what if we didn't see them?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, then we should conclude that we had -the hunt to ourselves, don't you understand," -explained Jack, "and that would suit them very -well."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why so?" continued dense I.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Because in that case we would not hurry -up-country, but allow them to get a start of us and -have first dig for the treasure."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's true, by George!" I assented reflectively; -"you are a sharper customer than I thought, -Jack!" and from this moment until we reached the -Canaries, where we were delayed a couple of days -on account of something going wrong with our -screw, I kept a very sharp lookout for my co-heirs -among both second-class and steerage passengers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once I was almost certain that I saw both -James Strong and his brother; and once, too, I -thought I recognised the other nephew, Clutterbuck; -but in each case I was unable to determine the -matter with certainty, because the suspected -individual disappeared as soon as observed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Under the circumstances, both Henderson and -I thought that it would be wise to waste no time at -all at Cape Town. We would buy horses and -spades, and be off without delay, taking the train -as far as it would carry us in the required direction, -and acting generally as though my suspicions as to -the identity of the second-class passengers were -actually verified.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But all our good intentions to frustrate the guile -of those who thought to get the better of us by -superior cunning were nipped in the bud by an -unforeseen and very unfortunate occurrence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Our propeller went wrong, and it was found -necessary to put into port at the Canary Islands in -order to repair the damage, which the captain hoped -would be effected in a day, but which actually -occupied two days. A strong south-east wind -happened to be blowing, and this rendered the -harbour at Las Palmas unsafe; we were therefore -obliged to lie in the protected waterway between -the islands Graciosa and Lanzarote, a very fine -anchorage of one mile in width, the former of these -islands being uninhabited (excepting by seagulls -and other fowl), while Lanzarote can boast of a -small population.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack Henderson and I, together with many of -the other passengers, landed on the second day to -stretch our legs, some visiting Lanzarote, while we -and a few others chose Graciosa. Captain Eversley -impressed upon all who went ashore that it was -absolutely necessary to be on board by seven in -the evening, as at that hour the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span> -must sail, whether all were aboard or not. Since we -had not the slightest intention of remaining ashore -so long as this, however, we allowed the captain's -warning to be adopted and digested by those to -whose intended proceedings it might be applicable. -As for ourselves, we started with our shot guns for -a walk along the rocky beach.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a fine day, and the walk was pleasant -enough after the protracted confinement aboard -ship, and Jack and I felt buoyant and happy as we -trudged along the sand and shingle at the foot of -some fine cliffs that frowned down upon us from -the shore side, banging our guns off at every winged -creature that would give us a chance at anything -like shooting distance, and laughing and singing -after the fashion of schoolboys let loose. The head -steward had provided us with sandwiches, and -these we consumed as we lay sprawling in the -sunshine on the sand, having walked and scrambled -a mile or two over very rough "going," and intending -after lunch and a rest to turn and go back to our -ship.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We had heard a few shots now and again from -the top of the cliff, and had agreed that the same -idea must have occurred to others of the passengers -besides ourselves—namely, to employ some of their -spare time and work off some of their energy in -banging at the sea-birds that circled and flitted -about the rocks in hundreds; but beyond congratulating -ourselves upon the fact that we were well -below the line of fire, and not likely to be hit by a -stray shot, we had not paid much attention to the -cannonading of our neighbours. I believe I had -fallen asleep. It was warm, sleepy weather, and -the sand couch we lay upon, with our backs to a -rock, was very comfortable. Suddenly Jack seized -my arm and shook me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good Heavens, Godfrey!" he said, "look out, -old man; did you hear that last shot? It was ball, -I'm certain, and the bullet struck this rock—there's -the mark, see! Somebody had a shot at us. Slip -behind, quick!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wide awake now, I slipped behind the rock in a -moment, Jack doing the same; and we were only -just in time, it appeared, for at the same instant a -second shot was fired and a splinter flew from the -rock close to the spot which we had occupied.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shout out at them that there are people here!" -I said. "They must be firing at a mark!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Firing at a grandmother!" laughed Jack; "</span><em class="italics">we</em><span> -were the mark, man. Wait a bit, look here, I'll -show you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext" id="id1"><span>Jack adopted an old device: he took his cap, and -placing it at the end of the muzzle of his gun, held -it up over the top of the rock behind which we -cowered, as though someone had popped out his -head to look abroad. Instantly a third shot whizzed -past our sanctuary.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There," said Henderson; "that's James Strong, -or his brother, or the other rascal!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, impossible!" I said. "No fellow could be -so base as to attempt to murder us in cold blood. -Besides, we are not even certain whether they were -on board."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, you may take it from this moment that -they </span><em class="italics">were</em><span>!" said Jack, laughing; "they have sent -in their cards. Now let's think what's best to be -done. We can't go back along the sands because -we shall be within shot pretty nearly all the way. -We must make a bolt for the cliff, get under its -shelter, and either storm their position or hide there -until they are gone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What! and miss the steamer?" I said, "we -can't afford to do that, Jack!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can we better afford to get ourselves knocked -down like cocoanuts at a fair?" asked Henderson -pertinently. "We shall have to make a bolt for -the cliffs; when there we'll try to climb the rocks -so stealthily that we surprise the enemy and fall -upon him unawares."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This seemed the only feasible course, under the -circumstances, and we decided to take it.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="rats-in-a-trap"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">RATS IN A TRAP</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>It is not the pleasantest thing in the world to be -obliged to bolt like a rabbit across the open, -even for twenty yards or so, under a hot fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must hope they are poor shots!" said -Jack, smiling grimly. "If they couldn't hit us -lying quietly on the sand they are not likely to -bowl us over running."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Count the shots they fire," I said; "then we -shall know how many of them are in it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now," whispered Jack, "we'll draw their fire -with the cap once more; and the instant you hear -the shot run for all you're worth to the base of the -cliff. Do you understand?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I nodded my head. I was horribly frightened, -I confess. I do not think I am a coward when I -can hit back if assailed, but I always lose heart -when helpless. To cut and run for other fellows -to shoot at you is, to a reflective mind, one of the -most unpleasant things a man can be called upon -to do.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>However, there was nothing else to be done. -Jack held up the cap; two shots were fired at it, -and away we ran.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Three more reports rang out as we raced across -the open, and, to my horror and despair, Jack fell. -All my terror vanished at the sight, and only rage -remained. I seized Jack's feet with an exclamation—it -may have been an oath and it may have been -a prayer—and dragged him along on his back in a -manner which must have been dreadfully trying to -a wounded man. One more shot was fired, but it -flew over our heads; I heard the whistle of it -distinctly. I deposited my burden at the foot of -the cliffs,—the whole affair did not last four -seconds,—and to my astonishment and intense relief the -victim rose to his feet and laughed consumedly, -though not noisily.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm awfully sorry I frightened you, old man," -he said, "but it was part of the game; I only -invented it on the spot, or I would have warned you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aren't you wounded?" I gasped.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a bit of it!" said Jack. "I shammed on -purpose. I'm hoping they'll come down now they -imagine there's only one to deal with. If they do, -there'll be 'ructions'!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I cordially agreed with Jack on this point. I -would not mind all three nephews, and would -gladly throw in the cousin as well, at close quarters -and in equal fight. Any fool can frighten me if he -shoots at me from an ambush.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But though we waited in silence for some little -while the enemy made no sign, and we came to the -conclusion that the risk of being seen and -recognised weighed more with them than the desire to -wipe me off the face of the earth at any hazard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They've got to deny all knowledge of this -little affair when we meet on board ship, you see," -explained Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But they are sure to have another shot at us -before they leave us," I rejoined. "Even if we -creep along under the lee of the cliffs they'll find -some place where they can sight us, confound -them!" I looked up and around uncomfortably. -I hated the position.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We won't let them 'draw a bead' on us if we -can help it," said Jack. "What say you to creeping -quietly along for half a mile, and then trying -to scale the cliffs? I'd give something to surprise -the rogues, and have a shy at them at close quarters -as they come along!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This very distinctly met my views, and we -started at once, creeping over rocks, springing -quickly over level stretches of sand, wading here -and there,—getting rapidly over the ground one -way or another,—and all so close to the steep cliffs -that unless a man lay on his waistcoat at the top -and looked over the edge he could not have seen us. -But we came to no place where the rocks looked -climbable or anything like it; and we reached, -instead, a spot where the sea had advanced to the -foot of the rocks, and was breaking against them -at a depth of a few inches.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George! how the tide has come up!" said -Jack, looking serious; "we must dash through -this, and hope that it will be all right beyond."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But though we plunged and waded for a couple -of hundred yards beyond the corner, we found that -the water became deeper rather than shallower, and -that unless we returned at once we should have to -swim back to the dry beach. There was no -disguising the fact—we were cut off by the tide!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I am afraid we both used strong language when, -after wading back to the beach, we realised what -this misfortune meant for us. It meant, of course, -that in all probability we should be left behind by -the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>, for it was now past five o'clock, -and likely enough the tide was still coming in. It -was too excruciatingly cruel for anything excepting -naughty words, and we must be forgiven if one or -two of these slipped out in a moment of bitter -disappointment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was, however, no actual danger in our -position. As we could see by the mark of high -water on the cliffs, we should not, in any case, get -much more than a foot-bath if we remained where -we now stood. That was a comfort, so far as it -went, and something to be thankful for. But to -think that those rascals—the Strongs, and the rest -of them—would gain a week's start in the race for -Bechuanaland! It was too bitter to speak of, and -for the first hour or two we dared not trust -ourselves to mention the grievance, lest the fires that -smouldered within should burst forth and consume us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We employed our time in making frantic efforts -to scale the cliffs, and we succeeded in getting -ourselves, each in turn, into positions of unique and -unparalleled peril, out of which each had to be -rescued by the other; but as for climbing the cliff, -we never reached anywhere within hail of the top, -and if we had persevered from that day to this we -should never have succeeded in attaining thereunto.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Sorrowfully we came to the conclusion, at last, -that there was nothing for it but to wait for the fall -of the tide with all the patience and philosophic -calm we could command; and these, I fear, were -qualities which no known instrument could measure, -for there was scarcely a microscopical trace of either -in the pair of us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At seven o'clock by my watch, punctually, we -heard the booming signal of the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>, -and we knew what that meant only too well. It -meant that the steamer was leaving the anchorage, -having on board my rival competitors, as well as -our rifles and ammunition and revolvers, and -everything we possessed, and that for a week or so after -reaching Cape Town these men would be adding -every hour and every minute to the odds against -me in the race for old Clutterbuck's treasure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We shall meet them coming home with the -money-box," said I presently, following the train of -my own thoughts, "about half-way to Vryburg; -and we can't well scrag them at sight, for we have -no absolute evidence that it was they who shot at us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If we had," Jack assented, "we could relieve -them of the money-box, and all would be well. -However, they may not have found it by the time -we reach the spot. We don't stand to win, I -confess, but we won't quit the field till we are beaten -hopelessly out of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We shall have to keep our eyes open in the -veldt as we go," I said, "for evidently the fellows -are not particular."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They wouldn't dare murder us there," rejoined -Jack. "There was not much risk here, you see. -Oh, what wouldn't I give to have the rascals just -exactly here now, where my fist reaches!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I agreed that this would be sweetly consoling. -One might spend a quarter of an hour, I said, very -happily in pummelling Messrs. Strong and Clutterbuck; -but obviously there were few things less -likely than that we should see either or any of -them again this side of Vryburg, so that there was -not much use in hoping for it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was nine in the evening before we found -ourselves able to return to the spot at which we -had landed, and when we reached it we learned -from an Englishman who was about to return in -his boat to Las Palmas, whence he had come -during the day on sport intent, that we were too -late.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span> had sailed, as Captain -Eversley had declared he would, at seven o'clock.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="ghosts"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">GHOSTS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Our new friend professed the utmost sympathy -when we somewhat shamefacedly explained -that we had been caught by the tide, and -concealed a smile; but he proved a good fellow by -offering to put us up for a few nights until the -arrival of the next steamer going Capewards, an -offer which we gladly and gratefully accepted. -This good fellow informed us that he had seen -the last boatful of passengers taken on board at -about six o'clock or half-past, and in reply to my -inquiry added that the last to arrive had been a -party of three with guns; they had a few seagulls -with them, he said, and had declared that no one -else remained on shore so far as they were aware.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And when are we likely to get on from here?" -asked Jack; to which our host replied that it might -be a fortnight and might be a week, and possibly a -steamer might arrive this very night. There was -a cargo steamer overdue now that was to touch -here on her way south.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In the morning there was a joyful surprise -awaiting us; for when we awoke and looked out -upon the bright waters of the Las Palmas harbour, -there—black and ugly in the morning sunshine, -but of all sights the most beautiful in our eyes -to-day—floated a big English cargo-steamer, -already busily engaged in discharging that portion -of her cargo which had been consigned to Las -Palmas. Needless to say, we lost no time in -going on board, and as little in settling with the -captain to take us on to Cape Town, for a -consideration. We would have paid ten times the -price with pleasure if he had asked it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The </span><em class="italics">Panther</em><span>, our new vessel, was to sail by -sunset that very evening, so that—by a happy -turn of Fortune's wheel—we should, after all, -have waited but twenty-four hours in this place. -The </span><em class="italics">Panther</em><span> would travel considerably slower than -the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>, however, so that we must -still lose another day or two in time before Cape -Town should be reached; but, under the -circumstances, things might have been so very much -worse that we were inclined to be perfectly -contented for the moment, though we suffered many -an hour of mental torture before arriving at the -great southern city.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For the trusty ship </span><em class="italics">Panther</em><span> bore us at a -uniform rate of about twelve knots per hour, and -we realised as we neared Cape Town that the -</span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span> must be several days ahead of -us: we had hoped and expected to travel faster -than this. Nevertheless the unforeseen occasionally -happens, and a pleasant surprise was in store for -us on our arrival; for when Jack and I sought -out the local offices of the company to which the -last-named steamer belonged, in order to claim -our goods and be off northwards as quickly as -possible, we were informed, to our huge delight, -that the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span> had not yet arrived. -She had had trouble with her propeller, the clerk -informed us, and had been delayed, first at Las -Palmas and afterwards at Walfisch Bay.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then that clerk nearly had a fit, because Jack -and I manifested the wildest delight and roared -with laughter; I am not sure that we did not -execute a step or two of an improvised skirt -dance. The clerk smilingly observed presently -that if we were in hopes that somebody we expected -in the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span> was going down to the -bottom, or anything of that sort, it was his duty -to disappoint us, because the steamer was all right -and perfectly safe, and would arrive this evening.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh no," said Jack very heartlessly; "our -rich uncles and aunts are not on board!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I thought they must be," said the clerk, "as -you seemed so pleased to hear of the ship's -accident." He eyed us as though doubts as to -our sanity had begun to dawn in his mind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, man," said Jack, "we are passengers -ourselves—that's the joke of it!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Passengers on board what ship?" asked the -clerk.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>" exclaimed Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the doubts as to our sanity which had -dawned in that clerk's mind ripened into certainty, -and he began to look about for a safe place; he -also grasped his ruler in case of emergency, -resolved, no doubt, to sell his life dearly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We got out at Las Palmas," I explained. I -made the remark in sympathetic sorrow for that -clerk's agony of mind. But my explanation did -not reassure him much.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You can't be in two places at once," he said. -"If you got out at Las Palmas, you are there -still. Besides, if you got out you surely knew -enough to get in again?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'd have got in again if we could," I said, -"but we missed the boat and had to come on by -the </span><em class="italics">Panther</em><span>, which arrived this morning. Here -are our tickets—they will prove that we started -by the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The clerk examined our tickets and wiped his -forehead; then he looked us over, laughed almost -as loud as we did, and said it was rather funny -that we should have turned up first after all. If -he had known what a poor joke it was for some -others on board the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>, I daresay he -would have laughed still more. As it was, he -entered so heartily into the spirit of the thing that -he obtained permission for us to board the steamer -in the company's tug so soon as the ship should -arrive in sight, a permission which we were right -glad to have, because we were somewhat anxious -as to our property on board, in case certain persons -should have found means during our absence to -possess themselves of that which was not theirs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was also another reason for our desire -to go on board in the darkness and unexpected. -We desired to do a little spiritualism in real life, -and to appear before our friends the Strongs in -the morning as though we had never left the ship.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing like playing the ghost for getting at -the truth of things," said Jack, as we left the office. -"We shall see by the rascals' faces, when they -catch sight of us, whether it was really they who -fired the shots at us!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That shipping clerk was of the greatest service -to us in another way, for he gave us much excellent -advice as to how best to proceed in our journey -up-country, what natives to engage, how many -oxen to purchase, and the best kind of waggon, -together with a quantity of other useful -information as to roads and the chances of sport to be -obtained. It was dusk by the time the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow -Castle</em><span> arrived in the offing, and we boarded her -during the dinner-hour, when of passengers there -were none on deck. Captain Eversley was on -duty, however, and our ghostly reappearance began -propitiously with that cordial officer, who first -stared at us in a bewildered manner and -afterwards burst into laughter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, you are nice sort of young fellows," he -said; "you ought to be still vegetating at the -Grand Canary if you had your deserts! What -became of you?—lose yourselves?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Caught by tide," Jack explained, "and -brought on by a freighter."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come for your things, I suppose?" said the -captain. "All right; I had them removed from -your cabin because two second-class passengers -asked to be allowed to pay the difference and -come in when there was room. The steward has -your property. They're all at dinner below; you'd -better join them—they'll take you for ghosts."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who are the fellows in our cabin?" I inquired.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Brothers, I believe, called Smith," said -Eversley. "They have a friend among the -second-classers; they have not been popular -among the state-room people. We have wished -you back more than once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We thanked the captain and retired, as he had -suggested, below. Here our sudden appearance -caused first a dead silence of amazement, followed -by the uproar of a dozen or two tongues speaking -at once; and then, to add to the dramatic interest -of the situation, one of the passengers rose from -his seat at the lower end of the table as though -to leave the room, uttered a kind of groan, and -fainted. I saw him and recognised him in a -moment—it was Charles Strong. His brother, -seated beside him, quickly dragged his unconscious -relative away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A word or two of explanation soon convinced -our late fellow-travellers that we were not ghosts, -and in order to reassure them more fully as to -our substantiality we both sat down and made a -remarkably good dinner. I am sorry to say that -it was the unanimous opinion of all present that, -had we been still looking out for a sail at Las -Palmas instead of comfortably dining almost within -the harbour of Cape Town, we should have had -nothing but our own foolishness to thank for it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for the Strongs, or Smiths, no one had a -good word to say for them. They never spoke, -we were told, at meals, and they spent all their -time conspiring and whispering together over maps -and papers on the second-class deck, where they -had a fellow-mystery. They were set down by -universal consent as miners or gold-diggers who -had received a "tip" as to some rich spot, which -they intended to find and exploit. Universal -consent had not made such a very bad guess, as -it turned out.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="neck-and-neck-for-the-first-lap"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">NECK AND NECK FOR THE FIRST LAP</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>When we went to claim our property -afterwards from the steward's pantry—which -we did in some anxiety, seeing who our successors -in the cabin had been (for we naturally concluded -that the Strongs would not have paid money for -the pleasure of occupying our berths unless they -had had designs upon something we might have -left there), we missed my small handbag.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Were these new fellows in the cabin before -our things were removed?" we asked of the -steward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh no, sir," said that functionary; "one of -them looked in to see if it would suit, but he -wasn't there five minutes; you wouldn't surely -suspect the gentleman of"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh dear, no!" I said, "certainly not, steward; -probably my little bag escaped your notice and -his too. Go and ask for it, like a good man; it -was under the sofa when we were in the cabin, -and it's probably there now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The steward went off on his mission somewhat -flustered; for it was a reflection upon his -carefulness that the bag had been left behind. -When I said that it might have escaped Strong's -notice as well as his own, I really meant what I -said, though the sceptical Jack grinned at my -"innocence," as he called it. The bag contained, -as Jack knew, a few exceedingly important -articles—namely, my slender stock of ready money (about -thirty-five pounds), a copy of the all-important -map and instructions for finding Clutterbuck's -treasure, my revolver, and a few other things of -less importance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nevertheless, when the steward brought the -bag to me a few minutes later with "Mr. Smith's" -apology, and declared that the latter gentleman -said that neither he nor his brother had seen or -touched it, I believed him. I was the more -disposed to acquit the Strongs when I opened the -bag and found money, map, revolver, and everything -else still within it just as I had left them; -but subsequent events proved that Jack's scepticism -was in the right after all, though we did not -discover this until later.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We saw no more of the Strongs that evening, -and when—very early in the morning—we went -on deck to see the ship moored in dock, we found -that our friends had already departed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We can afford to make a good breakfast and -give them that much start," said Jack; "for they -will probably have a lot to buy and to arrange -before they can start, while most of our preliminary -arrangements were made yesterday." Therefore -we made a good breakfast.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The train, we found, would take us as far as -Vryburg, after which we should have to purchase -horses and push along over the Chartered -Company's road towards Bulawayo. Our destination -was several days' journey short of that town, -however, and lay some way to the east of the -pioneer waggon-road used by the company during -the first Matabele campaign. At Vryburg we -encountered the Strongs and Clutterbuck at a -horse-dealer's yard. They, like ourselves, had -come to buy horseflesh, and we surprised them in -the midst of their bargaining.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no particular reason for pretending -that I did not recognise them, for it was likely -enough that we should be near neighbours when -it came to digging, and we were all encamped -upon a couple of acres of land. I therefore -addressed them, and bade them good-morning, -by name.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They growled an unwilling greeting in return.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We're all here, I see, excepting Mr. Ellis," -I continued. "I suppose he is to follow later?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I know no more about him than you," said -James Strong surlily. "Who's this, may I ask, -with you, and what right has he to come digging -for our treasure?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is he digging for our treasure?" I asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's what he's here for, you bet," said -Strong; "if he finds it, let me tell you, your claim -won't stand, remember that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My good man," said Henderson exasperatingly, -"do wait until you have caught me at it! -As my friend suggests, I am not thinking of -digging; I am here to keep him company, and to -act as a kind of bodyguard."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can't the poor fellow take care of himself?" -said Strong, laughing rudely; "what's he afraid -of? We are all respectable people here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You see," said Jack, with exasperating -coolness, "in some countries the bullets fly very -promiscuously; people have been known to shoot -at seagulls and to hit men. Now only the other -day, at an island called Graciosa"—at this point the -second Strong dragged his brother away to look at -a horse, and as the proprietor of the establishment -beckoned us mysteriously aside at the same moment, -we saw no more of our friends at this time; when we -returned to the yard they had taken their departure. -The horse-dealer's object in beckoning us aside -was, it appeared, to inform us that—if we liked to -pay for them—he had a horse or two which would -be likely to suit gentlemen like ourselves much -better than this rubbish.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were quite ready to pay for a good -article—delighted; at least Jack was, and I was quite -glad that he should. After all, if the fellow -mounted us better than the Strongs & Co., the -privilege would be well worth paying for.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We certainly paid for it, at anyrate; but -whether our horses were really much, or any, better -than the "rubbish" that fell to Strong's lot is a -question. Possibly Strong squared the horse-dealer -before we came; if so, he was no fool, and -perfectly within his rights.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We had bought our waggon and oxen, seasoned -or "salted" animals chosen without regard to -expense, and had engaged a Kaffir driver and a -native of Bechuana or Somali land to act as -huntsman, in case we should find the treasure and have -time upon our hands for some big-game hunting -afterwards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All these matters had been arranged before -we left Cape Town, and our party were even now -trekking slowly northwards towards the appointed -rendezvous on the Bulawayo road, at the point, in -fact, where—as per map—our side route branched -off from the main road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We had left the heavy rifles and most of our -ammunition to be brought on after us by the -waggon, and we hoped that by the time the -question of the treasure had been decided we should -find our property waiting for us at the rendezvous. -Jack said we should "do a bit of sporting" whether -we dug up the treasure or no.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So that we had not much in the way of -impedimenta actually with us. Each carried a light -spade, a blanket, a waterproof coat, a light rifle, a -revolver, cartridge-belt and case, saddle-bags with -tinned food and biscuits, a bottle of brandy as -medicine, and little else besides. Thus equipped, -however, we both felt that we could easily and -comfortably spend a week or two without any -more of the comforts of civilisation than we -carried about us, and we set out upon our -hundred-mile ride in the highest possible spirits, -even though we were well aware that "the -enemy" were on the road before us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't want to kill anybody if I can help it, -you know, Peter," Jack had said (he always called -me Peter, though my name is Godfrey; I was -called Peter at school, for some inscrutable -schoolboy reason!), "but I'm hanged if I am going to -let these fellows have any more shots at me gratis. -If any fellow lets fly at me again and misses, he's -a dead man if I can make him one!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I quite agreed with Jack that we would not again -play at being targets without taking our turns at the -shooting afterwards. I do not relish the idea of -shedding human blood any more than Jack, but -one must draw the line somewhere, and we were -going to draw it at those who took shots at us -from an ambush; for such we would have no pity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the evening of the first day we came up -with our friends the Strongs. They were encamping -on the banks of a river over which there was a ford.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Our horses were not tired, we had not ridden -very hard, and we agreed that this would be a -good opportunity to push on and obtain a good -start of the Strongs. The complacency with which -these men had settled down in this place and were, -apparently, prepared to see us pass them in the -race, perplexed and puzzled us not a little. We -were suspiciously inclined towards them, and it -appeared to us that they would not allow us to get -ahead so easily without a good reason. However, -it was unlikely that we should learn their reason by -asking for it, and we did not desire more of their -society than was absolutely necessary; we -therefore agreed to push on—to play our game and -allow them to play theirs. We could take care -of ourselves, though they were three to two.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So we proceeded to ford the river, the Strongs -watching us intently, though they pretended to be -taking little notice of us. Jack's horse led the -way, and was wading in the water considerably -over his knees, when something floating in -mid-stream caught my eye, and I invited Jack to -stop a moment and look at the object. Jack -pulled up at once and stared with me at the -dark-looking thing floating slowly with the -current.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I should say it was a log of wood if I did not -happen to know that crocodiles abound here," he -said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If it's a log of wood it's a nimble one," I -rejoined; "for see, Jack, it is coming this way, -partly against current."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For reply, Jack wheeled his horse round and -plunged madly for the land.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Back to the shore, Peter, quick!" he shouted, -"for your life!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="more-treachery"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER IX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">MORE TREACHERY</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>When we reached the bank and looked -round, the dark object had disappeared, -but almost immediately it reappeared within five -yards of us. We could see it plainly now—a huge, -scaly head, half out of the water, and a wicked -little eye looking straight at us as though gloating -over the feast it had just lost by a hair's-breadth. -It was horrible.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, the cruel-looking, bloodthirsty, gaol-bird -brute!" muttered Jack, raising his rifle. "Thank -Heaven we were not a quarter of a minute later, -Peter! Now watch—this is for his eye-socket."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the little rifle sent out its message with a -light, ping-like report, there was a strange upward -lift of the great head, a vast commotion for a -moment of the water, then the tail went up and -the head went down; there was a little reddening -of the mudded stream, the crocodile disappeared, -and the tragedy was over.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To my surprise, Jack immediately turned and -made for the group of men—the two Strongs and -Clutterbuck—sitting by their camp fire and watching -us; he still held his rifle in his hand—his little -double-barrelled sporting weapon. I took my -revolver and followed him, for I did not know -what he meant to do. Henderson strode right up -to the group and addressed them without any kind -of preface.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If I were certain you fellows were aware that -the crocodile held the ford," he said, "I'm hanged -if I wouldn't chuck you in after him, one by one."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Words don't cost much," said James Strong; -"we are three to your two. It is foolish to -boast of what you would do if you were strong -enough."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are right; words are cheap," said Jack; -"but for want of something trustier I must ask -you to give yours that you knew nothing of that -crocodile. If you cannot give me an assurance -on this point I shall do as I threaten. I know you -are three to two, but we need not fear a set of -cowards who shoot at helpless persons from an -ambush."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong flushed and glanced at his -companions, who reddened also. Nevertheless, he -maintained a bold front, and replied readily -enough—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We have not come into the interior of Africa -to guess riddles. I know nothing about any -crocodiles; but if one had eaten your friend there -as he crossed the ford we should not have gone -into mourning. It might have had you too, -without many tears from us. As to shooting from -an ambush, you may explain what you mean if you -please, or do the other thing if you prefer it. -There's no law against riddles and lunatics that I -know of, in these parts."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well, then; so be it," said Jack. "At -the same time let me tell you this: Prevaricate as -you will, we know well enough what we know; -you shot at us from the cliffs at Graciosa—good. -Luckily you are very bad shots, all of you. Now -I am a dead shot. I have twice been in the -Queen's Hundred at Wimbledon and Bisley, and -my friend here is not far behind me at a mark. -What you are to understand is this—that if any of -you fellows at any time fire at us, either of us, and -miss, we shall shoot back, and we shall not miss; -if we can't get a shot at you at once (for you are -likely to be behind an ambush), we shall let fly at -our next meeting. Bear this in mind for your good."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, chuck the sermon," said James Strong, -who was the spokesman of the party, and a very -rude one at that.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well," said Jack, "words are thrown -away upon fools; next time I shall shoot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And with this crude repartee we left these -worthies and crossed the ford, and gained a good -ten miles upon them by nightfall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now that my tale is taking us rapidly towards -the spot in which, according to our maps, old -Clutterbuck's treasure lay buried, it would be as -well to present for the reader's assistance a copy -of the map and instructions as we each received -them from Steggins the lawyer on the day of the -reading of the will.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Here is the copy, which I present to the reader -with apologies for its shortcomings as an artistic -production. I could have made it more presentable -and accurate, but it is better to reproduce it as I -received it.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 56%" id="figure-54"> -<img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Explanation of Map." src="images/img-069.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Explanation of Map.</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Take the road to Bulawayo from Vryburg.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ride about one hundred miles to a village called -Ngami; there turn aside eastward into the veldt. -Head straight for a conical hill fifteen miles distant -from the road and visible from Ngami. At the foot -of the mountain is a sandy plain covered with rocks -and occasional thorn bushes. Between the highest -thorn bush and the slope of the hill is an open -space of sandy soil about two acres in extent, and -covered with scrubby grass. Within this area I -have planted four posts. The treasure is buried at -a spot within the space defined by these four posts."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack Henderson and I rejoiced greatly when -we off-saddled that night ten miles ahead of the -others. This would give us a good start of them, -and, unless we had our own lack of energy to -blame, we should never allow them to make up -the difference. We were to have first dig, after all! -We drank a little hot brandy and water in memory -of our crocodile; for to him, we agreed, we owed -the advantage we had now gained. But for his -good offices our friends would certainly have -pushed on farther.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps," I suggested, "it was all a trick—their -camping there, I mean—and they are even -now at our heels and coming up hand over hand!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By Jove! you may be right, Peter," said -Jack. "I had not thought of it. I'll tell you -what, man; it won't do for both of us to sleep at -the same time. We must take watches—at all -events just now, while we are in the neighbourhood -of these bad characters!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were to discover before very long that we -could not afford to camp out in these African -forests without setting a watch, even when far -away from bad characters of the biped persuasion! -There are some very shady characters in Bechuanaland -that walk on four feet, and perform all -manner of wickedness under the cover of night! -We had not realised this fact as yet, but we were -to realise it pretty soon. Nevertheless, in -compliment to the poor opinion we held of the Strongs -and their ways, we agreed to divide our night -into two parts, and that one of us should sleep -while the other watched, and </span><em class="italics">vice versâ</em><span> at "half -time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was not sleepy, and undertook the first watch, -and a right creepy function I found it. Those who -have never slept out of their own beds would -scarcely believe in how many unexpected and -unrecognisable voices old Mother Night can speak. -In the heart of an African forest she has -tongues innumerable, and, moreover, all of them -weird and startling, while some are absolutely -terrifying.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We had built up a good fire, and had taken -the precaution to pile up an ample supply of fuel -almost at hands' reach from the spot at which I lay -with my toes to the blaze. But when it became -necessary to rise from my place and walk two yards -to the pile of firewood in order to add fuel, I must -confess with shame that I was so thoroughly cowed -and frightened by a feeling of supernatural awe, -brought on by the thousand weird and startling -noises to which I had lain and listened for two -hours or more, that I could scarcely summon -sufficient nerve to assume an erect attitude, but -lay trembling on the ground endeavouring to -gather the courage which had left me, a prey to -unworthy feelings of horror.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"However," I reflected, "if I do not keep the -fire up, all these awful beasts that are now prowling -about in the darkness and dare not come near will -become bolder, and"— This thought settled it, -and I arose, sweating with foolish terror, and -piled a mass of dry material upon the languishing -flames at my feet.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-serious-check"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER X</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A SERIOUS CHECK</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>As I did so there was a scuffle and a yelp a few -yards away, by a bush, and in the light that -the fire shot suddenly around I distinctly caught -sight of a brute which I believe was a hyena.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After this I lay with my revolver in my hand, -determined that if any savage brute became bold -enough again to venture within sight of me I -would let fly at him, at the risk of frightening poor -slumbering Jack out of his wits. Better that than -to have a loathsome hyena or jackal come nibbling -at one's leg while one lay asleep. A single shot -would probably ensure quiet for the rest of the -night.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before my watch was over I did catch sight of -another beast, or rather, I suppose, of the same one. -I raised my revolver and pulled the trigger. The -weapon misfired.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The "click" of the hammer was sufficient to -scare my friend away for the time being; but it -was not pleasant to think that our ammunition was -not to be relied upon, and I determined to -overhaul the stock in the morning. Meanwhile, I -changed the cartridges in my revolver, for the -little weapon had been loaded ever since leaving -England, and it was possible that these were damp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What if some brute had really attacked us, or—which -was at least as likely—if the Strongs had crept -up and fallen upon us, and our safety had depended -upon this cartridge which had misfired? Ugh! -I lay a while and reviled, in thought, revolver, -gunner who made it, cartridge filler, and everyone -remotely connected with the matter, including -myself for neglecting to change the charge. Then I -had a better thought, and offered up thanks for -being saved twice this night from disaster: from -the crocodile first, and afterwards from all kinds of -unknown horrors lurking around us in the darkness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After all, I reflected, whether we are at home -in bed or in the midst of an African forest, we are -in God's hands, to save or to kill. How pitifully -helpless is every human being that lies and sleeps -unconscious, and how entirely at the mercy of a -Providence which one has probably angered times -unreckoned! Misfortune might as easily assail us -at home in bed as here in the veldt, if it were so -willed! Disaster, after all, can no more befall me -here than there unless the Almighty decrees it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This reflection was of much comfort to me -subsequently, throughout many a weird and creepy -night—in hours of real danger, compared with -which the mostly imagined perils of that first night -out were as the merest child's play.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was made of sterner stuff than I, and even -the unseen perils of the darkness and of the ambush -scarcely affected his nerves.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His watch passed off, it may be assumed, without -much trial of his courage, and when I awoke -at high daylight one of the first things my eyes -beheld was the carcass of our friend the hyena, which -Jack had shot with his revolver. The report had -not disturbed me, which may be taken as evidence -that it must have been fairly "bedtime" when -the end of my watch opened for me the door of -slumberland.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We covered thirty good miles that day, and -though we continually looked out for them, we -saw nothing of "our friends the enemy." The -night passed without adventure, and—though I -cannot honestly say that I was absolutely free from -those feelings of dread which had so unmanned me -on the previous night—I am justified in declaring -that I was not nearly so frightened at this second -experience.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the third day, towards evening, we came to -a village, and here I was for turning aside into the -veldt eastwards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Westwards," corrected Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," I said, "eastwards, surely!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I bet you sixpence your map says westwards!" -said Jack. "I was looking at it yesterday, and -noticed it particularly!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now I could have taken the most solemn oath -that I had read "eastwards" in the instructions at -the foot of the map, and the route shown, as I -remember, was to the right of the road, which -would be eastwards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Yet now, when I looked at our plan, the route -was undoubtedly shown as lying to the left of the -road—westwards—just as Jack said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So to the left we went, and rode for an hour -towards a hill whose outline we could just make out -in the dim distance. Then the darkness came on, -and we off-saddled for the night, full of spirits; for -to-morrow, we thought, we should be on the very -spot, and at work within a few yards of the treasure -itself, and with a good start of our rivals into the -bargain.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We were up and away with the first rays of -light in the morning, and rode fast and joyously -forward, merry as two schoolboys out for a -jollification.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's a longish fifteen miles to </span><em class="italics">that</em><span> hill, I -know," said Jack when we had ridden ten miles. -"The map says fifteen miles; but we rode an -hour last night and have ridden another to-day, -and I'm hanged if we are any nearer than we were -before."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This seemed true enough.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It doesn't look what I should call 'conical,' -either," I added. "I should call it a flat-topped -thing if I were asked."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So should I," said Jack; and we rode on.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder if there can be any mistake," I said, -when we had ridden another ten miles and had -stopped for a long rest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What kind of a mistake?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, about the map. That hill positively -looks as far off as ever."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It really does," Jack assented. "It must be -a good fifty from the road."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps the old boy wrote fifty and not -fifteen, as we both seem to remember it," I said, -fishing in my saddle-bag for the case which -contained my map.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm sure it's fifteen there," said Jack, "for I -took the precaution of making a copy of both plan -and instructions at Cape Town, in case those -rascally friends of yours should get hold of our -map and leave us to dig up all Africa for our -treasure. I remember the wording quite well—it -was 'westwards,' and fifteen miles to a conical hill, -over a sandy plain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>These words of Jack's made me think—not -those which referred to his taking of a copy of the -map; I had done the same myself while on board -the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span>, and had my copy in my -pocket at this moment. The words which struck -me were those which referred to my "rascally -friends," and suggested the possibility of the -stealing of our map by them. The idea reminded -me that my black bag with the map in it had been -at their mercy in the cabin of the </span><em class="italics">Chepstow Castle</em><span> -for a week or more; though, it must be -remembered, my money was apparently left untouched, -as well as my revolver and the other things. Could -they have tricked us by altering the map?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Flushed and excited at the very idea of such -a thing, I communicated my idea to Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good Heavens, man!" said he. "I never -thought of it; yet it's the most likely thing in the -world. Let's have a look at the map!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="stalking-a-man"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">STALKING A MAN</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We scanned that map over and over, but -could find no trace of alterations. Jack -suggested that it might be altogether new—a bogus -copy, in fact; almost exactly like the real one, in -case we should remember the original, but incorrect -enough to lead us astray at the critical moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What a pity my copy was done </span><em class="italics">after</em><span> these -rascals had had their chance of doctoring it," said -Jack; "otherwise we should soon see whether this -one has been got at."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But I have a copy done </span><em class="italics">before</em><span> we were left at -Las Palmas!" I cried. "We can compare it with -that, which </span><em class="italics">must</em><span> be right!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Peter, you are a trump!" said Jack, banging -me on the back. "You're a glorious fellow! -Produce it at once! Ha! ha! When in doubt, -play Peter!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I produced my copy, a rough thing, but -accurately copied in the most essential portion, -which was that which supplied instructions as to -this very place. We compared my copy with the -original, as we had supposed it to be, and found -that it was as we suspected. We had been duped. -The rascals had substituted for my original map a -production of their own, made so like the former -in the matter of handwriting and style, and even -paper, that it would easily pass, if unsuspected, as -the real article.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Furious with rage, we turned and retraced our -way towards the road. We had come nearly thirty -miles westward instead of turning, as we ought to -have done, to the east, and had wasted a day and -a half—it was intolerable! If we had met the -Strongs at this time there would have been a battle; -we were blood-hot, and should not have spared -them. They had tricked us, and had, in all -probability, unearthed the treasure by this time, and -departed with it. I could not trust myself to speak -as we rode swiftly back, in grim silence, upon our -own tracks. Jack said nothing either.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night, as we lay by our fire, it suddenly -occurred to me to look at my revolver. It, after all, -had been in my small black bag as well as the map. -Probably they had tampered with it; for, otherwise, -why should my weapon have missed fire and Jack's -not? They had soused my cartridges—that much -was pretty certain; but perhaps they had done the -revolver some injury besides.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I examined it carefully. The lock worked all -right; the drum revolved perfectly. I looked -down the barrel; looked straight down it at the -firelight, and saw nothing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well?" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I handed him the revolver. Jack looked down -the barrel as I had; then he took a thin stick and -poked at it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The demons!" he said; "they've choked it -with lead or something. Curse them! it would have -burst in your hand if you had fired it! We'll pay -them out for this, Peter, if we have to chase them -half round the world for it!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thirty miles back to the waggon road, twenty -miles farther northwards, and then at last we were -at the spot where, according to the original map, -we should have turned off at the village called -Ngami. Our bogus map gave no name to the -village, which showed, as Jack said, the fiendish -cunning of the Strongs; for if they had called it -Ngami, we should have gone on until we had -reached a village of that name, and from it we -should have plainly seen, as we now saw, the conical -hill on our right. As it was, we had gone sixty -miles out of our way, and might have gone six -hundred, or, indeed, never have struck the right -road at all, but for my happy idea on board ship to -take a copy of the map in case of accidents.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was dusk when we arrived, riding with -exceeding caution, within a mile or so of the conical -hill. Here we dismounted by Jack's orders; for -he, by the most natural process in the -world—namely, the simple slipping into his proper place, -as nature intends that people like Jack should -do—had assumed the leadership of our party of two. -It was quite right and proper that he should lead, -for Jack had twice the resource and the readiness -that I had been furnished withal; his wits were -quicker workers than mine, and his judgment far -more acute and correct. Jack decreed, then, that -we should dismount and wait, and listen. If they -had not yet found the treasure, he said, they would, -of course, still be upon the ground; and if there, -they would certainly light a fire when darkness fell.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then will come our chance!" added Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of doing what?" I asked. "You don't think -of shooting them asleep, Jack, surely!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed gently. "That's what they -deserve, the blackguards!" he said. "Why do -you suppose they spiked your revolver? I'll tell -you. So that when they attacked you, as they -fully intended to do, and would do now if we gave -them the chance, you should be harmless and -unable to hit them back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It certainly did seem pretty mean, viewed in -this light—a cold-blooded, premeditated, murderous -kind of thing to do. The idea made me very -angry. It gave me that almost intolerable longing -one sometimes feels—which, at anyrate, I feel—to -punch some offender's head; it is a feeling which -generally assails one at helpless moments, as, for -instance, when a schoolmaster (whose head cannot -be punched with propriety) takes advantage of his -position to bombard some wretched victim, who -can utter no protest, with scathing remarks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are we going to do, then?" I continued. -"Of course we are not going to murder them in -cold blood; but can't we punch their heads?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed. "Oh, it may come to that, -likely enough," he said; "but what we must go for -first is to disarm them. It is perfectly impossible -to live near these men in any sort of comfort or -security unless we first deprive them of their rifles -and revolvers. That's what I want to do to-night. -One or two of them will be asleep, the other -watching. We must stalk them at about midnight, cover -them with our revolvers, and make them 'hands up!'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No good covering them with my revolver," I -said. "I'd better cover a pair with my rifle, and -you the other fellow with your pistol. They know -mine won't go off, well enough!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's true," said Jack. "All right, your rifle -then. We must shiver here till about midnight; -you won't mind that for once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And shiver we did for several hours, as much -with excitement as with the cold of the night; for -at about nine o'clock we saw the glow of a fire a -mile or so away, which gave us the welcome -assurance that our friends had not, at anyrate, -found the treasure and departed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I entreated Jack several times to let us be up -and at them; but Jack was inexorable, and would -not budge until our watches told us that midnight -had come. Then Jack arose and stretched himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are you ready?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Rather!" said I; "come on!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No hurry," continued my friend exasperatingly. -"Change your cartridges first; so. Now take a -drop of brandy neat, to correct the chill of the -night—not too much. We may have to shoot a -man; are you up to doing it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If necessary," I said; "but I'd rather not."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course not, nor would I; but if there is -any hitch, or if either of the men show signs of -being about to put in a quick shot, yours or mine -must be in first; do you understand? Am I to -command, or would you prefer to? It is better -that one should take the lead."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You, of course!" I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then do just as I tell you when we are among -them. Now, are you ready? Then come along!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Cautiously and softly we crept towards the place -where the fire twinkled and glowed in the distance. -As we came nearer, we could see that it had been -built up close to a mimosa bush which lay between -us and the circle of light shed by the burning -brushwood. This was favourable to our purpose, for -we were enabled to creep along without the danger -of being seen, as we might have been even in the -dark, had we been obliged to cross one of the wide -open spaces which checked the plain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>No thieving jackal or designing lion could have -stalked that party more patiently and noiselessly than -we did; foot by foot, and yard by yard, we drew -nearer to our prey, and at last we had reached the -mimosa bush and were watching them as they lay, -the rays of their fire all but shining upon us as we -crouched, but falling just short. Jack placed his -hand upon my arm, and whispered—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"James Strong watching, very sleepy," he -breathed, scarcely audibly; "the others fast asleep. -I take James, and you the other two. Are you -ready? Follow me and stand at my side, but keep -your rifle at your shoulder from now on, and never -lower it for an instant. Are you ready?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ready!" I managed to whisper, but my lips -were so dry that hardly any sound came from them. -Then Jack instantly rose and stepped out into the -firelight—I following him.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="scotching-a-snake"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">SCOTCHING A SNAKE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>James Strong was lying half waking and -half sleeping, his rifle at his side; he saw us -instantly, however, as we stepped into the -firelight, and was on his feet in a moment, dragging -his rifle up with him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Drop the gun, James Strong," said Henderson, -"and put up your hands. I am covering you, -you see, and this is not the revolver you choked. -Drop it at once, or I fire. I will count three. -One—two"—Strong let the rifle fall. Neither -the thud of this nor the sound of Jack's voice awoke -the other two, who still slept, I covering them with -my rifle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pick that thing up, Peter," said Jack. "I'll -see to the covering." I did as my captain bade me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Chuck it on the fire," he continued. "I -shall pay you for it, Mr. Strong, but I am afraid -you are scarcely to be trusted with a rifle just at -present."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I heard Strong grind his teeth as I picked up -his gun, took the cartridges out, and threw the -weapon on the fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sit down, Mr. Strong, and empty your -pockets," continued Jack, and his victim obeyed, -because he could do nothing else.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take those other rifles, Peter, and do the -same by them," pursued Jack; "then wake those -fellows, and see if they sport revolvers. Have you -none, Mr. Strong? Come, produce it if you have. -Feel his pockets, Peter, and his saddle-bags. What, -has he none? Well, you shall give him yours, -Peter, one day; perhaps he will know how to get -the lead out since he put it in!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong's face through all this was not a pleasant -study.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I obeyed Jack's decrees to the letter. I collected -all the weapons—three rifles and one revolver—and -threw them on the fire; I awoke the two sleepers, -who swore frightful oaths when they realised the -position of affairs, and cleared their pockets and -wallets and saddle-bags of cartridges, all of which I -confiscated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good-night, gentlemen," said Jack, when my -work was finished. "I shall repay you for all that -has been taken from you to-night. Your zeal, you -will understand, has been a little too great; you -have given yourselves away. But for your premature -attempt to rid yourselves of us on the island, -and for one or two foolish matters since then, we -might never have been aroused to our danger, and -you would certainly have enjoyed many opportunities -of shooting us at your leisure—in the back, -of course. Now, you see, we have the whip hand -of you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And you will use it, curse you," said James -Strong, "to prevent us taking our legal share in the -search for my uncle's property. I know you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing of the kind, my good man," said -Jack cordially. "Dig away, by all means; you -shall see that neither of us will interfere."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, and if we find the treasure, you will shoot -us down; I know you, I say!" replied Strong. -We made allowance for his temper, which was -shocking to-day; but then his provocation had -really been considerable.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If you find the treasure you shall take it away -with you in peace, so far as my friend and myself -are concerned," said Jack. "We shall not shoot -you, and you can't very well shoot </span><em class="italics">us</em><span> without rifles, -can you? Good-night all; come, Peter."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We could see our good friends frenziedly poking -among the embers for their burning weapons the -moment we had departed; but, as Jack remarked, -they were welcome to the barrels, and since he had -taken care to keep up the conversation long enough -to allow the woodwork to burn away, that would be -all they would get.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Returning to our camp, we made up a fire for -ourselves and tossed up for first sleep, for we must -keep a stricter watch than ever now, or these -desperate fellows would steal our weapons and turn -the tables upon us. So we slept and watched by -turns until morning, and it was on this night that I -heard for the first time in my life the roar of a lion. -It was not very near at hand, but, far away as it -was, it sounded terrible enough to the inexperienced -ear, and I thought over all I had read of the ways -of lions in the works of Mr. Selous and other -African sportsmen, and recalled an awkward -propensity some of them have of coolly coming into -camp and foraging among the waggons even in the -glare of the firelight. If this brute were to come -now and help itself to Jack Henderson before I -could interfere, what a truly terrible thing it would -be! The idea impressed me so deeply that I awoke -Henderson and told him there was a lion roaring -somewhere within hearing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was very sleepy, and my watch was only -half over, which made him ridiculously angry to -have been awaked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what then?" he said. "Let him roar -and be hanged! if he didn't wake me, why should -you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, he might come and bag you while you -slept," I said; "travellers say they do that kind of -thing."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what are you there for, man?" said Jack -angrily, settling himself to sleep again. "You are -there to shoot James Strong, or lions, or she-bears, -or anything else that comes and plays the fool -around here. For goodness' sake don't wake a -fellow to talk about the habits of lions—shoot him -if he comes, that's all you have to do!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I suppose the lion had other engagements for -that night, for his roars receded farther away and -were lost, presently, in the distance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were up in the morning at the first glint of -light, for we were naturally anxious to see the -ground upon which our labours were to be lavished -until the envious soil should reveal to us or the -others the secret of old Clutterbuck. There it was, -the open space of sandy hummocky soil, and there -were the posts, three of them at least; we could not -see the fourth. And there, too, was the upturned -earth over a considerable area, representing the -day's work, or the day and a half's work, of the -Strongs, who had evidently toiled for all they -were worth in order to make the most of the -start they had gained upon us. The result of -this haste on their part was to be seen in the -shallowness of their digging, which appeared to -have nowhere extended to a greater depth than -six to nine inches. As we stood and surveyed -the ground, our three friends came with their -spades and set to work at once. They scowled -at us ferociously, but made no reply to Jack's -polite "Good-morning."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I daresay they </span><em class="italics">are</em><span> rather annoyed with us," -said Jack. "Now, Peter, don't be lazy, but begin to -dig at once. I'm your bodyguard, remember, and -shall do no work except thinking."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aren't you going to dig?" I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly not," said Jack; "I'm not one of the -authorised. If I dug and found the treasure, there -might be a legal point. Now dig up, man, and -don't argue; you're wasting your time. Think of -the nuggets and diamonds only awaiting the magic -touch of your spade! George! if I had a legal -position, wouldn't I dig!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did dig. I dug that morning until the sweat -poured from my face and head like drops of rain. I -dug till my arms and back ached so that I almost -cried with the pain, while Jack sat or lay and -watched, keeping an eye on the Strong party and -entertaining me with light conversation. By the -evening I was perfectly exhausted, and the greater -part of the space of about two acres had been dug -over, though not to any great depth, by one or -other of the four workers, yet nothing had been -discovered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Jack awoke me to take my watch at -half-time that night, he said—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Peter, I've been thinking."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What about?" I asked sleepily.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"About that fourth post," he said.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="an-unexpected-tragedy"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">AN UNEXPECTED TRAGEDY</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"I was wondering what has become of that -fourth post," continued Jack. "It can't have -disappeared very well."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It doesn't matter much," I rejoined, "for it can -only have been in one spot—the fourth corner of a -square; the other three are absolutely symmetrically -placed. We can easily judge of the position of the -missing one."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm not so sure," said Jack. "I don't think it's -a trick of the Strongs, for they seem to take it for -granted, as we have done, that the area is a square. -I shall look about for it to-morrow while you dig."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wish you'd dig while I look about!" said I; -"it's the most fatiguing thing I ever tried in my -life."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's because you never did a day's work till -yesterday, my son; but cheer up, you'll find it less -fatiguing every day, take my word for it." Jack -yawned and lay down, and in a minute was fast -asleep. As for me, I very nearly fell asleep -also—in fact, I believe I was actually dozing—when my -friend the lion suddenly roared from somewhere so -close at hand that my heart went into my boots and -I felt my knees tremble together as I lay. So loud -was it that even Jack awoke and started to his feet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What on earth was that?" he said. "Did -someone shoot?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was a lion's roar, close behind us here in the -bush," I said, my teeth chattering. I don't think I -am a coward, but I do hate dangers that I cannot see.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George!—fancy those wretched chaps over -by that fire," said Jack, "without rifles; what a -state of terror they will be in!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What a good fellow Jack was! I had never -thought, in my selfishness, of the infinitely more -dangerous position of the others.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment the lion roared again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Listen to that!" continued Jack. "What a -voice the brute has! It's enough to terrify anyone, -especially unarmed people. Ought we to go and -stand by those chaps, think you, Peter?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I am glad to think that I replied in the affirmative.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And yet," said Jack, "I'm not sure that one -of us hadn't better stop here to take care of our -horses. Shall we toss up who goes? You see, it -was we who disarmed the poor beggars; we can't -very well leave them unprotected when real danger -comes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I cordially endorsed the sentiment, and though -I would far rather have let our horses go by the -board than separate from Jack in this crisis, I tossed -up with him as to who should go and who stay.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Heads stay—tails go," said Jack. "You toss."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I tossed, and the coin showed tails.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tails; then you go—lucky rascal!" said Jack; -"you get all the fun. Shout for me if anything -happens. Cæsar! there he is, roaring again, and -nearer their camp. Be off, Peter, and mind your -hide!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I have said that I do not consider myself a -coward, but assuredly the greatest coward in the -world could not have been more frightened than -was I during that most weird and uncanny walk -through the darkness towards the twinkling glow of -the Strongs' camp fire, but a very few hundreds of -yards away. The word darkness hardly expresses -the almost opaque blackness of the night as I -stumbled over hummock and thorn bush in the -direction of the fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Beasts were abroad, it appeared, in horrible -profusion. Scuttling, growling, rushing, they seemed -to jump up from before and around me at almost -every step, as though an army of them were stalking -me, and came repeatedly within springing distance, -only to lose heart as I approached, and dash away -into the darkness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I have since come to the conclusion that these -were hyenas, for no other beast would be likely to -be about in close proximity to a roaring lion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lion advertised himself freely. Once, at -least, he roared within twenty yards of me, and -though I held my rifle to my shoulder ready for -him, I quite gave myself up for lost. But his -designs were not, it appeared, directed against -myself, for a moment after he roared again much -nearer to the Strongs' camp fire, and presently from -beyond that point.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I could hear the Strongs talking excitedly and -loudly, and could see that they were busily engaged -in piling brushwood upon their fire, for at intervals -it seemed to blaze up brightly and to smoke more -vigorously. The lion, I could not help thinking, -was prospecting both our party and theirs, and -walking round and round both, working himself up -to the necessary pitch of audacity for an attack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So, stumbling, groping, creeping upon my -uncanny way, I came at last within fifty yards of -the Strongs' camp. The lion had been silent now -for several minutes, a fact which rendered my -horror all the more intense, because I could no -longer tell where the brute was, and, for all I knew, -he might be at my heels or a couple of yards away -on either side of me, licking his lips, and, as it were, -choosing his joint in preparation for a spring.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Of a sudden I was startled by the most piercing -shrieks and yells that I had ever heard. The noise -came from the Strongs' camp, and set the seal of -horror upon my soul, so that I fell on my knees -then and there and prayed aloud with the most -intense earnestness I had ever put into prayer. -Then I sprang to my feet in a flush of shame. -The lion, I suddenly realised, had made his -appearance among these wretched, unarmed folk, -while I, their protector, knelt and prayed like a -coward for the safety of my own skin!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Aroused and stimulated by this thought, I -rushed madly for the camp, careless now of the -darkness and danger and horror of the night, and -in a moment or two had reached, breathless, the -circle of light shed by the Strongs' fire. Here a -weird sight presented itself to me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Clutterbuck knelt and gabbled prayers aloud, -his eyes, almost starting from his head, fixed upon -a spot just on the verge of the firelight, where -James Strong stood, armed with a burning log, -cursing as loudly as the other prayed, and staring -into the darkness beyond.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Both started as I appeared, but both -immediately looked away from me again and resumed -their occupations.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it?" I gasped. "Has anything -happened? Where is your brother, Strong?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's the most infernal murder, that's what it -is!" shouted the fellow, turning suddenly upon me -and stamping his foot; "as clear a case of murder -as ever a criminal committed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What has happened, man? Was it the lion?" -I cried. "Stop your blithering and tell me; we -may save the fellow yet!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong growled out some curse.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; go out into the dark and save him. -You are a likely man to do that, you coward!" -he shrieked; "you who rob men of their defences -and leave them at the mercy of brute beasts. -This is as clear a case of murder as need be, and -you shall hang for it yet!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Sick at heart, but not any longer with fear, I -seized a burning brand, and, shouting for Jack, -rushed away into the bush in the direction which I -supposed the brute had taken.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But though I wandered alone for a while, and -with Jack, who soon joined me, for another longer -while, we found no trace of either victim or lion, -and we were obliged to give up the search in -despair.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And here I may say that his shriek as the lion -sprang upon him was the last that was ever heard -of poor Charles Strong. We picked up a piece of -cloth which had been a portion of his coat, but -beyond this we never found sign of the unfortunate -fellow, whose fate sat like a midnight horror upon -our souls for many a day.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-glimpse-of-the-winning-post"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A GLIMPSE OF THE WINNING-POST</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>There was no digging done the next morning, -for both we and the rival camp spent -all our time wandering about in the forlorn hope of -finding poor Strong—wounded, but perhaps still -alive—left by the lion, who, we hoped but scarcely -believed, might have been terrified by our shouts -and by the shots we fired for the purpose of frightening -the brute, and have dropped his victim and departed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong, though frequently within speaking -distance of us, neither spoke to us nor looked -at us, excepting now and again to scowl fiercely -as his way, in the searching, crossed ours. But -Clutterbuck spoke to me several times and to Jack -also, entreating us, for the love of Heaven, either -to provide him with firearms, or to take him at -nighttime under our protection. If he had to pass -another night unarmed, he said, after this, he should -certainly go mad.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We promised, however, to protect the unfortunate -fellow, and this soothed him wonderfully.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night both James Strong and Clutterbuck -were encamped close to our fire, between their own -and ours, the two fires being built up within ten -yards of one another. Strong was too proud to -ask for protection as Clutterbuck had, but anyone -could see that he was glad and greatly relieved -when we came and made our camp near theirs. I -was sorry for the fellow, rogue though he was, and -thought that it was certainly the least we could do -to take him under our wing, since we had deprived -him of the means of protecting himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for his brother's death, I do not take any -share of responsibility for that misfortune. For, -as we learned afterwards from Clutterbuck himself, -in all probability no shot would have been fired -even if the three men had still been in possession -of their rifles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>According to Clutterbuck's narrative, the thing -happened something like this: He, Clutterbuck, -had been deputed to watch for the first three hours -of the night, the two Strongs sleeping meanwhile. -But Clutterbuck himself fell asleep, and allowed -the fire to languish and almost die out, when of a -sudden the roaring of the lion awoke not only him -but the Strongs also. Then all three men rushed -about, getting brushwood and sticks to make a -blaze that would keep the lion at a distance; but -while poor Charles Strong was ten yards away in -the bush there was a sudden roar and a scuffle, and -a shriek for help from him, and that was all that -either Clutterbuck or James Strong knew of the -matter. Neither of them had seen the lion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All this Clutterbuck himself told me as we lay -awake together on the first night after the mishap, -during my watch. The poor fellow, naturally a -timid creature, was far too frightened to sleep, and -was, I think, grateful for being allowed to talk.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lion did not come near us, neither did he -treat us, even at a distance, to any of those terrible -roars which I had found so unmanning. Clutterbuck -was even more communicative to Jack when -his watch came round; he told Jack many interesting -things, and among others this—which I suspect -the artful Henderson gradually wormed out of -him—that he found himself a companion and partner -of the Strongs, whom he disliked, by the stress of -circumstances rather than of deliberate choice.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Our suspicions as to the affair near Las Palmas -were well founded, said Clutterbuck; for it was the -simple truth that the Strongs and he himself set -out that day with the deliberate purpose of -murdering us. It was James Strong's idea, he declared, -and his brother had accepted it readily. He, -Clutterbuck, had pretended to do so, but in reality -had had no intention of hurting us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no, Clutterbuck, that won't do!" said -Jack at this point of the narrative; "for we counted -the shots fired, and there was at least one volley of -six shots! You fired with the rest, man; I am -not so easily taken in!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's true enough," said Clutterbuck; "but -did I hit you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, that you certainly did not," replied Jack; -"but then you are a very poor shot, my friend!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I fired wide on purpose, I'll swear to it!" said -Clutterbuck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After this, Jack inquired about the crocodile, -and found that here, too, the Strongs had cherished -amiable intentions with regard to us. They saw -the brute right enough, and that was why they -left us to ford the river and themselves stayed -behind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You ought to have warned us somehow," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I dared not," said the other. "James is an -awful fellow, and his brother is nearly as bad—was, -I mean—poor chap!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for the spiking of my revolver and the -changing of the map, Clutterbuck knew nothing of -either. It was done in the state-room, and he was -not there to see.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You would probably have been shot as you -forded the river," he continued, "if you hadn't -rather frightened the Strongs by what you said a -moment before—that you were a crack shot, and -would have no mercy if they missed you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So you see, Peter," concluded Jack, telling -me all this afterwards, "it pays to blow your own -trumpet sometimes. They wouldn't have hit us, -probably, but then we should have been obliged to -make three bull's-eyes of </span><em class="italics">them</em><span>, and that would -have been unpleasant too!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But all this while the treasure still lay hid in -the bosom of the veldt. Charles Strong's death -was very terrible, but I must dig, dig. Regrets and -sentiment are mere waste of time with one hundred -thousand pounds waiting to be dug out of the earth!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Whatever measure of grief James Strong may -have felt for his unfortunate brother, his sorrow -did not prevent him betaking himself very seriously -to his digging work as soon as day dawned on the -second morning after the mishap. He went about -his business in grim silence, vouchsafing us, as -before, neither word nor look.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Neither were we dilatory. I went back to my -digging with back and shoulders still stiff from the -labours of the first day, while Jack expressed his -intention to search about for the fourth post.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Either there's some trick about the position -of that post," he said, "or it has got moved away -by an accident; some elephant or other big brute -has used it for a scratching-post, or knocked it -down and perhaps rolled it away; in any case, we -ought to know where it was."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I still thought that in all probability the fourth -post had simply completed the square suggested by -the other three, and that it had been in some way -removed from its place—perhaps by an elephant, -as Jack said, or more likely by a gust of wind. I -did not consider the question at all important.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As it proved, Jack was right. He found the -fourth post twenty yards at least out of the square, -and planted right in the middle of a prickly-pear -bush. But though I extended my operations to -the new ground introduced by the change of area, -and though the two other men and I together dug -it superficially over, so that the entire space between -the four posts had now been dug up—to a certain -depth—the result of the day's work was "nothing -to nobody," as Jack facetiously expressed it. -Indeed, I, for one, began to wonder whether we had -embarked upon a wild-goose chase, and whether -the hundred thousand pounds ever existed save -in the imagination of old Clutterbuck; and again, -whether, supposing the money to have actually -existed, the old miser had not purposely so -hidden his treasure that no other human eye -should ever behold it, since he himself could no -longer gloat over it. But when I communicated -these views to Jack Henderson, he said—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bosh! man; don't be a fool. Dig for all -you're worth!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>If real hard work could have insured success, -it would have been a difficult matter to judge -between James Strong and myself as to who should -bear away the prize. Clutterbuck laboured away -too, after his kind; but he was of a different kidney -from ours, and I think I turned up more soil in an -hour than he did in half a day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For the best part of a week we vied thus with -one another, toiling day-long in the sweat of our -brows and meeting with no success.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the evening of the sixth day Jack said to -me, as we walked together towards our camp fire—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you believe in second sight and that kind -of thing, Peter?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," I said, "I don't. Why?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Because I have a kind of idea that I know -where the treasure may be," said Jack unexpectedly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I too am beginning to have a pretty firm -conviction as to where it is," I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell me where </span><em class="italics">you</em><span> think first," continued my -friend; "and then I'll tell you my idea."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nowhere," said I; "at least, nowhere that -you or I, or anyone else, will ever know of."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, now listen to my idea; you can act upon -it or not, as you like. Have you thought of -removing the posts and looking into the holes?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, I haven't," I said; "but I'll do it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do it when the others are asleep to-night," -Jack rejoined.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, what's the hurry?" I asked. "Must I -grope about in the dark, and all among the hyenas -and lions? Hang it all, let me wait till morning!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The thing is, it's a new idea; and if Strong -sees you removing one post, he'll remove another, -and Clutterbuck a third, and you split your chances. -</span><em class="italics">They</em><span> may look under the right post while you are -busy unearthing the wrong one!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You seem to be very cocksure of your posts, -old chap!" I said, laughing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's answer astonished me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do as I tell you," he said; "and begin with -the erratic post in the thorn bush. I have a very -strong idea about that post."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why—have you seen anything?" I gasped. -Jack's manner impressed and excited me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's like this," he said; "and, of course, my -idea may be worth nothing. The post is not very -tightly fixed in the ground, and to-day I shook it -about and up and down. Well, it seems to rest -upon something hard and smooth, that's all. I left -it for you to pull up."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="eureka"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">EUREKA!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack's communication rendered me frantic -with excitement, and I instantly determined -that I would do as he had suggested. The -idea of wandering about the bush at night, alone, -was not pleasant; but if the treasure were really at -the foot of Jack's post, why, it would be worth -running the gauntlet of a score of lions to get it. -Besides, I could take a torch. Of course, the hard -and smooth surface the post rested upon might -prove to be a stone and no more; still, I would go -and see for myself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I divided the watching every night. -We could not, of course, trust either of the others -to undertake the duty. Such a step would have -been suicidal indeed on our part; for James Strong, -at anyrate, and possibly Clutterbuck also, would -have taken so good an opportunity to rid himself -of a rival and of a rival's inconvenient friend at a -swoop. Hence both men were allowed to sleep, -if they would, all and every night.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This evening we supped well upon an antelope -shot by Jack in the bush while we laboured in our -treasure-field, and by the time darkness was well -set in, James Strong and Clutterbuck were already -in full snore. Then, moving cautiously, I took rifle, -spade, and torch, and sallied forth, not without some -trepidation, upon my enterprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Whether owing to the occasional shots fired by -us in this place in the pursuit of game, or whether -by reason of their natural dislike for abiding in the -continued proximity of mankind, we had not been -bothered during the last few days by the presence -of many hyenas or other creatures of the kind about -our camp. A few days ago, if I had undertaken the -gruesome night enterprise upon which I had now -embarked, I should have been startled almost at -every step by some suddenly rushing or creeping -brute; but to-night I was left to pursue my journey -almost in peace.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I had no difficulty in groping my way to our -treasure-area, which resembled a ploughed field by -this time, with all the digging and re-digging it -had suffered. Nor was I long in discovering the -post as to which Jack had formed so strong and -optimistic an opinion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After all, it was not unlikely that our old miser -should have planted a post over the grave of his -treasures, and I was somewhat surprised that it had -not occurred either to me or to the Strong faction -to remove the posts and look underneath them, -since we had dug up the whole of the area enclosed -by them without result. Doubtless it would have -occurred to us to do so after we had dug a little -deeper in the space enclosed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At all events, here was Jack's post, and I laid -hold of it and shook it, and moved it up and down -just as he had described that he had done himself. -Sure enough, the post struck hard and dead on -some flat, unyielding substance beneath. My heart -beat in a ridiculous fashion—was I really on the -brink of a discovery that would place me for ever -out of reach of poverty and of the necessity to -embark in some lifelong, uncongenial occupation? -I felt so faint in the agitation of the moment that I -was obliged to pause and gather strength before I -was sufficiently master of my energies to lay hold of -the post and pull it up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Godfrey," I said to myself, "don't be a -fool. In moments of difficulty preserve an equal -mind; if you can't do that, what was the use of -your learning Horace? Pull yourself together and -play the man!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I seized the post and tugged at it. It was stiff -enough to resist displacement, though it had wobbled -about when shaken to and fro. But having once -mastered my agitation, I was equal to any amount -of exertion; and by dint of working it backwards -and forwards and up and down for five minutes, and -twisting it round in my embracing arms, I succeeded -at last in raising and removing it. My torch had -gone out meanwhile, and I could see nothing, of -course, in the dark hole which had formed the -socket of the post.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Kneeling over it, therefore, with palpitating -heart, I plunged my hand down. My arm did not -reach the bottom in this way, however, and I lay -down on my side and plunged it in a second time to -the very armpit. This time the ends of my fingers -just touched the bottom of the hole, and distinctly -felt what seemed a cold, flat substance lying there, -but could not grasp and raise it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I tried to keep cool and think how best to act -under the agitating circumstances.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then I lay down again, after scraping away -some of the sandy soil at the edge of the hole, in -order to gain a few inches in reach by getting my -shoulder lower; and this time I was able to -distinguish, by the touch, a small tin box, and to get -my fingers under it. In the joy of that moment I -could scarcely forbear to shout aloud. Eureka! -I had found the treasure! I was a rich man; the -whole world was my own—to the full extent of -about ninety-eight thousand pounds odd.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Slowly and carefully I raised the little box to -the surface; my grip upon it was as tight as that of -a drowning man to the hand that will save him. -Up it came, a small tin thing like a cheap money-box -by the feel; now I had it safely, and was standing -shaking it, half dazed, trying to realise what its -discovery meant for me. Oh for a light, that I -might open it and gloat without delay over its -thrice-blessed contents!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment I was careering at full speed -towards the camp fire to tell Jack of the marvellous -success of my night enterprise, and to open with -him the treasure-box that burned my hands as I -carried it. But stay! what if James Strong were -awake? Could I postpone the joy of raising the -lid of that box until the morning, and the almost -equal delight of telling Jack all about it? No, I -felt I could not. If I might not open the box, and -talk about it too, I should certainly "go crazy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As I approached the fire, however, I saw that -both James Strong and Clutterbuck were fast asleep, -Jack watching. He heard me coming, though I -crept softly for fear of awakening the sleepers, and -long before he could possibly have seen me he had -his finger to his lip in token that caution was -required. I concealed the box in the -"hare-pocket" of my Norfolk jacket, and stepped into the -firelight. I suppose that Jack thought I was about -to speak, for he said very softly, "Ssh!" and made -a warning gesture.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was tantalising indeed. Nevertheless, I sat -down by the fire close to Henderson, and for a few -minutes neither of us spoke or whispered a word. -The only sign that passed between us was an -interrogatory uplifting of the eyebrows by Jack, which -I took to mean, "Any success?" and to which I -responded with the very slyest possible closing of -the left eyelid, which I intended to signify -"</span><em class="italics">Rather!</em><span>"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After about ten minutes of listening to James -Strong's measured snoring and Clutterbuck's -groans, grunts, and snortings, Jack leant over and -whispered—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Strong sat up and looked around while you -were away. He made as though he did not notice -your absence, but I have an idea that he knew all -about it. We must be very careful indeed. Have -you really had any luck?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The best possible," I whispered back. "Can -I show you something?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wait a bit, old man!" said Jack, pressing my -hand; "this is splendid! I congratulate you; but -for Heaven's sake be careful! I don't trust that -fellow Strong's sleeping; he may be wide awake, -watching. He's as cunning as they're made."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let's try him," I suggested. "I'll suddenly -cough loudly, and you keep a careful watch on his -eyes; probably he'll wince if he's awake."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go on, then," said Jack. I didn't cough; I -said "Hello!" very shortly and sharply. Strong -gave a slight start, but then so did Clutterbuck, -and both went on sleeping.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'll give them another ten minutes," -whispered Jack, "and then risk it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the expiration of that period I looked -inquiringly at Jack, and he nodded affirmatively.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Slowly and cautiously, and with my eyes fixed -upon Strong's face, I drew the tin box from my -deep pocket; I heard Jack's breath come quick and -short as he caught sight of the prize. It was, as I -thought, a plain tin money-box, painted black and -gold, such as anyone may buy at any ironmonger's -for a few shillings. It was tied round with a wire, -but unlocked, and with trembling fingers I removed -the wire and opened the lid.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Within was a second tin box, a small thing like -a sandwich-box, and this too was unlocked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I paused to take a look at the sleepers; both -were still, apparently, as fast asleep as ever.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go on!" whispered Jack; "it's all right."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I put my hand inside the case and produced a -leather pocket-book, and from this I drew an -envelope!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, a cheque!" whispered Jack; "and a fat -one if it's for the lot!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There were several papers in the envelope. -First a letter, which I put aside to read later, -because the rest were bank-notes, and I was anxious -to learn the amount of my inheritance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then came two terrible shocks, one after the other.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Shock number one. There were twenty five -pound notes. No more, and no less!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="all-that-glitters-is-not-gold"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">"ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>One hundred pounds!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A nice little sum in itself, but not one -that would tempt a man to imperil his life in as -many ways as it contained notes! Surely the old -man had not brought me all this distance to give -me one hundred pounds at the end of it? The -letter would prove to be an order upon his bankers -for the bulk of his fortune. The hundred was -intended to cover my expenses home to England.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In so far as concerned the hundred pounds my -surmise was correct enough. But the letter was -not a bank order. It was a very original document, -and I purpose giving it </span><em class="italics">in extenso</em><span>. Here it is:—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span>"THE PRIZE TO THE SWIFT.</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span>"To my Heir: a message from the tomb.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"MY DEAR HEIR,—If ever you read these words -it must happen after my death, because I shall take -care that no man handles my money until I am in -my grave. That is why I call this a message from -the tomb. The dead can gain nothing by lying; -therefore I give you no other assurance that what -I have to say is the absolute truth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have done well to come so far, whichever -of my potential heirs you may be. My treasure is -not here, neither are your journeys at an end.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"From South Africa to the Finnish Gulf is a -considerable stretch, but one hundred thousand -pounds is a large sum; it is a sum that has -occasioned its owner more trouble to acquire than -is involved in a pleasant journey from Africa to -Finland. If it is worth your while to undertake -this journey, you will act as I shall presently direct -you; if not, you will leave my money to rest where -it is, and where, assuredly, neither you nor any -relative of mine shall ever find it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If my treasure fall into hands for which it was -not intended, may my curse rest upon it for ever; -and if none find it from this day until the day of -resurrection, I, William Clutterbuck, shall be just -as happy. Let him who is wise read the following -instructions, and obey them to his profit:—</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 58%" id="figure-55"> -<img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Old Clutterbuck's Second Map" src="images/img-114.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Old Clutterbuck's Second Map</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The island is about five miles in length. -Steamers from Hull or London to Cronstadt pass -within half a mile of lighthouse.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Special arrangements must be made with -shipowners to land upon island.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An open space will be found in the forest at -about the spot indicated by a cross. Here are four -posts, defining the area within which it is necessary -to dig.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"The Prize to the Swift.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"W. CLUTTERBUCK."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>By the time I had read to the end of this -precious document, my heart was in the usual -condition of hearts whose cherished "hope" has been -deferred. The disappointment was almost more -than I could bear; the thing was so unexpected, -and the pill so bitter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>If I had followed the impulse of the moment I -should have torn that hateful letter into a thousand -pieces and danced upon it, then and there, to the -tune of all the worst names I could think of to -revile its author withal. Yet, when I glanced at -Jack to see how he took this disappointment, I saw -that he was shaking with suppressed laughter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I would give worlds to have known that old -chap!" he whispered. "It is the finest notion for -giving healthy occupation to a set of lazy nephews -that ever an uncle devised. He was a grand old -fellow, this, Peter!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What nonsense you talk!" I whispered. "I -believe the whole thing is a hoax, from beginning -to end. The man was mad on all matters -concerning money. He was determined no one should -ever touch his treasure, since he could not carry it -away himself, and this is his dodge; he will trot us -backwards and forwards after the infernal stuff until -we die or get our throats cut, and the money will -rest unfound in Timbuctoo, or Jerusalem, or the -Grand Canary!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't think so," said Jack. "I believe the -old man was entirely sane and entirely serious. -Just think; if you had a lot of money to leave and -no one to leave it to (he didn't know </span><em class="italics">you</em><span>, remember, -when he wrote this!), except a set of -good-for-nothing scamps like these Strongs, and"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As Jack referred to Strong by name, I glanced -up at the sleeping form of that individual, whose -very existence I had forgotten for the last few -minutes in the excitement of examining the money-box -and its contents, and to my horror I distinctly -saw that his eyes were wide open, and that he was -both looking and listening with every faculty at high -pressure. He closed his eyes the instant he saw me -look up, and was, apparently, as fast asleep as ever.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I whispered my discovery to Jack, but that -practical person was not in the least discouraged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Much good may it do him!" he said. "Take -a copy of the map of the island, though," he added, -"and of the instructions."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And this I did, then and there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was, of course, useless after this to attempt -to conceal our discovery from James Strong and -his companion. We therefore determined to take -the bull by the horns—in other words, to inform -them we had found all there was to be found, and -that, consequently, we intended to depart, in order -to return presently to England.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It fell to me to undertake the duty of making -this communication to my fellow-competitors. I -did not care for the job, but, desiring to get it over, -I plunged "into the middle of things" at breakfast, -in the morning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"James Strong," I said, "I think I ought to -inform you that I have found what we all came to -seek, and that it is all up with your chance and -Clutterbuck's. I should recommend you to return -quietly to England, and if you give me no further -trouble I shall take no further steps about the affair -at Las Palmas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're a pretty cool hand, I will say," said -Strong, forcing a laugh. "And you won't take -steps about Las Palmas, won't you? You are too -generous to live, hang me if you aren't! And do -you suppose I'm going to keep quiet about my -brother's murder?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take proceedings against the lion by all means," -said Jack with a laugh. "What a fool you are, -James Strong! Why can't you talk sense among -grown men? We are not schoolboys, my friend; -you can't frighten us that way. Now, what do you -want for your spoilt guns—the three of them?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Curse you and your money!" said Strong; -"we shall see what I want for my spoilt guns when -we get back to England."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well," said Jack; "then I shall settle -with Mr. Clutterbuck."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We did settle with him, paying him one -hundred pounds for the three burned guns, to -which Jack generously added another hundred -pounds for expenses, advising Clutterbuck to return -to England at once, and to have, in future, as little -to do with Mr. James Strong as circumstances -permitted; and this advice Clutterbuck promised to -take to heart. I certainly considered Henderson's -settlement in the matter of guns and expenses an -extremely generous one.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then those two rode away from the field, -leaving me the conqueror. My victory was a -barren one, as I feared; but still, I had found all -there was to find, and Jack had quite persuaded me -by this time to follow up my success, and to treat -old Clutterbuck and his "message from the tomb" -with perfect seriousness—nay, I was determined -that I would have that hundred thousand pounds if -I had to seek it in the ends of the earth, and to dig -up half a continent to find it!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="lost"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">LOST!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>As for Jack and me, since we had in our -pockets the map of the spot in which the -treasure lay awaiting our pleasure to come and -dig it up, and since James Strong could not -possibly know to what quarter of the world we -had been directed, or, indeed, any part of the -purport of the miser's eccentric letter, we -determined to enjoy a week or two of real sport -before returning to civilisation and the digging of -treasures in high latitudes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We had given Strong no weapons, since we -could not trust him; but to Clutterbuck, who was -nervous of travelling unarmed, we presented my -old revolver, choked as it was with lead, together -with a handful of cartridges, Clutterbuck vowing -by all his gods never to give the weapon to Strong, -or even to let that untrustworthy person know -that he had it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After he had made us this solemn promise, I -revealed to Clutterbuck a plan I had thought of -for clearing the barrel. It was simple enough. -All he would have to do would be to heat the -jammed portion of the barrel in the fire, when the -lead would quickly melt and come out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong's face was a study as he rode -away with his companion, and Jack made the -remark that he would not for a good sum be in -Clutterbuck's shoes and have to ride back all the -way to Vryburg, if not to Cape Town, with such -a murderous-looking, scowling ruffian as James -Strong in his present temper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, well," I said; "Clutterbuck's the grey -mare this time. It's he that has the pistol, and -therefore the last word."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, if he can keep it," said Jack sagaciously. -"But I should be surprised to hear that the poor -chap reaches Cape Town in company with his -share of the two hundred pounds or the revolver -either. However, that's not our affair. I hope -we've seen the last of both of them for many a -long day, or for ever; and the latter for choice."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After this, for a space, we gave my co-heirs no -further attention, but devoted ourselves entirely to -the delights of sport.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We first rode back to the village of Ngami in -order to see whether our ox-waggon and hunters -had arrived, but did not find them waiting for us, -as we had hoped might be the case. We therefore -decided to employ the hours or days of waiting in -a little impromptu sport in the neighbourhood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We had no guide, and were without any very -large stock of ammunition for the light rifles which -we had brought with us; therefore, we agreed, it -would be foolish to venture too far into the bush. -It would be well too, if possible, to keep our -conical hill in sight as a landmark in our guideless -wanderings.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So away we rode into the jungle, with our -rifles slung over our shoulders, half a hundred -cartridges apiece disposed about our persons, a -blanket each, plenty of matches, very little food of -any kind,—for we would shoot our dinner day by -day,—and, lastly, with old Clutterbuck's absurd -but invaluable "message from the tomb" buttoned -up safely within the inner pocket of my Norfolk -jacket, and a copy thereof in Jack's secret -waistcoat lining in case of accidents.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a somewhat unfortunate circumstance -that we went astray at the very outset. A herd -of beautiful elands crossed the open before our -very eyes, and we did the most natural thing for -Englishmen of our age: we tally-ho'd and galloped -away in pursuit; and a fine chase those elands -led us, heading straight for the jungle a couple of -miles farther away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Up to this point our conduct had been that -of fairly sane men; but no sooner did the big -antelopes disappear, at a distance of some two -hundred yards in front of us, into the dense forest, -than without a thought we plunged in after them, -gaining rapidly upon the hindermost, at which we -had fired three shots as we rode, and which—with -rare bad luck for the eland, for we were -not accustomed to firing at full gallop—we had -wounded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We rode madly into the thick cover, straining -every nerve to overtake our prey. We could hear -them crashing their way through the trees, very -close at hand, and this excited us to even greater -exertion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The result was a foregone conclusion. When, -a quarter of an hour later, we succeeded in -overtaking the wounded beast and administering the -</span><em class="italics">coup de grâce</em><span>, and had admired to the full the -splendid proportions of the beautiful dead animal -at our feet, it struck us that we had perhaps done -a rash thing in venturing into this jungle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder where we are?" one of us remarked -laughingly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you remember the way out of this -place?" asked Jack of me, looking around him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The tangled growths on every side were of -such density that it was impossible to see fifty -yards in any direction.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must follow our tracks back, I suppose," -I said. "That won't be difficult, will it, as the -elands crashed through the same way?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack did not think it would be very difficult, -neither did I. Yet, after we had ridden back for -a few hundred yards we came to a place where -the right way might be any one of three ways; for -either our herd had dispersed at this spot, or -other companies of deer or other wild animals had -passed, making several trampled tracks which our -inexperienced eyes could not distinguish from our -own, and any one of which might, as I say, be -the right one.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This is the way, I believe," said Jack, -showing one trampled path.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But I was almost sure that the right course -was not this, but another. We argued; we -laughed; we grew serious; we argued again; but -all that we said and adduced in support of our -respective contentions only tended to puzzle us -both the more. In the end we were no nearer a -solution of the difficulty, but rather, if possible, -further away; for I believe it is a fact that we -were both so muddled by the arguments, and by -the general sameness of the look of the place in -every direction, that we neither of us knew at last -which trampled path we had selected in the first -instance to swear by. I daresay I changed over -to Jack's and he to mine.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At all events, we eventually agreed to one -thing, and that was that we were most distinctly -and decidedly lost.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We climbed a tall tree or two in the hope of -thus seeing, over the heads of the rest, our old -friend the conical hill; but not a thing could we -detect near or far but the waving tops of other -trees in apparently endless lines of hopelessly -innumerable and impenetrable leaf-screens.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We inspected every apology for a track until -it branched off into two or more other paths. We -rode for several hours, absolutely ignorant whether -we went deeper into the forest or towards the open -out of which we had entered it, until at last Jack -pulled up, tied his horse to a tree, and threw -himself down on the ground, rolling from side to side -in a paroxysm of laughter, which I found very -contagious and in which I joined immediately.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Of course, there was nothing to laugh at that -I knew of; on the contrary, our position was -somewhat serious. Nevertheless, I laughed simply -because Jack did, until he suddenly looked up -and pointed, and then at last I saw the reason of -his mirth. Our dead eland lay about fifteen paces -from us. We had ridden for four or five hours, -and had returned to the spot from which we had -started!—at which discovery I laughed again until -I nearly cried.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="how-we-buried-ourselves-alive-for-the-love-of-science"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">HOW WE BURIED OURSELVES ALIVE FOR THE LOVE OF SCIENCE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Talk of returning to one's mutton!" said -Jack; "here's our venison!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I confess I was uncommonly glad to see that -eland; for since breakfast I had scarcely tasted -food, and the prospect of camping out for the -night upon a little tinned meat and a couple of -biscuits had not presented itself to my imagination -in the brightest of colours.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Under the soothing influence of roast venison, -however, and a comfortable fire, our prospects for -the night brightened very considerably, our only -source of anxiety for the present being the want -of a "long drink." We had our brandy-flasks -still nearly full, for we were resolved to keep the -spirits for medicinal purposes only; but as the -stuff was unmixed with water, we were unable to -satisfy our thirst by means of a pull from the -flask. We were lucky enough, however, to come -across a kei-apple tree which provided us with a -kind of dessert; not particularly luxurious certainly, -but palatable enough to thirsty souls with nothing -to drink.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night passed without adventure. We -heard wild animals in the distance, but none came -very near us, and if they had we were growing -accustomed to them by this time, and my spell of -night-watching was passed without serious attacks -of "creeps" and "horrors," such as had rendered -my first night or two in the bush periods of -mental torture to me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the morrow we breakfasted upon more of -our eland, and cut and cooked sundry slices to -take away with us. Our Kaffir apples again -served as substitutes for "drinkables," but I think -either Jack or I would have given pretty nearly -all we were worth for a cup of tea or a drink of -water.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must get out of this jungle to-day, Peter," -said Jack, "and find some water; kei-apples are -not good enough."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I quite agreed. We must get out of this -jungle, if only for the sake of having a long -drink.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Our horses, which had filled themselves with -the cactus-like growths abounding at our -feet—elephant's-foot, or Hottentot bread, and other -delicacies of a like nature—were presumably as -anxious to find water as we were. They carried -us in whatsoever direction we urged them, but -went listlessly, as though by no means in love -with our enterprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When we had wandered thus for a few hours, -and were growing somewhat depressed by reason -of our continued failure to find a way out of the -jungle, I proposed to Jack to allow the horses to -go where they liked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They can't make a worse business of it than -we have done," I added; "and they may possibly -be guided by instincts which we don't possess."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good idea," said Jack; "we'll try it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The result was rather astonishing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Those two sagacious creatures, feeling their -bridles loose upon their necks, and recognising -that they were to be permitted to go where they -pleased, pricked up their ears and started off at -a quick walk.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder if they really know where they are -going, or whether this is only a kind of 'swagger'?" -said Jack. It certainly seemed as though they -knew all about it. Why should they not, after -all, as well as any other animal that is wild and -has a vested interest in the forest? Horses came -originally from a wild stock, and doubtless possess -the inheritance of their species—namely, the -instinctive power to find their way unerringly -from point to point as well through pathless -jungle as over the easy open.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At any rate, our good steeds had scarcely -travelled an hour without our interference when -we saw to our delight that the forest grew thinner -and the light stronger, and a few minutes later we -were actually in the open, with the jungle behind -us. We could see our conical hill in the distance, -but on the other side of the belt of forest through -which we had so laboriously passed. It was also -clear to us that there existed a way to Ngami, -skirting the forest, which would obviate for us -the necessity to plunge again into those dangerous -fastnesses; and this discovery was a great relief -to our feelings, for it would have been a sore test, -to my nerves at least, to re-enter those dark -shades in order to get into the road for home.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile our horses walked briskly onwards, -as though determined to see through the matter -which had been entrusted to their instinct; and -whether my readers believe it or not, it is -nevertheless the fact that they travelled as straight -as the bee flies, never diverging by a yard from -their line, until presently they brought us up on -the banks of a wide stream, into whose cool -current they promptly plunged their noses, and -we ours, in very abandonment to the luxurious -delight of thirst-quenching.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This little adventure, or misadventure, was a -lesson to us, and a most useful one, throughout -our wanderings in search of big game during -the next month or more; and as at this time we -passed through several "'scapes" and incidents -of an interesting if alarming kind I now purpose -to set down one or two of these for the benefit -of those of my readers who have a taste for -adventure and wild beasts. I do not mean to -describe in detail the whole of our month of -jungle life, but merely to pick out an incident or -two as samples of the rest, for an average volume -would not contain the narrative of all we saw and -did during those momentous thirty days.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I slept that night by the river which -the instinct of our horses (as I suppose) had -discovered for us; and, it being a warm evening, -we determined to do without a camp fire for once, -and to conceal ourselves by means of deep holes -dug in the ground, in which we would crouch -with our heads and shoulders concealed in the -scrub, or by boughs lopped from tree and bush. -We had heard of hunters adopting this plan at -spots by a river's bank to which wild animals were -in the habit of coming down to drink at night, -in order to obtain easy shots from their ambush -at the unsuspecting lion, leopard, antelope, -elephant, or what not, that came to slake its thirst -at the stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So Jack and I dug holes, being provided with -spades brought for quite a different purpose, and -lopped heaps of branches and scrub with our -hunting-knives; and when darkness fell we got -into our graves, a yard or two apart, within -whispering distance, and piled branches and -greenery around the mouths of each pit so that -we might put our heads and shoulders out, if need -be, and still not be seen; and then we waited for -developments.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The night was full of a holy calm, warm and -still, and instinct with a kind of sense of waiting -for something to happen. One felt that the silence -and peace were very delicious, but that this sort -of thing could not continue long, and must not, -for it would grow intolerable after a while.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, just as one began to weary of the strain -of the stillness and utter noiselessness, a leopard, -or some such creature, came to the rescue, far -away, and roared half a dozen times on end.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I thought, and whispered my conviction to -Jack in the next grave, that this habit of roaring -when about to go a-hunting was a very foolish -trait in leopards, tigers, and other beasts of prey. -It amounted to calling out, "Now, then, all you -fat deer and juicy antelopes, you'd better clear -out or I'll have you for supper!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack said it reminded him of a master at -school, who used to call out "</span><em class="italics">Cave</em><span>, gentlemen, -</span><em class="italics">cave</em><span>!" before going the round of the studies, -and was, in consequence, the favourite master in -the school.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was just beginning to propound my opinion -as to which was the greater and which the lesser -fool, the master or the leopard, when suddenly a -sound as of a gust of wind broke in upon us, -came nearer, disintegrated itself into the noise of -the scurrying of many feet, and in a moment we -were in the midst of a splendid squad of antelopes, -plunging, bucking, kicking, boring, leaping, -grunting, squeaking,—all intent upon the water, and -each creature apparently in mortal fear lest its -companions should drain the supply before it had -its share.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>One or two of the beautiful little animals -actually leaped over my head as I ducked to -avoid being kicked, and I put out my hand and -patted another which stood close by, to its -unspeakable surprise and terror, causing it to dive -madly in among its fellows and raise a -pandemonium in the ranks, for which, I am sure, the -rest could have discerned no reason. Probably -my friend obtained the character of being a mad -antelope among his companions from that night -forward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All this—the confusion and the trampling of -the mud at the water's edge and the drinking—lasted -about five minutes; then, as though they -had suddenly realised that they were doing an -exceedingly rash and foolish thing, the whole -family, as with one accord, turned right about -and galloped away into the darkness. A -moment—and they were here; another—and they were -gone thither whence they came, and where that -was, no man knows.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What had startled them? The plunging of -our horses, perhaps; for those poor picketed -beasts were, for some reason or other, very -nervous, and we could hear them stamping their -hoofs and shaking their heads as though anxious -to break away. A hyena or two were prowling -about in the neighbourhood, disagreeably noisy -as usual, but the horses could scarcely be nervous -on their account.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly all is explained: the hasty "skedaddle" -of the antelope herd; the agitation of our horses; -the sudden hush of all voices of the forest. -Somebody is arriving—a great and majestic and terrific -personage, at whose coming my coward heart -goes with a jump into my boots. It is a -lion—and a hungry one!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-night-with-a-lion"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A NIGHT WITH A LION</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Without a sound, without a roar, without -warning of any kind whatever, the great -creature is suddenly standing before us. He was -on his way to the river, doubtless, and became -aware, by means of his acute gift of scent, that -visitors were somewhere in the neighbourhood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This is Leo Rex; and he is saying to himself, -"Well, I may be mistaken, but unless I were -assured to the contrary I should be inclined to -think that there was a man about! Yes, I am sure -of it. And—yes, upon my life, horse too; is it -horse, now, or bullock? Certainly something -civilised—horse it is! Well, now, this is really -very surprising and delightful! You are in luck -to-night, your majesty! Let me see, shall it be -man first or horse, or a long drink?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the king decides that he will first roar. -That, he thinks, will start the game. At present he -does not know </span><em class="italics">exactly</em><span> where the man is; after a -good roar from him there will probably be a rustle -and a bolt; as when a terrier gives tongue at a -thorn bush in order to set a-running the rabbit that -lurks therein.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So the great king set up a terrific roar, and -the immediate effect was—besides nearly deafening -Jack and me, and frightening me half out of my -wits—to terrify our poor horses to such an extent -that both broke away at the same moment and fled. -We heard the clatter of their hoofs as they galloped -away into the sanctuary of the darkness, and we -could make out also that the great beast standing -so close to us raised his head to listen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I daresay he was blaming himself in the worst -feline language for being so foolish as to drive away -good food in this way. I do not know for certain -what he thought, for at this moment Jack took his -turn at the game of startling poor me, and, before -I had any idea of his intention, crashed off first -one barrel and then the other, the two reports being -almost simultaneous.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I do not know how it was, but I had not thought -of shooting; I do not think my rifle was out of the -pit. It had been understood between us that we -were to observe, this night, not kill; the fact being, -of course, that we had not expected a lion to come -down to the water, but at most a herd or two of -antelopes or zebras, or perhaps an eland. I was -not prepared for action when Jack fired, and the -succeeding events somewhat took me aback.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It all happened in a single moment, however, -so that my confusion did not last more than a -second or two at most. It was like this: at Jack's -shot the huge brute first gave forth the most awful -roar that ever assailed human ears, then in an -instant it launched itself into the air, alighting, as I -saw to my horror, exactly upon the spot from which -Jack had fired. Probably the smoke hung over -the place and attracted it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For an instant I gave up Jack for lost, and the -sudden horror of the catastrophe so paralysed me -that I had neither thought nor power of action. -The next moment the idea came to me that I -might at least discharge my rifle into the brute's -body, and perhaps prevent it from carrying poor -dead Jack into the jungle and eating him there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lion was standing over Jack, roaring loud -enough to be heard at the Cape, and doubtless -tearing the flesh from my friend's bones; but it was -too dark to see anything. I could distinguish an -opaque mass standing close at my elbow, and I -knew this to be the lion; but it was impossible to -discern what he was doing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I put my rifle to my shoulder, but could not see -the sights; then I stretched the weapon to arm's -length until I could feel the end of it against -the brute's ribs, and pulled the trigger—both -triggers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I thought that the great roar to which he had -previously treated us had been a fairly effective -production, but a terrific noise, half roar, half -bellow, to which he now gave vent, put the first -completely into the shade. At the same time the -brute, so far as I could distinguish, seemed to rise -up on his hind legs, paw the air, and fall over -backwards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I thought of dead Jack, and fury lent me -courage; I reloaded both barrels of my rifle, -climbed out of my pit, and placing the muzzle once -more to the brute's side—though he lay quite still -and did not seem to require a second dose—I -fired both cartridges simultaneously. At the same -moment a wonderful thing happened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Out of the pit in which he had lain hid suddenly -popped Jack's head, and Jack's voice cheerily -hailed me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Peter, old man!" it said, "I'm really awfully -obliged to you!" At the words so fierce a flood -of joy rushed up to my throat that all utterance -was choked and I could say nothing. "You have -saved a very precious life," continued Jack. "Do -you know the brute was simply feeling for me with -his claws when you fired and stopped his game? -Look here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was not of much use to look, for the night -was pitch dark; but I may say that afterwards, by -the firelight, I was somewhat shocked to observe -that Jack's Norfolk jacket about the left shoulder -was torn to shreds, and that his arm was considerably -scratched beneath it. If the pit had been an -inch or two shallower, Jack's arm would have been -lacerated in a fearful way; as it was, the brute only -just touched him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We found the lion was as dead as a post when -we had fired some brushwood and were able to -examine him, which we did without loss of time, for -it was unpleasant to feel that the brute might -possibly be still alive, and gathering up his dying -energies for a little </span><em class="italics">vendetta</em><span>, to be enacted upon us -so soon as one of us should come within grabbing -distance of that tremendous mouth of his!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I confess that I was very proud and happy over -that dead lion. It was "my bird" undoubtedly; -for though Jack was a crack shot and had fired both -barrels at it, at a distance of about ten paces, or -not much more, yet he had missed it clean. He -could not see the end of his rifle, he explained, and -had simply pointed the weapon according to the -grace that was in him, hoping for the best results. -The results were a clean miss and a big lion sitting, -as he picturesquely put it, on the top of his head -and digging at his arm. As a matter of fact, I -believe this is what happened: the lion, enraged -by the shot, instantly sprang towards the only -visible thing that it could see, which was the white -smoke of Jack's rifle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It had alighted with its great carcass stretched -over the pit, the hind legs short of the aperture, -head and shoulders beyond it, but one of its front -legs happened to fall just inside the hole; and it -was in struggling to regain its footing and draw its -great arm out of the mysterious hole into which it -had fallen, that the brute spoiled Jack's coat and -very nearly spoiled his arm and shoulder as well.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My shots came at the right moment, and the -mystery which that lion must have already felt to -exist with regard to the banging and the hole in -the ground, and things in general, was, for that -lion, never solved. He went away to the Happy -Hunting Grounds with his last moments in this -world made mysterious by unguessable and -incomprehensible riddles, leaving me a very proud and -elated young person.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Perhaps other lions who have been shot by a -visible creature, and with whom my first victim has -by this time scraped acquaintance in those shady -retreats, have now explained it all for him, and have -described what an artful, tricky, fire-spitting, -incomprehensible race are we humans, who have -about as much strength in our whole bodies as lions -have in one muscle of their forearms, but who can -nevertheless spit fire at a lion from the other end -of nowhere, and burn him up in an instant from -out of sight.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="our-trusty-nigger-to-the-rescue"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">OUR TRUSTY NIGGER TO THE RESCUE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We did not attempt to skin that lion, for -the best of reasons—because we did -not know how.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Simple Jack was very much inclined to try, -because, said he, it could not be very difficult. He -had heard that if one cut it straight down the -proper place one could pull the whole skin clean off -over the beast's head, like a fellow having his -football jersey pulled off after a match. But I did -not encourage his enterprising spirit in this matter, -because I did not think Jack's theory would "come -off," or the lion's skin either.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We made up a splendid fire after this adventure, -and passed the rest of the night in comfort and -self-laudation. We could not expect to see much -more animal life out of our pit ambushes after all -the banging and talking in which we had indulged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we heard several hyenas—probably the -pilots and squires of Lord Leo, departed—which -came around and said a great many things in -derisive tones, as it seemed to us; but whether they -intended thereby to rejoice over the downfall of a -tyrant, or to abuse us for depriving them of their -patron and food-provider; or whether, again, they -were addressing their remarks to the lion himself, -ignorant of his death, and assuring him, wherever -he might be, that he was wasting invaluable time, -inasmuch as two fat and juicy young men were -ready and waiting for his kind attention down by -the river, I really cannot say, not knowing hyenese.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But this I know, that once, when Jack and I -had both (oh, how imprudently!) just dozed off for -a few minutes of repose, I suddenly awoke to the -consciousness—like a person in a ghost story—that -we were "not alone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Up I started, and up started Jack also, aroused -by the same sound that had awakened me. What -was it?—another lion?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not only was it not another lion, but lion -number one had disappeared. We sat up and -rubbed our eyes. We stood up and looked -carefully around, and asked one another what in the -name of all that was mysterious was the meaning -of it?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the sound of our voices there was a scuffle -behind the scrub close in front of us, and a -pattering of feet; growlings, moanings, yelpings -followed the scuffle: and we ran, rifle in hand, to -solve the mystery.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There lay our lion, dragged from the spot in -which he had died, and there, under the lee of a -prickly-pear bush, his friends the hyenas would, in -another minute or two, have torn him to pieces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did not know then that the hyenas would -have eaten their lord and patron. It struck me -that they had dragged away his carcass in order -to hide it, in honour, from his enemies, perhaps -to bury it. I mentioned this to Jack, who laughed -rudely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bury it?" he said. "Yes; in their stomachs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I had conceived quite a wrong idea of the -relations between the hyena and the lion, it -appeared. The respect of the former for the -latter, I now know, though great during life, -vanishes with the breath of his nostrils. The -hyena flatters and adores the lion while he can -roar and kill food for him; but when the lion dies -the hyena instantly eats him if he can get hold of -the royal carcass.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The morning after our exploit with the lion, -which had first so nearly eaten Jack and afterwards -been itself so nearly devoured by hyenas, we left -our quarry to take care of itself, for this was the -only course open to us, and went on foot towards -Ngami, leaving it on the ground at the mercy of -vultures or hyenas, or anything else that should -smell it out and descend upon it. We went on -foot, because our horses had broken away and -departed, as we feared "for good," whither we -knew not.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But to our great joy and surprise, when we -reached a grassy glade near the village (having -walked about ten miles from the spot in which we -had passed the night), we suddenly came upon -them feeding quietly, with their torn halters -dangling on the ground, neither surprised nor -disconcerted to see us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They allowed themselves, moreover, to be -caught by us, which was really exceedingly -obliging of them, for there they were with the -whole of Africa to run about in if they pleased, and -no one to prevent them; and yet they submitted -tamely to be placed once more under the yoke, -and to enter into bondage upon the old conditions!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the village of Ngami we found our waggon, -with its, to us, invaluable accompaniment of native -hunter and Kaffir driver, and its welcome load of -little luxuries such as bottled beer, and big luxuries -such as express rifles, with other delights.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The native hunter was a Somali, and knew a -little English. His name, for those who liked it, -was M'ngulu; but we felt that we could never do -justice to such a name as that without a special -education, and called him "M" for short. He -had convoyed other bands of young English -sportsmen, and knew enough English words to -convey his meaning when he wanted anything, -such as tobacco, which he called "to-bac," or -whiskey, which he called "skey," but which, since -we soon found that he was better without it, we -never offered him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I do not think our Kaffir driver had a name of -his own; we called him "Nig," or, sometimes -"Hi!" and he was equally pleased with either, -being an extremely good-natured person.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>M'ngulu, or M, took to us at once. I think it -was on account of the lion of the previous night, to -whose remains we very quickly introduced him. I -had made sure that the hyenas would have picked -its bones by the time we reached the spot, but, to -my joy, there the brute lay, untouched. As we -neared the place, however, three huge vultures -rose from a tree close by and flapped lazily away -to another a few yards farther down the bank, -which showed that we were only just in time to -save our property.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a treat to see M skin that lion, or any -other animal. There was no mystery about the -proceeding when </span><em class="italics">he</em><span> had a hand in it. Off came -the skin as easily as if the fellow were divesting -himself of his waistcoat, which, by the bye, is a -garment that he did not actually wear. When I -come to think of it, I am afraid I should be puzzled -to tell you what M </span><em class="italics">did</em><span> wear. I do not think it can -have been much, or I should have remembered -it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When M saw that we had really killed a lion, -and without his assistance, he evidently felt that he -was in for a good thing. He had cast in his lot -with a couple of great sportsmen, and that was -enough to make him very happy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Those who had recommended M'ngulu to us -informed us that he knew Bechuanaland as well as -most men know their own back gardens. You -might set him, they said, anywhere within a hundred -or two miles of Vryburg, blindfold; then remove -the handkerchief and ask him where he was, and -he would tell you. I do not know that this was an -exaggeration. I am certain that we, at all events, -never succeeded in finding a place which he did not -know, or pretend to.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>M now desired to be informed where we wanted -to go to, and in pursuit of what game?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, elephant," said Jack. "Let's have a turn -after the elephants first, Peter; don't you think so?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did, and remarked forthwith to M'ngulu, -interrogatively, "Elephants?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, elfunts," said M. "M'ngulu know—not -here—come."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And M'ngulu took a turn to the north-east and -went away with us after those elephants, up through -the continent of Africa, as though he knew every -clump of trees from sea to sea, and all that dwelt -therein.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wherever the elephant country may have been, -we occupied a week in getting there; a week, -however, which was not wasted, but which was full of -adventure and delight; of days spent in stalking or -tracking, and of nights luxuriously passed within -the waggon under the comfortable knowledge that -M'ngulu lay asleep without by the fireside with one -eye open, and that if a lion or any other large beast -were to move a whisker within a mile or so, M -would know the reason why.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And at length one day, as we passed by a dense -copse of trees whose appearance was unfamiliar to -us, M remarked, "This right tree; elfunt like -him not far now!" from which we inferred that -we had passed into a district which produced -the food beloved by the big creatures we had come -to find.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soon after this we made a camp, by M'ngulu's -directions, and left the waggon under the care of -the Nig, to whom we presented a rifle for use in -case of accidents, and departed, all three of us, on -horseback into the jungle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack said that it was to be hoped no one would -alarm Nig and cause him to wish to fire that rifle; -for that would be a fatal moment for poor Nig, who -knew no more about firearms than he did about the -rule of three. Nig spoke English fairly well, and -we asked him at parting what he would do if -attacked by a lion? Whereupon the Kaffir seized -his rifle (which was loaded), and waved it wildly -about his head (with accompaniment of bad language -and war dance), in a fashion that caused us to ride -away in great haste over the veldt, and not to draw -rein until we were well out of range of his weapon. -It was on the second day after leaving camp -that we saw our first elephant, and made our -acquaintance for the first time with an animal -actually and undoubtedly "possessed," and a pretty -lively introduction it was for us!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-bad-elephant"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE BAD ELEPHANT</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We were riding slowly, in Indian file, through -a rather dense belt of forest, M leading, -when that worthy suddenly drew up and slowly -turned his head round to shoot a warning glance at -us. When he did this old M always looked so -exactly like a setter drawing up to a point, that it -was all Jack and I could do to avoid laughing aloud.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this particular moment, laughter or anything -else of a noisy description would have been a grave -mistake, for M was very much in earnest. He -beckoned us up to him, and pointed to a tree which -had been almost stripped of its leaves and smaller -twigs, and said, "Elfunt—bad elfunt!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why </span><em class="italics">bad</em><span>?" whispered Jack to me; "and how -does he know whether it is bad or good?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To this I could give no reply, for I could not -imagine wherein consisted the goodness or the -badness of an elephant. There did not appear to -me to be anything peculiarly wicked in an animal -helping itself to its natural and favourite food -without M'ngulu's leave; and I confess that up to this -point my sympathies were in favour of the elephant -and against his traducer, M; but I was to learn -presently that this elephant was a very bad animal -indeed—a really wicked creature without one -redeeming feature about his character.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It seems that the acute M'ngulu formed his -opinion as to the elephant upon whose traces he -had suddenly chanced by the manner in which he -had eaten his breakfast. He had not only stripped -the tree, but had savagely pulled it about and -broken its branches, scattering bits far and wide, -and from this fact M promptly concluded that he -was a bad or "rogue" elephant—namely, one who -by reason of his evil temper has found it impossible -to remain with the herd to which he belongs, and -has therefore separated himself or been forcibly -separated from his fellows, and has departed to -vent his fury, in future, upon trees, or strangers, or -anything that is encountered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You know," said Jack, when we discussed this -question together afterwards, "it's a capital idea! -Why don't we fellows of the human persuasion -adopt the plan? Fancy, if one could always banish -sulky chaps, at school or anywhere, and send them -away to rage about the place until they recovered -their senses and returned mild and reasonable!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I said that I scarcely thought the plan would -work in polite society, because, though the -community to which he belonged would no doubt be -excellently well rid of the rampageous one, the rest -of the world would probably object to his being at -large, and would likely enough return him to the -fold in several pieces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>M'ngulu followed up that elephant, by some -mysterious process of his own, for two hours, at the -end of which period we had drawn so close to the -quarry that we could distinctly hear him somewhere -in front of us, still breakfasting, apparently in his -own distinctively "roguish" way, for there was a -sound of continual rending and tearing of branches, -and the ground here and there was littered with -wasted food which, Jack whispered, might have -been given to the elephantine poor instead of being -chucked about in this ruthless way!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A minute or two more, and M'ngulu stopped, -sitting motionless upon his horse, finger to lip. -Wondering and excited, we followed his example, -sitting like two statues.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Presumably M'ngulu had caught sight of the -elephant, but I could see nothing of the brute; -neither could Jack, it appeared, for he craned his -neck to this side and that, and looked excited but -vacant. The rending noise had ceased. Doubtless -the "rogue" was becoming suspicious; perhaps he -had heard us, or seen us, or scented us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's the worst of having a Somali hunter," -whispered Jack; "one </span><em class="italics">can</em><span> smell them quite a long -way off! Any fool of an elephant ought to"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Jack's frivolity was suddenly broken off at -this moment by a loud ejaculation from M'ngulu, -who turned swiftly about at the same instant and -whipped up his horse, shouting out something to us -in his native lingo, which we took for instructions -to follow his example.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Off we scudded, all three of us, separating as -we went; and as we turned and fled I heard a -sound which was somewhat terrifying to the -inexperienced—a shrieking, trumpeting noise, -accompanied by the crashing of trees and shuffling of -great limbs; and I knew, without being told, that -the "bad" elephant had taken this hunt into his -own hands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In spite of all the noise and circumstance -affording unmistakable evidence that our friend the -"rogue" was really close at hand, I had not caught -sight of him up to this time, and it was only when -M'ngulu had galloped away in one direction and -Jack and I (rather close together) in another, and -when the elephant had very wisely selected M to -pursue, that we two got our first glimpse of him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was a huge fellow, and he looked very much -in earnest as, with his big, sail-like ears stretched -to their full width on either side of his head, his -trunk uplifted and his tail cocked, he went crashing -after our nimble nigger, trumpeting and squealing -like a steam-engine gone mad. I felt some anxiety -on M'ngulu's account as pursuer and pursued -disappeared in the dense depths of the jungle -through which we had come.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>M was by far the worst mounted of the three of -us, and was armed only with one of our small rifles, -a bullet from which might stop an elephant once in -a thousand shots, and, certainly, would do nothing -of the sort the other nine hundred and ninety-nine -times. It would appear that the angry brute had -appreciated these facts in choosing M'ngulu to vent -his fury upon instead of one of us, for we were -armed with our express rifles, bought by Jack with -a view to this very work, and we were besides, -much better mounted than our good nigger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we need not have feared for M'ngulu. -That acute person knew very well indeed what he -was about; and as Jack and I still sat wondering -whether we ought to follow in his tracks, or whether -M would have the gumption to bring the elephant -round so as to pass within easy shot of us, we -became aware that M'ngulu had proved himself to -possess the required quality, and was, indeed, at -this moment approaching with the elephant at his -horse's heels.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The first indication of this was a violent -trembling and quaking on the part of my horse as the -crashing and trumpeting began to tend in our -direction instead of away. Jack's horse, on the -contrary, showed signs of a desire to bolt; and it -was with difficulty that he restrained it until, just -as the hunt came in sight, the brute gave itself up -to complete terror, and, refusing all persuasion, -twisted round and galloped madly away in the -opposite direction.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mine showed a less frantic disposition. Though -it quaked and shook like a man in an ague fit, it -stood its ground and allowed me to bring my heavy -rifle to bear upon the furious brute as it came by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Away darted M'ngulu's terrified horse, making -better pace than ever it had made before this day, -straining every nerve to keep ahead of the mad -brute behind it. Even old M looked a little nervous, -I thought, glancing back over his shoulder at the -pursuing "rogue," and shouting something to me -as he flew by. I did not catch what he said. The -elephant was distinctly closer to his horse's heels -now, than when, a few minutes ago, they had -disappeared in the jungle, and it certainly seemed -to me that it gained at every stride; no wonder -poor M looked nervous. A considerable responsibility -attached to my shot, I felt; for if I could not -stop the brute he would undoubtedly have M or -his horse in another minute unless they contrived -to dodge him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I could still hear Jack's horse crashing away in -the distance, and Jack's voice remonstrating with it -very loudly and heartily; there was no help to be -expected from him in this crisis.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All this takes so long to describe, while the -thoughts themselves passed like lightning through -the brain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I brought my rifle to bear upon the brute as -well as I could for the trembling of my horse, and -pulled the trigger just as it passed within thirty -yards of me, aiming for its heart, which I hoped -and believed was to be found just outside the top -of the shoulder. I pulled both triggers at once, -feeling that this was a crisis, and that I should not -get another chance of putting two heavy balls in at -a favourable distance and in a vulnerable spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The immediate effect of my shot was twofold. -In the first place, the recoil of the rifle from the -double discharge was so great and unexpected as -to cause me to lose my balance and fall backwards -clean out of the saddle. That was the effect as it -concerned myself. As for the elephant, it stopped short -in its career, falling forward upon its knees, and -smashing both of its fine tusks with the concussion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For a moment I fancied that I had killed it outright -at a shot; but the next I discovered that this -was far from being the case, for in an instant the -great beast struggled to its feet and looked about it -with the nastiest expression in its eyes that ever -disfigured the optics of man or brute. Blood -streamed down its side, but not from the shoulder -or near it; I had missed my mark by a good foot, -and wounded it in the ribs—badly no doubt, but -not in such a manner as to render it immediately -harmless.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I had fallen off my horse, as I explained, and -was at this moment behind it, with one foot in the -stirrup, about to remount, watching the elephant -over the top of the saddle, uncertain whether it -would be wiser to trust to my horse's legs or my -own; and whether, indeed, there would be time -to mount and get under way before the brute -discovered us and charged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The elephant did not allow much opportunity -for reflection. He turned his head in our direction -as soon as he was upon his feet, and of course saw -my terrified horse.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Up went his trunk, out went his great ears, -forth bellowed his scream of rage. Silenced as he -had been, for a moment or two, by the sudden -shock of his wound and his fall, he was doubly -furious and vindictive now by reason of the pain he -had been caused, and in less time than is occupied -by the pious British man who calls at need upon -his patron saint, Jack Robinson, the great animal -was in full descent upon my horse.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="i-am-mourned-for-dead"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">I AM MOURNED FOR DEAD</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>My steed was doomed; that was clear enough, -for it still stood, helpless and terrified, -rooted to the spot and quaking with abject, -nerveless fear. Apparently terror had completely bereft -it of the power to move, for from the moment (only -half a minute ago, in spite of all this talk and -telling!) when it caught sight of the "rogue" in -full pursuit of M'ngulu until now, it had stood with -forefeet apart, ears cocked forward, eyes and nostrils -dilated, trembling and snorting, and insensible to -direction from the saddle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for me, seeing that my horse was doomed, -and that if I had still been mounted I should -probably have shared its fate, I thanked Heaven -for my escape and sprang back into the bush -without further ado, leaving the poor brute to its evil -destiny. Safe behind a dense, thorny bush I was -free to reload my rifle and watch, if I desired it, the -elephant's behaviour with regard to his victim.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was not a very pleasant sight, and the idea -of what would have become of me had I remained -in the saddle, trying to get the horse to move, until -too late, made me quite faint. It is enough to say -that when the "rogue" had done with the poor -beast there was not an unbroken bone in its body; -for he had knelt upon it, danced upon it with his -huge feet, gored it with the stumps of his tusks, -thrown it hither and thither, and torn it to bits with -his trunk, and, in a word, vented upon it an -abandonment of fury which was absolutely terrific to -behold.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So quickly did he perform his work, in the -madness of his rage, that I, who was obliged to set -to work cautiously and with little movement for -fear of attracting his attention, had not finished -loading my rifle when the second act of the tragedy -began.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was M'ngulu who reappeared next upon the -boards. He came galloping up, wailing and weeping -at full voice, under the impression, I suppose, -that I had fallen a victim as well as my horse; and -as he dashed past the elephant's nose, he first spat -at it and cursed it, and then fired off his rifle in a -very "promiscuous" manner, one handed. This, -though it did not injure the elephant, served to -enrage him yet further; and involved M'ngulu in a -second race for life.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Of this race and of its upshot I was not a -witness, for our good nigger and the raging "rogue" -at his heels passed immediately out of my sight, -and it was only when I heard in the distance first -one shot and then two more that I knew where to -look for the hunt. Having now reloaded my rifle, -I felt justified in rejoining the chase on foot; and -careered away at my best pace in the direction of -the shooting. I presently encountered both Jack -and the nigger galloping back to meet me so rapidly -that I thought at first they were pursued, and hid -myself behind a tree in order to save my own skin -and perhaps get a telling shot as the brute passed -me. But there was no elephant, and M'ngulu was -weeping and wailing, and Jack's face looked white -and scared and haggard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack!" I shouted as the pair rode by. "Hold -on a bit! Where's the?"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack pulled up in a instant, so did M, who -ceased wailing on the spot, and, jumping off his -horse, commenced dancing around Jack and me in -a manner that made me suspect for a moment that -the madness of the elephant had infected him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good Heavens, man!" cried Jack, "I thought -you were done for. This fool of a nigger has been -telling me you were dead—'White man Peter dead—kill,' -he has been saying, and crying and wailing -fit to raise the dead."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wish he could raise my dead horse," I said; -and I described to Jack my own escape.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Great scissors!" cried Jack. And for some -little time such foolish and unmeaning expressions -as "Cæsar!" "Snakes alive!" "Scissors!" and so -on were the only remarks I could get my friend to -make.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't know which was the bigger fool," he -said at last, "your horse that wouldn't go or mine -that wouldn't stay. This fool of a beast of mine -took me half a mile away before he would consent -to return, and I only got a look in at the hunt </span><em class="italics">then</em><span> -thanks to old M here, who kindly brought the -elephant to me as I was not allowed to go to the -elephant."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Still," I said, "I think your horse was less of -a fool than mine under the circumstances. It's no -fault of my poor brute that I was not made jam of -by that raging beast. By the bye, I suppose you -killed it between you, as you are here and the -elephant is not?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's dead," said Jack. "You made two good -holes in him, but in the wrong place. M'ngulu -brought him by me, and I put in a lovely bull's-eye -in the forehead. He went down like a sheep, but -struggled upon his knees again. Then I put in a -second near the same spot, and M fired off his piece -and nearly knocked my cap off—he never went -near the elephant. He is a free cannonader, is M; -I don't think we'll give him rifles to hold in future, -Peter—at least, not loaded ones."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were now at the scene of the bad elephant's -demise, and Jack showed me where he had stood, -and where M'ngulu, and how it had all happened. -M's bullet had really passed very close to Jack's -head, it appeared, for the tree trunk was splintered -by it a foot or two above the spot where Jack had -been standing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There lay the "bad 'un," terrible even in death; -a big, vicious, mangy, bony, ungainly elephant as -ever went mad and was expelled by a respectable -herd. His tusks had been good, but they were -spoiled by his first fall, and though we collected the -pieces, and M deftly dug out the roots, they were -useless as specimens. We made them over to M, -however, who sold them, I daresay, for a good -price.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After this we shot two or three other elephants -before returning southwards; but in each case it -being we who hunted them and not they us, as in -the instance of the "bad 'un," the record of our -achievements would be uninteresting in comparison, -and I shall leave the tale of them to the -imagination of my readers, who know well enough how the -thing is done, and resume the thread of our history -proper, which must be pursued without further -digressions; and those who have skipped the -hunting adventures may now read on in the -certainty that the Treasure business will in future -be strictly "attended to," and that they will not be -called upon to skip again, unless, indeed, it be from -pure excitement in the incidents of the legitimate -story of the hidden money.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Had we known it, we were on the brink, even -now, of a very terrible incident indeed.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-rude-awakening"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A RUDE AWAKENING</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Our hunting trip over, Jack and I left -M'ngulu, our Somali hunter, and the nigger -driver in charge of the ox-waggon, which was to -follow us at leisure to Vryburg. On their arrival -we purposed to sell oxen and horses and waggon, -pay off our men, and depart by train for Cape -Town, thence to England, and thence again to our -new treasure island in the Gulf of Finland.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As on our ride from Vryburg, we now took -nothing with us excepting our light rifles and -ammunition, our one remaining revolver, brandy, -blankets, a small supply of tinned food, and two -small kegs of water (of which we had learned the -necessity by the bitter experience of our two days' -waterless wanderings in the jungle near Ngami).</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was but a hundred or so of miles to Vryburg, -but we were determined to enjoy the return ride -thoroughly, and to keep ourselves in food by the -way through the medium of our rifles, though we -did not look to have anything in the way of -adventures, since our friends James Strong and -Clutterbuck were no longer by to afford us the -excitement of a race to the treasure ground, with -its added interest of possible shots from behind or -from an ambush.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I cannot say that I was sorry to feel that -Strong was well out of the way, and probably -half-way to England by now. I do not like the -feeling, when travelling, that every tree may have -an enemy behind it, only waiting for an opportunity -to put a bullet into you as you come along. I am -a plain man, and like a quiet manner of travelling -best—the civilised kind, without the excitement of -ambushes and cock-shots, and so on.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We did not go far each day, for there was no -hurry. M'ngulu and the nigger were going to -spend a few days at Ngami, to rest the oxen, -before starting after us; but we ourselves would -rather pass our time in the veldt than at Vryburg. -So we hunted antelopes, and shot all manner of -birds that looked queer but tasted excellent, and -we camped out at night, and enjoyed life amazingly, -as any two young Britons would under similar -circumstances; for we had had a successful and -delightful hunting expedition, and we were on our -way home to England with the secret of the -treasure safely buttoned up in our breast pockets; -the object of our journey had been attained; the -present moment was full of delight—what could -any man desire more than this?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were no longer afraid of lions at night. -As a matter of fact, they were rare enough so far -south, and in all probability the one we had shot -at Ngami, before the waggon reached us, was the -same animal which had captured and devoured -poor Strong, junior, that terrible night at the -treasure field. There were plenty farther north, as -we well knew. But now we were thirty or forty -miles south of Ngami, and on the highroad to -Vryburg, and there was not much danger of a -night surprise from any of our old friends.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hence we were somewhat careless when on the -watch over the camp fire. Nominally we still took -our sleep in turn and watched during the interval; -but as a matter of fact, the function of watching -was honoured by us in the breach more than in -the observance, and it often happened that we both -slept soundly for hours together. Thus when, on -the fourth night, a most unexpected and alarming -surprise broke over us, like a thunderclap from a -clear sky, we found that we had been living in a -fool's paradise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For once, old Jack—generally so much more -to be depended upon than I, being a more gifted -person all round, and infinitely smarter and more -wide awake than your humble servant, the present -scribe—old Jack, the acute, was caught napping. -It was his watch, and he ought, undoubtedly, to -have been awake—wide awake. Instead of that -he was asleep—fast asleep—when, as he described -the event afterwards, he was awakened by being -stirred in the ribs by someone's foot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Assuming that it was I who took this liberty -with him, Jack lashed out with his own foot, and -hacked someone violently upon the shin, eliciting -an oath which, I am glad to say, Jack instantly -realised could not have proceeded from lips so -refined as mine.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, sit up!" said a strange and yet familiar -voice, with added expletives which I omit. It -may be taken as understood that in the subsequent -conversation there was an oath to every three -words of one of the speakers, for this was a person -who, I may tell you, was quite unable to speak -the Queen's English without a large admixture of -strong language: there are such people—more -than are needed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack opened his eyes with a start, and recognised -James Strong. Then he twisted round and -felt for his rifle, which lay at his side ready for -emergency; but he could not find it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong, who held a revolver in his left hand, -laughed aloud.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no," he said; "I've seen to it; you taught -me that trick, you know. See there!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack followed Strong's eyes to the fire, and -there he beheld the butts of our two rifles blazing -merrily among the twigs and logs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Burn nicely, don't they?" said Strong. "Now -chuck that revolver of yours in. No, no! none of -that, my lad; if you turn the muzzle anything like -in my direction I shoot. I can get mine off long -before yours is pointed my way. Drop it out of -the pouch, anyhow it comes. You needn't touch -it. Open the pouch and shake it out—so!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was obliged to obey, for Strong's revolver -covered him all the time, and Strong was a man -to shoot in a moment if it suited him. Jack's -revolver fell at his feet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Kick it towards me!" said Strong, and Jack -was obliged to do so. Strong kicked it into the -fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now then," he said, "that little matter being -settled, hand me up the letter you took from -Clutterbuck's tin box."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I haven't it," said Jack; "Godfrey has it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Turn out your pockets," said Strong. "You -took a copy; I saw you do it. Now, please, no -shilly shally—out with everything."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong turned over with his foot the few articles -which Jack produced from the pocket of his Norfolk -jacket. The copy of our precious document was -not there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take off that waistcoat," said Strong; "Or, -stay, what do I care where you have hidden the -blessed thing? Look here, I give you one minute -to produce it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was nothing to be done. Poor Jack was -obliged to reveal the secret places of his waistcoat -lining, and to bring out the required document. -What else could he do? The man with the -revolver is bound to have the last word. If I had -been awake, instead of sleeping like a pig by the -fire, we might have had him; as it was, Jack was -at his mercy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now," said Strong, "go away into the bush; -step out one hundred yards, and stay there while -I negotiate this snoring tomfool here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, feeling, as he said afterwards, that a -worm would have appeared a dignified creature in -comparison with himself, stepped out his hundred -yards, or pretended to; as a matter of fact he -remained behind a thorn bush about seventy paces -away, determined to rush in at any risk if the -fellow threatened me any harm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then Strong woke me as he had awakened -Jack, by stirring me with his foot, and I am -thankful to think that I too "landed him one" for his -trouble; for I lashed out just as Jack did, and my -foot certainly encountered some portion of his -frame, and as certainly elicited flowers of speech -which I omit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, get up!" he said sulkily; "the game's -played out."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I started to my feet, feeling for my rifle; it was -gone, as the reader knows. Only half awake, I -stared at Strong; then I looked round for Jack, -who had disappeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong's revolver covered me all the while, just -as he had held Jack in peril of instant death.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack!" I screamed. I do not know what I -thought. I believe I had an awful fear that Strong -had murdered and buried him. "Jack, where -are you?" To my intense relief Jack shouted back—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All right, Peter; do as he tells you, just now!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong laughed loudly, and swore atrociously.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"D'you hear that?" he said. "You are to do -just as I tell you; the captain says so. If you -don't, your brains will fly in about two seconds. -Your rifles are burnt, so is your revolver; your -smart friend wasn't quite acute enough to-night, -and he's a prisoner. Hand up the letter, or cheque, -or bank order, or whatever it may be that you -took out of Clutterbuck's tin box that night. You -thought I was asleep, curse you, but that's where -you spoiled yourselves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I handed Strong the document he asked for. -"There goes," I thought, "my chance of the -treasure!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong glanced at it and pocketed the paper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Any bank-notes in that pocket-book?" he -said; "if so, hand them over." I had thirty pounds -in cash, which he took. I had subscribed the rest -to make up Clutterbuck's two hundred pounds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now," resumed Strong, "if you move a finger -while I'm in sight I shoot. Come, hands up! -Stand!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He left me standing like a confounded statue, -with my hands over my head. Then he laughed, -swore a disgusting oath at me, loosened the bridle -of his horse, which was tied to a tree quite close at -hand, and started to ride away.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="strong-sprints-and-gains-a-lap"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">STRONG SPRINTS AND GAINS A LAP</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack was at my side in a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Quick," he whispered "let's mount and -be after him; I shall never be happy again -until I have kicked that fellow within an inch of -his grave!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We dashed into the wood for our horses—they -were not where we had left them. Of course they -were not; the man would have been a fool to -leave us our horses—we might have raced into -Vryburg before him, and got him arrested! Strong -was about as perfect an example of a scoundrel as -you would find in Africa or any other continent, -but no fool!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We stood and stamped and murdered our -native language, diving to the lowest depths of -our vocabularies for expressions of hatred and -rage and of abuse, and the promise of future dire -vengeance. We still stood and raged, when -suddenly Strong came riding back.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have disobeyed orders," he said; "don't -blame me for enforcing discipline. Go back to -your place, you—Henderson, or whatever your -name is!—hands up, you other!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shall have it out of you, one day, for this, -you infernal scoundrel," said Jack, whose temper -was now beyond his control. "Get down and -fight me on the ground—you may have your -revolver, I'll use my fists."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You fool!" rejoined Strong with an oath; -"a man does not ask a leopard to spit out his -teeth before attacking him. Go back to your -place, I tell you, or I fire!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack did not move.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are a murderer already," he said, "and -you know it. What have you done with Clutterbuck -and his money, you scoundrel? That's his -pistol you hold; do you think I don't know it? -Never fear, you shall hang one day, my friend!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For answer James Strong fired his revolver -straight at Jack's head. I do not think he had -intended from the beginning to murder us. Either -he had calculated that his plans would work out -without the need of killing us; or he had reflected -that his own skin would be the safer, when in -England, if he spared ours; for inquiries would -certainly be set on foot if Henderson disappeared -though few would know or care whether poor I -disappeared or not.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But when Jack accused him of murdering -Clutterbuck, his comrade—a crime which in all -probability he had actually committed, though Jack -only drew his bow at a venture—Strong changed -his mind and suddenly determined that it would be -the safer plan to shoot us both down. Accordingly, -he first fired at Jack and missed him clean. Then -he fired another shot and missed again, and swore, -and turned his pistol on me and fired three shots -at me; at the third I fell, feeling a sharp pain in -my shin-bone—my leg would not support me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had drawn a log from the fire and was -about to hurl it at Strong when he fired his last -shot, at Jack this time, and rode away into the -grey of the early morning, before the last named -could launch his clumsy missile at him. The -shooting of the six shots did not occupy altogether -more than ten seconds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack sprang to my side, white and terrified.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"For Heaven's sake, Peter, where are you -hurt?" he gasped. "Can you speak? Are you -dying? Where is the pain?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My leg," I said, writhing, for the pain was -very severe. "It's only a broken leg—but it'll -lose us the race!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As a matter of fact, my leg was not broken, as -the term is generally understood—there was no -bone setting required; but the bullet had carried -away a splinter of my shin-bone, having all but -missed me, but taking, as it were, a little bite out -of me as it passed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nevertheless, trivial as the wound was, this -misfortune delayed us three weeks at Vryburg; -for though Jack doctored me with all the devotion -and skill that he could command, the weather was -hot, and I suppose there were some wretched little -bacilli about of the kind "to play old gooseberry -with open wounds," as Jack learnedly expressed it; -for my shin became very painful and inflamed -before we reached Vryburg, and I was obliged to -take to my bed at the hotel there and remain in it -for a tantalising spell of three weeks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for our journey to Vryburg, I performed it -in the waggon. Jack carried me, or half carried -me, back to a village on the highroad which we -had passed through on the previous evening -without stopping, and there we awaited the arrival of -the waggon, sleeping in a native hut and collecting, -I suppose, the bacilli that were destined to play -the part with my wound which Jack described as -"old gooseberry." Had we stayed in that village -on the previous evening we should have learned -that a white man had been living in the place for -a month, waiting for friends to come down from -Bulawayo, and that he was living there still. This -was, of course, our friend Strong, who had -deliberately waited a month for us, in ambush, and had -sallied after us when we passed through, and -caught us napping, as described, over our camp fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we learned another significant fact bearing -upon this matter. When the white man originally -came to the village a month ago, he was, we were -told, accompanied by a friend who lived with him -in a hut which the white men made for themselves. -But after about a week the little white man -disappeared, and the big white man explained that -he had gone on to Cape Town, being tired of -waiting.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But after another week—that is, a fortnight -ago—Umgubi, who was a kind of village herdsman, -and looked after the cattle belonging to the chief -men of the place, came upon the body of the little -white man in a nullah with steep banks two miles -or so off the road. Then the big white man said -that the little one must have gone astray and fallen -down into the nullah, or else an eland or some -other big animal had attacked him and pushed him -down; and all the natives of the village said that -he must have terribly offended his gods for so -great a misfortune to have happened to him, and -that doubtless an eland had pushed him over into -the nullah, or else he had fallen over by himself -without the eland.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Only, if that was the case, said our informant -innocently, why was there a bullet-hole in the back -of his head!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was when M'ngulu and the nigger had -arrived with our waggon and translated the tale -for us that we heard the details of this story of -Strong's villainy; and I may honestly say that, -though shocked to hear of poor Clutterbuck's end, -I was not altogether surprised. It was a comfort -to think that we had done our best for him by -furnishing him with a pistol, while Strong was left -quite unarmed. If Clutterbuck, with so great an -advantage, was unable to retain the upper hand, -there could be, after all, no one to blame but himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>How Strong dispossessed him of the revolver; -by what stratagem or plausible arguments or -threats he succeeded in persuading Clutterbuck to -part with all that stood between himself and his -murderous companion; and how, when he had -obtained the weapon, he used it for his fell purpose, -will, I suppose, never be known. Perhaps the dark -tale of deceit and murder will be revealed at the -last tribunal of all; but it is certain that the tragedy -must remain one of the mysteries in this life.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, where was the murderer? Half-way -towards Hogland and my hundred thousand pounds?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for ourselves, we determined to collect what -evidence we could in order to bring the miscreant -before the judges at Cape Town, if we could catch -him there; but events proved that the fox was not -to be so easily run to earth as we had hoped.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To this end we telegraphed from Vryburg, just -a week after our own interview with James Strong, -explaining that we had evidence of his connection -with a murder, and giving his name and appearance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But when, three weeks later, we reached Cape -Town, we found to our disappointment that the -police had utterly failed to find Strong. No person -of that name, or answering to the description, had -either been seen or had taken passage by any of -the late steamers bound for home. The nearest -approach to our description of the man "wanted" -was of one Julius Stavenhagen, who had sailed -in the </span><em class="italics">Conway Castle</em><span> before our telegram was -delivered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I looked at one another on receiving -this information. If this were Strong himself—and -we had a firm conviction that such was the -case—then he had not only escaped just chastisement -for his crime, but he had also obtained a three -weeks' start of us in the race for Clutterbuck's -Treasure.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="lapped-but-still-in-the-race"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">LAPPED, BUT STILL IN THE RACE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>It may strike some of those who read this -narrative that, considering the fact that we -had (in a cowardly manner, as they may deem it, -and with far too much regard for the safety of our -skins) surrendered to James Strong not only our -invaluable map of the spot to which we were -directed by old Clutterbuck's "message from the -tomb," but also the copy of that document which -we had been prudent enough to make in case of -emergency—that, considering these facts, it did not -really matter very much whether Strong sailed for -England with one day's start of us or one year's; -for he now possessed every available clue to the -discovery of the treasure, while we had none -whatever.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Our game was played out and lost. Strong had -won. We might sail for England to-morrow or this -day five years, but James Strong would now both -possess himself of and retain the hundred thousand -pounds for which we had toiled and travelled -and suffered, simply because we were ignorant -where to look for either the treasure or for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Yet this was not the case, for we—Jack and I—had -been in this matter craftier than the fox and -wiser than the eagle; and each independently of -the other, too.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We discovered this on the morning after Strong's -checkmate of us, as I lay by our camp fire, when, -intending to spring a mine of surprise and delight -upon Jack, I started bewailing the shipwreck of -our hopes to find the treasure. Strong had stolen -from us, with fiendish cunning, both the plan and -the copy. I dwelt upon this disastrous fact because -I intended presently to send Jack into ecstasies of -admiration for my sagacity by informing him that it -did not really matter a bit, seeing that I had -committed the whole letter to memory, and knew by -heart every jot and tittle of plan and instructions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Jack spoiled my little game by saying—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I don't think you need worry, old man, -about the loss of the 'message from the tomb.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why not?" I asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I know it by heart," he said, "every word of -it; and the plan too—I could draw it exactly. -Look here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was disappointing, for I really had -thought I was going to score for once over my -acute one!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>However, we praised one another, and came -unanimously to the conclusion that any two foxes -would have to take a back seat for cunning if he -and I were to drop treasure hunting and take to -robbing farmyards! And that is how it came -about that the loss of our papers was not so serious -a disaster for us as it might have been if we had -been "other than we were"—</span><em class="italics">i.e.</em><span> less clever.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So three weeks after Mr. Julius Stavenhagen's -departure, or, if you prefer it, Mr. James Strong's, -Jack Henderson and I sailed at last from Cape -Town; a bad second, of course, but still not -without hope that Strong might hitherto have failed to -find the treasure when we should have reached the -island of Hogland, or Hochland; indeed, it might -even prove that, fearing lest we should have -remembered the name of the island, he might have -hesitated to visit the place at all, in case we should -follow and denounce him for the murderer he was.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did not greatly rely on this last faint hope, -however, for Strong was not the kind of man to -surrender an undoubted advantage for any -consideration of craven expediency. He would rather -occupy the island of Hogland, and shoot us if we -appeared to disturb him; and that was what we -must look out for, supposing that we ever found -the island with Strong in possession.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It would simply amount to a shooting match -in that case," said Jack; and I think he just about -expressed it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My leg was quite cured by this time, and my -only trouble on the voyage to England was that -the </span><em class="italics">Bangor Castle</em><span>, which is one of the fastest -passenger steamers afloat, did not travel quickly -enough. I was beginning to consume my soul in -anxiety to be even with James Strong for his -smart trick upon us, and to be "one point ahead" -in the matter of the treasure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we reached England in due time, and I -journeyed straight up north to Hull, in order to -lose not a moment in making arrangements for our -departure; while Jack took the train at Paddington -for Gloucestershire, binding himself first by a -solemn promise to come up north the instant I -telegraphed for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My faithful old friend had vowed to see me -through with this treasure hunt, and declared, -moreover, that he considered himself under a -solemn obligation to discover James Strong and -see him thoroughly well hanged for his misdeeds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So away went Jack for Gloucestershire, and I -travelled northwards to Hull and interviewed -without delay the shipowners, Messrs. Wilcox, who, I -found, ran a line of regular steamers from this port -to St. Petersburg and Cronstadt. And first I -inquired, with not a little anxiety as to the reply, -whether there really existed in the Gulf of Finland -any such island as Hogland. The clerk's answer -was encouraging.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, certainly!" he said. "Here, Captain -Edwards, you can tell this gentleman all about -what he wants to know far better than I can. -Captain Edwards has just returned from a trip to -Cronstadt, and must have passed this very -Hogland a few days since."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"At five forty-five last Sunday afternoon," said -the captain, a quiet and most gentlemanly little man, -who, I was afterwards to learn, was a pronounced -favourite not only with his employers but also with -every passenger who had the good luck to take the -trip in his fine steamer, the </span><em class="italics">Thomas Wilcox</em><span>.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do passengers ever land there?" was my -next question.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, they don't get a chance, as a matter of -fact," said Captain Edwards; "for we never stop. -There is nothing particularly attractive in the -island to cause passengers to wish to land and -explore it. Stay, though; I have heard of one -visitor to the place—in fact, I took him off the -island eventually, though it was not I that landed -him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not just now—this month?" I blurted. The -communication gave me a shock, for it struck me -that the passenger referred to could be no other -than James Strong, who, if he had already visited -and left the island, must have taken the treasure -with him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now? Dear, no!" said Edwards. "Four -years since, at least—if not five. An old -fellow—cracky, I should say. He gave out on board the -</span><em class="italics">Rinaldo</em><span>, tripping from Hull to Cronstadt, that he -was in search of an island to bury treasure in, and -asked to be landed in Hogland when he passed it. -You remember the story, Mr. Adams?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Adams laughed, and said he had heard -about it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I laughed too, to hide my deeper emotions. -This was delightful confirmation of my best -hopes!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Was he landed there?" I asked. The -captain's first words rather staggered me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, he wasn't," he replied. "He couldn't be -without permission from the Russian Government. -But he went on to St. Petersburg, got his -permission, and was landed by the </span><em class="italics">Rinaldo</em><span> on her -return journey. I took him off and brought him -home. Dotty, I should say, decidedly. He was in -the rarest spirits, and declared that he had tricked -his blackguards of heirs, as he called them. They -were not going to touch his money, he said, before -they had sweated a bit to earn it—just as he had. -Nobody believed he had a farthing to leave. He -was dressed like a pauper, and disputed his -steward's bill."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nothing could have portrayed my late revered -acquaintance more realistically than these words.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's sport, I suppose, isn't it?" continued -Captain Edwards. "I am told that numbers of -wolves, foxes, and game birds of all kinds come -over the ice in winter, and some are caught there -when the thaw sets in. You might have a -pleasant week—lonely, though; only a few -fisherfolk and the lighthouse people. The island is five -or six miles in length."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I blushed, and declared that sport was—in part, -at least—the object of my visit; but that my main -idea was to make some investigations in the hope -of finding coal and iron, which were supposed to -exist in the islands of the Gulf of Finland as on -the mainland of Esthonia on the Russian side of -the water.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I see!" said Captain Edwards. "Well, -look out for my old friend's treasure if you get -digging. Who knows you mayn't hit upon something -that will pay you even better than coal and iron!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain Edwards laughed merrily at his little -joke; he did not dream how near he came to -touching the truth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Get yourself ready in a week," he added, -"and I'll take you out. You'll have to get leave, -though, before you can land. Try the Russian -Consul; he's a sensible chap, and isn't likely to -refuse anyone with commercial intentions that -might benefit his country."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I thanked Captain Edwards, and left the -ship-owners' office to digest what I had heard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong had apparently not sailed for -Hogland from Hull; or, if he had, he had not -revealed his intention to land before sailing. If -that was the case, then he would not be landed at -all—unless, indeed, he relied upon getting -permission from the authorities in St. Petersburg to -visit the island, and then returning thence to the -spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After all, thought I, he would scarcely be so -rash as to give himself away by announcing who -he was, and why he desired to visit the island of -Hogland. He would reflect that the first thing we -should do on reaching England would be to travel -up to Hull and inquire after his movements; and -whether our designs upon him should prove to -have reference to the treasure or to the welfare of -his neck, he would naturally prefer to keep his -whereabouts a secret. He would guess that, -though we had lost our maps, we might at least -remember the name of Hogland, and that it lay -somewhere between St. Petersburg and Hull.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="how-we-prospected-for-coal"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">HOW WE PROSPECTED FOR COAL</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>I happened to have some distant relatives -in Hull, and, partly because I could not as -yet make up my mind upon the particular -cock-and-bull story that would best serve me with the -Russian Consul, and partly because, I suppose, if -one possesses very few relatives of any kind the -heart warms towards even very distant ones when -there is a chance of making or renewing acquaintance -with them, I determined to pay them a call.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was glad afterwards that I did so; for my -father's cousin and his people were pleasant folk, -and I have since learned to know and value -them well. But over and above these good and -sufficient domestic reasons there was another. My -relative was well acquainted with the Russian -Consul, I found, and not only did he offer to -introduce me to that official, but even volunteered -to go with me and use his good offices in -persuading Mr. Oboohofsky to grant my request.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>My cousin, moreover, knew something of -mining matters, and was somewhat enthusiastic -about my idea of coal and iron to be found in -paying quantities in Hogland. There were coalfields -in Esthonia, he said; why not in the islands off the -coast? Why not, indeed? I began to look upon -Hogland as a kind of "land of promise," and -grew quite in love with my own ridiculous fable of -exploiting the place for mineral wealth, though at -the same time I was somewhat ashamed of myself -for, as it were, taking in my relative in this matter. -There might be coal and iron, however, in the -place, and if I happened to find any, why, so much -the better; my cousin should have the entire profit -and exploitation of it for himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still, I would not promise to dig very deep for -it; that would depend upon the depth at which old -Clutterbuck had buried his money-boxes; I should -go no deeper than that!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Russian Consul was a practical person, -and did not feel so enthusiastic about my mining -schemes as I had hoped he would. He wanted to -know why on earth I had thought of going to the -Gulf of Finland for coal; whereupon I trotted out -my Esthonian coalfields—knowledge culled from -some physical geography book, and, by some -inscrutably mysterious process of mind, -remembered where most other items of knowledge were -clean gone out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he asked, why particularly Hogland? -And it was at this point of the conversation that I -showed a readiness of resource and a nice appreciation -of difficult situations, otherwise "corners," and -of how to get out of them, which, if I could only -act at all times up to the "form" of that morning -in September, would undoubtedly lead me into -very high places in the diplomatic and political -world.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I pointed out to the Russian Consul that for -purposes of coaling the Baltic fleet a fuel-producing -island like Hogland, in mid-channel on the direct -line from Cronstadt to everywhere else, would be -an unspeakable boon to the nation. At present -most of the coal used by Russian warships came -from Hull and other English and Welsh ports -But what if the Baltic were blocked in time of -war?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Russian Consul did not burst into tears, -and, while thanking Heaven for this revelation of -the terrible possibilities of the future, entreat me, -with streaming eyes, to go to Hogland and find a -little coal for his imperial master's warships; but he -laughed, and said that the English were wonderful -people, and seemed to be for ever prepared to take -a great deal of trouble all over the world on the -chance of very small results, and added that he -hoped, if I found my coal, that I would make him -a director of the company started to work it and -would present him with a few shares.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I promised that if I found coal I would let him -know, but we have never corresponded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>However, thanks to the good offices of my -cousin, who was quite intimate with the Consul, -and my own obvious enthusiasm, which he did not -for a moment suspect to be founded on any more -substantial basis than coal—and extremely -problematical coal at that—Mr. Consul Oboohofsky -granted my request for permission to land at -Hogland, and countersigned my passport to that -effect with the words—"Bon pour l'île de -Hochland;" and Jack Henderson's also.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This matter being satisfactorily arranged, and -there being still four days to pass before a start -could be made, I ran down to Gloucestershire and -spent that time with Jack and his sister, who is one -of the sweetest girls that ever—but no, I think I -will not enter into that matter in this place; if I -have anything more to say about the Hendersons -and their family circle I shall say it later on.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Enough that on the Saturday following Jack -and I returned to Hull and took ship on board the -</span><em class="italics">Thomas Wilcox</em><span>, whose captain had special -permission from his owners to land us on the island -of Hogland. I confess that I left the shores of -England feeling depressed and miserable, and -disinclined to go and dig for treasure or anything else, -and that I looked long and sadly back at the dull -shores of the Humber and wondered whereabouts -exactly lay Gloucestershire, and what the good -folks at Henderson Court were doing just at this -moment, and especially Gladys—there I go again!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The North Sea is a cruel, ruthless body of -water, and a stumbling-block to passengers. I had -travelled to the Cape and back, and scarcely felt -inconvenience; but here, one day out from England, -I was treated to such a pitching and a rolling and -a tumbling that my very soul refused comfort, and -I lay and wished I was dead like any novice upon -shipboard; and so did Jack, which was a great -consolation to me, and did me more good than all -the ministrations of the benevolent chief steward -and the encouragement of kind Captain Edwards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But all was forgotten and forgiven when -Copenhagen was reached and the historical castle -of Elsinore, one of the ugliest fastnesses, I should -say, that ever mason put together for the joint -accommodation of long-dead, disreputable kings, -exemplary living monarchs, and respectable ghosts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We passed Elsinore at midnight, and I did -think that—as we had paid a good sum of money -for our passages, and had stayed up and yawned -for an hour beyond our usual sea-time for -retiring—there might have been some little spiritual -manifestation for our benefit. But Hamlet's father -is, I suppose, laid by this time; or the rebuilt -castle, upon whose battlements he used to walk, -is not to his taste (in which case he is the ghost of -a wise and discriminating spirit!), for he never -appeared to us; and we were obliged to retire to -bed baffled and disappointed, resolved to pen a -complaint to the Psychical Research authorities, -who ought to see that passengers </span><em class="italics">viâ</em><span> Elsinore -are not disappointed in this way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And so on into the Baltic, and past many -islands belonging to Denmark and Sweden, and -with distant glimpses of a most uninteresting-looking -mainland; and presently the Gulf of -Finland was reached, and our pulses began to beat -once more with the old ardour of treasure hunting—a -sensation we had almost forgotten since the -agitating days of the Ngami search, and the many -exciting adventures and crises through which we -had passed in the last three months.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As we drew hourly nearer to our island, my -excitement grew positively painful. I was -oppressed with a kind of horror that we should find -Strong waiting to be taken off, with a smile of -triumph upon his face and a cheque for one hundred -thousand pounds securely buttoned up in his breast -pocket!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain Edwards, who proved a good and kind -friend to us throughout, strongly recommended us -to take with us to Hogland a sailor—one whom he -could easily spare us, since he was now within a -twelve hours' run of his destination—of Russian -nationality, who could speak English. He had -more than one such "hand" on board, and we -arranged with a certain Michail Andreyef to land -with us and act as our interpreter—a post which -that gentleman, having ascertained that no work -of any kind would be involved in the situation, -accepted with alacrity at a moderate wage; and -remarkably useful he proved to us in our sojourn -in that lonely island.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I do not think that Michail, good man, would -have landed with us if he had known that there was -no drinking shop on the island; but he found out -our flasks after a day or two, and these no doubt -afforded him some little consolation, though, of -course, the contents did not last him long, and he -was only drunk three days on the entire proceeds. -And now here, at last, was Hogland itself—our -Eldorado, as we hoped, if only James Strong -had not already landed and ruined our prospects!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>How I stared at it, and wondered and wondered -whether the fateful tin box that contained -old Clutterbuck's cheque lay somewhere within its -soil, peacefully slumbering until the right man came -along to unearth the treasure! And oh! how -I wished it might prove that Strong had neither -arrived nor forestalled me!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="eldorado-orhogland"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXVII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">ELDORADO OR—HOGLAND</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The island looked bare and desolate enough -from the point of view of the deck of our -steamer, long and rather narrow at each end, but -bulging in the middle to a width of several miles; -covered with pine forests and patches of moorland, -and with a high backbone of tree-clad hills running -down the middle from end to end. It was -exceedingly like the old man's map as we remembered it, -and the first sight of it so whetted my enthusiasm -and treasure-ardour that I could scarcely contain -my joy when we steamed into view of it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I, nevertheless, made the most of the -bird's-eye prospect of the island which we now -obtained; for we knew well that such a survey of -the place might be exceedingly useful to us in our -subsequent investigations. We saw the spot which -appeared to us to answer to that described in our -lost maps as the grave of Clutterbuck's Treasure, -and we noted the best way to get to it, which was -by the seashore to the left from the lighthouse.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The keepers of that most useful building must -have been surprised indeed to see a large British -steamer stop within half a mile of the hungry-looking -rocks upon which their house and tower -were erected; for though such vessels passed daily, -none ever stayed. Three men, two women, and -several children came out in a hurried way and -stood staring like startled rabbits at us and our -proceedings before bolting back to their holes as the -boat approached into which we had transferred -ourselves and our luggage, guns, spades, and provisions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So far as these good folk were concerned, we -might as well have had no passport at all; and as -for the "bon pour Hochland" of the Consul, if we -had written across the document any such legend -as, for instance, "Herrings at tenpence a dozen," -it would have served the purpose equally well. -For the lighthouse keeper, after having studied the -passports wrong way up, and scratched his head -for inspiration, and spat on the ground in true -Muscovite protest against the incomprehensible, -and having crossed himself in case there should be -anything appertaining to the evil eye or the police -(which he regarded as amounting to much the same -thing) about the proceedings, gave it up as a bad -job, and inquired of our interpreter, Michail, what -on earth we had come for.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I fancy Michail indulged in some pleasantry -at our expense, for the two women and three men -and seven children, standing gaping around us, all -burst out laughing at the same moment, and the -conversation among them "became general."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Presently, however, Michail informed us that it -was all right, and that we might remain if we -pleased. He said a small offering to the lighthouse -keeper, for "tea," would be acceptable, and this we -cheerfully provided, with the result that that -gentleman and all his following were our sworn friends -for life, in the hope of more tea-money some other day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were offered quarters in the wooden houses -in which these good people lived; but when we -entered their abode and learned that we should be -expected to herd in one suffocatingly hot room, -together with every person whom we had yet seen, -and perhaps others to whom we had not yet been -introduced, and to sleep on straw upon the floor, -or on sheepskins upon the top of a huge brick stove -which occupied half the room, we explained to -Michail that we had other engagements. There -were several reasons for this decision besides those -given—some crawly ones and some jumpy. We -saw a number of the former on the walls, and had -already begun to suspect the presence of the latter -nearer still to our persons.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail might come back and sleep here, we -told him, after he had accompanied us to the small -fishing village where we desired to make a few -inquiries.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This seemed to please Michail, who, we -concluded, had some good reason for liking the poor -dumb animals on the wall better than we did. I -suppose there is good in most things, if one can -only discern it through the evil.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail inquired, at our request, whether -anyone had landed here lately, within the last month -or so; upon which the lighthouse keeper informed -us that the last stranger who had visited the island, -so far as he knew, was a madman from England, -or Germany, or other foreign parts, where -everyone, he was told, was more or less mad. This -English lunatic had landed here a few years ago; -he had gone and hidden himself in the woods for -a week, alone, sleeping, he believed, at the village -at the other end of the island, and passing his time -counting the trees in the forest, or doing something -equally insane. After a week he had returned, and -had been taken on board by a steamboat.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No one else, this month?" we insisted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly not," said the man; why should -anyone come to the island if he could live on the -mainland, where there were drink-shops?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was unanswerable, and quite delightful too, -though how it happened that we had contrived to -arrive before the wide-awake Mr. James Strong -was more than I, or Jack either, could imagine.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps he was wrecked, and drowned on the -way here," I suggested.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack dissented. That would not be "playing -the game," he said; Mr. Strong was born to be -hanged; of that there could be no possible doubt -whatever. Perhaps he would arrive while we were -still on the island! Michail must keep a lookout, -and come and warn us if anyone landed. We had -no particular desire to be bombarded again by -Mr. James Strong.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As an additional precaution we promised the -lighthouse keeper the sum of ten roubles, which is -about equal to one pound, if he refused to allow any -other person to land, and were comforted by that -individual's assurance that he would refuse -admittance to the Tsar of England himself for such a -sum of money as that.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then we went to the fishing village in order to -glean any information that the inhabitants might -have to dispense at their end of the island; but to -all our questions as to whether any person had -landed on the island within the last month, the -"elder," or head man of the village, to whom we -applied, declared that he knew nothing and cared -nothing about anybody or anything; and that, -when it was necessary, he also saw nothing and -heard nothing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ask him, Michail, if a rouble would refresh his -memory as to anything he may have seen or heard," -suggested Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The head man said he did not know; it might.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he took the rouble, and declared that no -one had been near the island for years.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was very satisfactory, and we added a -second rouble in the joy of our hearts; at which -evidence of our generosity Alexander, the elder, -crossed himself and prayed aloud for the welfare of -our souls. Then he said he had some articles for -sale which might be useful to us if we intended to -try a little sport on the island, and produced—to -our surprise—an English-looking revolver. I was -about to take it from his hand, when Jack snatched -the weapon from me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, great skittles! Peter," he cried. "Look -at it! Look at it, man; look at it! What do you -see?" Jack burst out laughing, and then suddenly -grew grave. I took the weapon from him to -examine it, surprised at his excitement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's loaded," I said, "in four chambers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; but look at it well!" he cried. "Don't -you know it, man?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I looked again, and the weapon almost dropped -from my hand. It was my own revolver, not a -doubt of it—my own name was scratched along the -lower side of the barrel. It was the same that -Strong had choked with lead, that I had afterwards -presented to Clutterbuck, that Strong had stolen -from that unfortunate fellow, and with which he -had murdered his companion; the same with which -he had attacked ourselves on the road to Vryburg, -at our last encounter with the rascal, and a bullet -from which had taken a bit out of my shin-bone.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For a moment or two I was too bewildered to -collect my thoughts. Jack brought me to my senses.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," he said, "what do you make of it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I make of it that we are too late," I groaned. -"The rogue has been too quick for us, confound him!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack, "that's what I'm thinking -too. But how did this fellow get hold of the pistol?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a question to which I could find no reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ask him where he got the pistol from," said -Jack to Michail; and our interpreter put the question -as desired.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The reply was that the pistol was for sale; -would we buy it? The elder knew nothing about -the antecedents of the weapon, but it was his -property, and for sale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ask him if he will remember anything about -its history if we buy it," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The elder was of opinion that he might -remember a little for ten roubles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This sum was instantly transferred, and our -friend presently informed us, through Michail, that -the weapon had belonged to a Swedish person who -had come over from the coast of Finland, from -Helsingfors, in a sailing boat about three weeks -ago, and who had made him a present of it. That -was all he had to say. The Swede had departed -a fortnight ago.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this reply my heart sank lower than before, -for here was the confirmation of my worst fears. All -was lost—that much was obvious. James Strong -had been too smart for us. He had travelled </span><em class="italics">viâ</em><span> -Sweden and crossed from Stockholm to Helsingfors, -sailing over to Hogland from that port—absolutely -the simplest, and at the same time the most artful, -course he could pursue, seeing that he was unwilling -to travel direct from Hull by reason of the obvious -publicity of such a proceeding.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All was lost—that was now certain. I was a -pauper again. The only consolation was that, so -far as I could see, I could not have done anything -to circumvent Strong. He had had too long a start.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="what-the-elder-did-with-strong"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXVIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">WHAT THE ELDER DID WITH STRONG</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack looked as dejected as I did.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The only thing I don't understand is," -he said presently, "why Strong should have -presented the fellow with his revolver. Do you -suppose he intended us to find it here, as a sort -of mocking message to us that we had failed?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"More likely he wished to be rid of an -awkward piece of evidence in case he was ever -collared by us," I said. "If we ever caught him, -and he had this thing in his possession, we should -easily have proved our accusations against him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course he found the treasure," said Jack, -"or he wouldn't have gone away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course," I echoed dismally.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Still," said Henderson, "it would be interesting -to hear all about </span><em class="italics">how</em><span> he found it and where; -I'd give another ten roubles to be told all this -grimy gentleman knows."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was not at all certain that it would be an -unmixed joy to be taken and shown the pit out -of which another fellow had dug the treasure which -I had so ardently hoped to make my own. But -Jack was evidently anxious on the subject, and -curiosity was burning a hole in my resolution as -well. I reflected a minute or two.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, ask him if you like," I assented presently; -"it will be a painful thing for me, though, -I can tell you." More painful than Jack guessed, -perhaps; for I was tenfold more anxious to be rich -to-day than I had been a few months since in -Africa. I had found a new reason, down in -Gloucestershire, for wishing to own the treasure, -and now all hope of possessing old Clutterbuck's -golden hoard had vanished. Painful? It would -be </span><em class="italics">torture</em><span> to be shown the hole in which the -treasure, and all my hopes of happiness with it, had -rested but a short three weeks since; to be ruthlessly -torn from their sanctuary by the bloodstained -hands of a double-dyed rascal like James Strong.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Michail," said Jack, "tell the fellow there is -more tea-money to be had if his memory improves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail conveyed this intelligence to his grimy -companion, who grinned and scratched his shaggy -yellow locks, and spat and made a gesture as -though he now abandoned in our favour all -previously observed considerations of discretion. Then -he bade Michail tell us that for a second ten-rouble -note he would tell us the whole history of the pistol, -which he had just remembered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was artful this time, having gained -experience upon this artless island. When he had heard -the story, he said, he would hand over the tempting-looking -red bank-note for ten roubles, which he -now carefully removed from his purse and displayed, -invitingly held between his fingers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the elder, after looking wolfishly at the -note and indulging in a final scratching among his -tousled locks, began his tale, which proved to be -a sufficiently exciting one.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was a lunatic of a Swede," he said, "who -had sailed over in a small sailing-boat from -Helsingfors, and had moored his craft over there at -the Finnish side of the island and come ashore. -He couldn't talk a word of anything that anyone -could understand in the island, and would not come -to the village, but slept on the shore close to his -boat; and if anyone came near to have a look at -him he stamped and raved and scolded them away -again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"On the morning after the first night I went -down to the shore to see what the Swede was -about," continued the elder, "that being my duty -as elder of the village, and I took with me Kuzmá, -my brother-in-law, and Gavril, my brother; for we -have no right to admit strangers upon the island -without passports. But this fellow had no passport, -and threatened me with his fists for demanding one -of him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So Kuzmá and Gavril and I sat down on the -shore to watch what the Swedish lunatic would do.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He waited, hoping that we would go away; -and we waited, to see what he wanted on our island. -He did nothing but read letters and look this way -and that through the trees, and then down again -at his letter, like any lunatic.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Presently he grew tired of waiting, and stood -up and shouted at us to go away. We did not -understand his lingo, but that was doubtless the -meaning of it, only the man was so angry that he -could hardly speak, but only screamed at us and -stamped his foot. Kuzmá grew a little frightened -and said, 'Shall we go, brothers? This man is -mad; it would be wise to preserve our bodies from -harm.'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But I said, 'No. We will pretend to depart, -and hide ourselves among the trees; then we shall -see but not be seen!' So we departed and hid -ourselves where the mad Swede could not see us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"After a while," continued the elder, "the -madman took his letters and a spade, and wandered -about among the trees until he came to a certain -place, and there he began to dig.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We desired to know, naturally, why he dug in -the earth of our island, and while he was very busy -with his digging we came nearer to see what we -could see.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And then, of a sudden, Kuzmá coughed, and -that mad Swede looked up and saw us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Holy Saint Vladimir, equal to the apostles, -preserve us from such demons as that Swedish -maniac when he caught sight of Kuzmá and me -and Gavril! He rushed straight at us like a wild -bull, bellowing and shouting, and then—what think -you, Mercifulness?—he whipped this very pistol -from his pocket and banged one shot at Kuzmá -and one at me. Me he missed, by the mercy of -the Highest, and thanks, doubtless, to the -interposition of my patron saint, Alexander of the Neva; -but Kuzmá was struck by a bullet in the arm, and -lay yelling on the ground."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The elder here paused in his narrative, which, -for me, was about as interesting a tale as ever -human lips unfolded, and spat five several times on -the earth, crossing himself after each performance -of the function. I waited impatiently for him to -recommence. Jack's face, which I glanced at, was -a study; he too was absorbed by the interest of -the tale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When the elder had finished his semi-religious -duties, he continued—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gavril," he said, "my brother, to whom may -the saints ensure a heavenly kingdom for his -behaviour that day,—Gavril, with his staff, whacked -the Swede on the head before he had quite killed -Kuzmá and me, and knocked him senseless; in -which condition Gavril and I put him in his boat -and sailed across to Narva, where we gave in our -evidence against him in the police court. We -showed the pistol, and promised to produce Kuzmá -when his arm was well enough to allow him to -travel. This is his pistol that you have bought; -and that is my tale. It's all I know, and may the -holy saints preserve those who are honest folk, and -punish the evil doers! If I have pleased your -Mercifulness, I will place the ten-rouble note along -with the other."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus, or to this effect, did the elder wander -along, Michail laboriously translating, and then he -stopped, having said his say.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good Heavens! Peter," said Jack after a pause, -"that's a tale well worth ten roubles, I fancy; -what say you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stop a bit," I gasped. "Ask him, Michail, -what the Swede got out of the earth? Does he -know what the fellow was digging for, and did he -find it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He did not give himself time," said the elder. -"He flew at us before he had dug for half an hour. -As for that which he expected to find, how should -a plain fisherman know that? He was mad; what -would a madman expect to find growing upon an -island, that he could dig up with a spade? Gold -and jewels, perhaps!" The elder laughed aloud -and spat freely. Jack still withheld the note.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"At anyrate, he found nothing?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing but sand, Mercifulness."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what has become of the Swede?" said I. -"Was he detained at Narva?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Detained at Narva to be tried, Mercifulness," -said the elder. "But there is hope that when the -police behold Kuzmá's arm, which will be next -week, the rascal may journey to Siberia without -further trouble."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack handed in the ten-rouble note; our friend -had certainly earned it; for though, of course, I -would not go so far as to say that this elder told -the truth (being a Russian that, of course, would -be impossible; the only Russian who ever told the -truth is dead), yet that his tale was not all lies was -proved by the pistol.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack thought of a way of obtaining a little -supplementary evidence in corroboration.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Get him to show us where the Swede shot at -him," he said, addressing Michail. "It would be -interesting to see the mark in the tree made by the -bullet fired at the elder."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong's latest victim had no objection to giving -us this pleasure, and we were conducted to a place -in the wood, and shown a tree which had an -undoubted bullet mark some seven feet up the trunk.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! I see," said artful Jack. "So that is -where you stood, and Kuzmá here, and the mad -Swede came rushing from over there."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, not there," said the elder; "your Mercifulness -may see, if you will, where the fellow was -digging in the ground when we saw him. Heaven! to -come all this way to dig!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="much-digging"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXIX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">MUCH DIGGING</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The elder's invitation fell out very propitiously -with artful Jack's designs, and we were -shown the open space among the trees where -Strong had commenced his digging operations, -which had come to such an untimely end. There -was the hole he had dug when interrupted and -made to lose at once his temper and his chance of -wealth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There too were the four posts, arranged exactly -as in Bechuanaland, in an irregular square. Strong, -remembering where the treasure had been found in -the first instance, had gone straight to the -corresponding corner here, had pulled up the outer post, -and begun to dig about its socket. Jack laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The old fellow wouldn't have been likely to -hide it in the same spot twice," he said; "that -would be too easy for us!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I suggested that, at anyrate, we must not lay -ourselves open to suspicion by digging about or -even remaining in the neighbourhood of this -particular spot, or we should have the whole village -coming and digging with us. We must pretend -that our curiosity was satisfied by the sight of the -scene of the struggle, and that there our interest in -this spot ended. We must do a little hunting or -fishing for a day or two, and then return unsuspected -to our real labours.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So we hired the elder and Gavril, the hero of -the broomstick which had overthrown James -Strong, and went a-fishing among the tiny islands -and rocks that fringed the shores of Hogland itself, -and here we spent a day very pleasantly in allaying -the suspicions of the elder and in catching some -good fish, in weight from one to fifteen pounds, -including a few which I believe to have been large -lake trout. The water here was scarcely brackish -and the fish we caught were all denizens of the -fresh water.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But excitement and longing to be up and about -so as to discover the hidden treasure, burned like -a banked fire within my bosom, and I was feverishly -anxious to be ashore once more and at work.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were out all night, and a cold function -indeed it was; and right glad were we that we had -brought our flasks to keep us alive and help our -circulation to maintain the struggle. It was now -that Michail discovered the existence of those -flasks, for we had presented both the elder and our -interpreter each with a small portion of the -contents, and both men had found the English brandy -to their taste. The consequence to us was, that -when we landed and retired to sleep those two -artless Russians stole our flasks and disappeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now this, far from proving, as at first sight it -might seem, an unmixed disaster, was, as a matter -of fact, the greatest boon that could have happened -to us; for though there was not very much of the -spirit in our stolen flagons, yet it was strong, and -there was enough to keep both men handsomely -employed in recovering from its effects for three days.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Those three days of investigation, free from -inquisitive observation and possible interference, -were exactly what we most desired, and at the very -first opportunity we shook off both the elder and -Michail, who were already in secret possession of -the flasks and quite pleased to be shaken off, and -set to work in earnest at our digging.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The area to be investigated was of the same -shape as our African treasure-field, but smaller by -half, for which mercy I was grateful to destiny; -for even half the old area was quite sufficient for -the digging of two men, unless they happened to -desire to dig themselves into their own graves, -which Jack and I certainly did not.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Needless to say, Jack now felt no compunction -about taking his turn with the spade, for I might -fairly consider myself the only competitor now left -"in the running." Poor Clutterbuck murdered; -young Strong eaten; James Strong in Siberia, or -on the way there—there were none left to contest -my claims.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So Jack dug with me, and very hard work he -found it, and very stiff he felt at the end of the -first profitless day; so that I was able to screw out -of him a kind of apology for his want of sympathy -with my stiffness at Ngami. We had half intended -to set a decoy for wolves, of which there were said -to be a few on the island; but we were both too -tired for anything of the sort, and preferred to -sleep, wrapped in our blankets, over a fire in the -forest, as in the African days, only with dark pines -waving over our heads, and a sharper air biting at -the exposed parts of our persons, instead of strange -palmy and ferny trees, and prickly-pears and kei -apples, and a soft, hothouse kind of air around us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the second day we toiled from morn till -dewy eve, but found nothing to repay us, and by -that time the surface of our ground was upheaved -from end to end to the depth of a spade-head. -Then we determined to spend the third day in -trying various experiments.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were full of excellent ideas, but the same -thoughts had unfortunately not occurred to old -Clutterbuck while hiding his treasure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>First of all, we procured from the village a ball -of string; they had plenty there, for the making -and mending of nets.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then we fastened an end to one of the posts -and carried a line across diagonally to a second, -and from a third across to the fourth, as from A to -B and from C to D in the chart—</span></p> -<pre class="literal-block"> -<span>A C - E - D B</span> -</pre> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Where the strings crossed at E, we dug a deep -hole and had great hopes for the result. But it -seemed that this excellent plan had not occurred -to Mr. Clutterbuck; he had not concealed his -wealth in accordance with our ingenious geometrical -device. Then we went and borrowed a horse and -a plough from the fisherfolk, who had a field or -two near the village for the growing of their rye -and potatoes. And with that plough we turned -up every scrap of our acre of land, and began to -grow desperate because there was not a vestige of -treasure or anything else but sandy soil and a few -worms.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then we sat down to reflect, and gnashed -our teeth, and took in vain the name of old -Clutterbuck who had beguiled us to this forsaken -island to dig for treasure which he had never -buried.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I believe Strong found it, after all," said -Jack—"found it in five minutes in the very first -hole he made."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If I thought that I would go to Siberia after -him," I said, "and screw his neck till he gave it up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My dear man, he couldn't take a load of -treasure with him to Siberia!" said Jack. "The -authorities would have it in a minute."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It might be all in one cheque," said I; "and -he's hidden it—swallowed it, or put it in his boot -or something."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, you can't very well follow him to Siberia -with a stomach-pump in one hand and your revolver -in the other," laughed Jack; "but you may bet, if -he had found the stuff he would not have been so -quarrelsome; he would have been too pleased with -himself to rush straight at these poor peasants and -empty his revolver at their heads!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This seemed true, and we turned our thoughts -once more to the invention of devices that might -have occurred to the old man for the more -ingenious concealment of his treasures. It could -scarcely be supposed that the old miser really -desired to defeat altogether the ingenuity of his -heirs, should they prove to be in possession of a -quantum of that commodity; for if it had been his -intention to deprive us altogether of the money, he -need never have made us his potential heirs. The -money must be here—that was as good as certain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then we tested other geometrical designs. -We counted as many feet towards the middle, from -each post in turn, as the old man had lived years, -seventy-one; and we dug deeply at each seventy-first -foot. We turned up the soil at the spot where -fell the only shadow of the day—the shadow of a -tall pine whose topmost boughs afforded us a few -feet of shade towards evening; but nothing came -of it. We tried many other devices, each more -deeply ingenious, not to say "far-fetched," than the -last; but the third day drooped and faded, and still -we were no wiser than before.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night Michail returned to camp, looking -as though he had passed through great tribulation -and had been making good resolutions. He slunk -in and lay down by the fire, and slept so soundly -that no ordinary artillery firing a royal salute at his -ear would have disturbed him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were sorry to see Michail, for we did -not desire his presence here. We wished we had -another flask for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This wish was redoubled when in the morning, -as we dug and delved—toiling and perspiring and -almost despairing, though still manfully playing up -to the motto of my own family crest: "</span><em class="italics">Dum spiro -spero</em><span>" (which Jack translated "Stick to it, boys, -till you're pumped!")—while Michail still slept, the -elder appeared suddenly upon the scene. He too -bore traces of bacchanalianism, though he did not -seem to have suffered so severely from the malady -as Michail. The elder was surprised to see us -working, and asked us what we were about.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We gathered that this was the meaning of the -elder's remark, but until we had kicked Michail into -the realms of consciousness in order to translate -it for us we could not be certain. Michail awoke -at the seventeenth kick, and said he had not been -asleep, but had been lying and thinking. He told -us what the elder had said, the elder repeating it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell him that's our business," said Jack -surlily—he was disgusted, like myself, with the -failure of our labours; "and that he'd better go -home to the village and mind his own."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh," said the elder, on hearing this, "certainly -I will obey; I had no wish to intrude upon their -Mercifulnesses; only I thought their Mercifulnesses -might be digging here in order to find a certain tin -box with a letter in it which I myself found near -this spot some years ago!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The spade dropped from my hand; Jack's fell also.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Michail," he said, or gasped; "what does the -fellow mean? Where is the tin box and the letter -that he found here? Ask him quickly, idiot, or -I'll brain you with my spade!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The elder was not disturbed by our excitement; -he said he thought the tin box was somewhere up -at the village; he wasn't quite sure!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="i-take-a-strong-lead-in-the-race"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">I TAKE A STRONG LEAD IN THE RACE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack seized the elder by the shoulders and -shook him—shook him handsomely and -thoroughly till his splendid white moujik-teeth -rattled in his head. The elder burst into tears and -fell on his knees as soon as Jack let go of him, -crossing himself repeatedly and jabbering -vociferously. The fox had changed in an instant into a -rabbit, and a timid one at that. It was impossible -to translate what he said, Michail protested. On -being pressed to do so, Michail observed—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He say his prayers," and I think that must -have been about the measure of it; at all events, -he was saying nothing about tin boxes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell him we don't wish to hurt him," said -Jack; "but we intend to have that tin box; and if -his memory does not improve in the next five -minutes, so that he leads us straight to where he -has hidden it, something dreadful will happen to him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This truculent message was given to the elder, -who allowed himself but one more minute for the -consolation of prayer and then took to his heels for -the village, we taking care to keep up with him. -Jack's threat seemed to have wonderfully assisted -the process of recalling the past, for Alexander led -us straight to his own house, into the living room -(where his astonished wife and five amazed children -were feasting upon black bread and dried fish, -their mouths, opened to receive those dainties, -remaining open by reason of their surprise), and -without hesitation opened a kind of cupboard in -the corner in which he kept his three teacups and -his two tumblers (one cracked), together with his -store of vodka.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>From this receptacle, which he opened but a -fraction, as though jealous lest we should steal a -peep at his teacups, he quickly produced a tin box, -the facsimile of that which I had unearthed in -far-away Bechuana. The elder crossed himself, -spat on the ground, made a droll gesture of -surrender to superior force, and banged the box down -upon the table.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then his face assumed a beseechful, maudlin -expression, and he said that he had done as the -gentleman desired, but if the gentleman considered -it worth a gratuity that he should have safely -preserved this box until the gentleman came for it, why—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell him to go to the deuce," said Jack; "and -wait there till we see what's in it and what isn't. -Here, Peter; it's yours—examine."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I opened the box: there was another within it, -as before; neither was locked; and as before, -inside the inner receptacle was an envelope, and -within the envelope a letter; no cheque to bearer, -no bank-notes for one hundred thousand pounds.... -My disgust and disappointment were too -great for words; I could not speak; I could not -even swear; I believe I burst into tears.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, come!" said Jack bracingly, "don't -give way, old chap; it's just as well there are no -diamonds or gold—this elder fellow would have -had the lot! Cheer up, man, and read the letter, -or I will! I for one don't mind another -journey—I haven't travelled half enough yet! Read the -letter!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was all very well for Jack. The issue was -nothing to him (comparatively speaking); to me it -was everything—all the world, and the happiness -of life!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I told you how it would be," I raved; "the -old rascal meant to swindle us from the beginning. -He will keep us travelling from pillar to post in -this way till the worms have eaten up his hoardings -and his miser's carcass as well. The whole thing's -a fraud, Jack, and I am the victim."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're better off than the other victims, at all -events," said Jack. "Read the letter, man. Don't -abuse the old boy till you know he deserves it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Confound the letter," I said, "and him too! -Read it yourself—I'm sick of the business!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was, as my conduct indicates, very angry, -very disappointed, and very ridiculous. I have -since exonerated Mr. Clutterbuck and apologised -to Jack, many a time. I still think, however, that -the old man's methods were extremely exasperating; -and though ashamed of my loss of temper, -I am not in the least surprised that I should -have succumbed to my feelings of rage and -disappointment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But there was one thing which I have never -regretted in the slightest degree, and that is, that -when Michail suddenly laughed out at this point, -finding, I suppose, something comical about my -words or actions, I laid hold of him by the -shoulders from behind, and walked him twice -round the room and out at the door, I kicking and -he yelling. After this I felt consoled and returned -to hear Jack read out the letter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was very much like the other.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Prize to the Swift," the document began, -and continued as follows:—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Do not despair, you whose energy has proved -equal to emergency. Having succeeded up to this -point, you are sure to succeed to the end. My -treasure is not here. I would never leave it so far -from home and at the mercy of prying strangers -in a foreign land. How do I know that I am not -watched at this moment by jealous eyes from the -fishing village a mile away? This box will possibly -be dug up after my departure, but I do not dread -such an event, since it will add, perhaps, to your -trouble in finding it, my most indolent relatives -and heirs, and that is a contingency which I hail -with joy. That any finder of the box will destroy -it, I am not afraid. He will rather keep it by him -and sell it to those who come to seek it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"As for you, my treasure is where it should be, -and must ever have been, for I would never trust -it elsewhere—in my own country and in my own -home. Where else should it be? Return, then, -successful pilgrim; seek nearer home. Where -my treasure is, there is my heart, or near it. I -lie buried in Streatham churchyard; my treasure is -not far away from my bones! ... Dig, dig, and -dig again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The only land upon which I or my heirs -possess the right of digging is my own garden in -Streatham. Dig there, my friend, and success to -him who digs wisest and deepest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My portrait is part of the spoil for the winner; -it was done for me by a pavement artist for two -shillings and three pence, but do not throw it away -on that account. It is the portrait of your benefactor, -and his blessing will go to him who preserves -it well."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The letter ended here, without signature or date.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-elder-makes-a-good-bargain-and-michail-a-poor-one"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE ELDER MAKES A GOOD BARGAIN, AND -<br />MICHAIL A POOR ONE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"What does he mean?" I growled. -"Where's the portrait?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked in the boxes, and turned the -letter round; there was no sign of a drawing -or of anything connected with portraiture.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I walked up to the elder's cupboard and -looked in. Besides the teacups and other -domestic treasures there was a tin case, in size -about one foot by nine inches. I took this -without permission from the elder, who had -disappeared after Michail. I opened it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Sure enough, it was a portrait of old Clutterbuck—the -vilest that could be conceived, but still -recognisable. The old man could never, I should -say, have laid claim to good looks; but the -"pavement artist" had scarcely done him justice; he -had, in fact, represented his client as so repulsively -hideous that the lowest criminal would probably -have reconsidered his position and turned over a -new leaf if informed that he possessed a face like -this of poor maligned Clutterbuck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George!" said Jack, "the old chap -couldn't have been very vain to bequeath such -a thing as that to his heirs. What a terrible -specimen he must have been! Was he like this -thing?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He wasn't as bad as that," I replied. I felt -that I had a grievance against the man, and I was -not inclined to give him more than the barest -justice; but I was bound to admit this much.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm glad to hear it," said Jack; "for if he -had been, I think I should have lost my faith in -the </span><em class="italics">bonâ fides</em><span> of his letters and of the whole thing. -That pavement artist ought to have been hanged, -and his body danced on. What, in Heavens -name, did the old man want to leave you a thing -like that for? Why couldn't he get himself -photographed if he was sentimentally anxious that -his heirs should possess his portrait?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed; I could not help joining in. It -was really rather funny; and the more one looked -at the picture the more one felt inclined to laugh. -The artist was evidently not ashamed of his work, -for he had painted his name in full at the foot -of it, "Thomas Abraham Tibbett," bless him! I -know his name well—I read it every day of my -life, for his masterpiece hangs over my washstand, -and I look at it whenever I feel low in spirits and -think that a little T. A. Tibbett will do me good.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What a merciful dispensation that one can't -see his eyes, or, rather, that they are looking -downwards and don't follow you about as they do in -some portraits that are not by pavement artists," -said Jack. "Look at them; there'd be a lifetime -of nightmares in a pair of eyes like those, if they -happened to be looking up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I have often thought how true this was, and -have rejoiced that the artist of the pavement -mistrusted his skill and made the eyes as he did; but -for my joy there are more reasons than now appear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail and the elder were outside when we -left the house. I think they were conspiring -against us; no violence, or anything of that -sort—a mere conspiracy of roubles. Michail desired a -solatium for the kicks he had received from me; -the elder grieved because he had delivered up -his tin box, under the influence of fear, without -pecuniary equivalent.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Both were sulky and uncommunicative, or -perhaps assumed sulkiness for their own ends. -The only information that we could obtain from -Michail, in reply to our requests that he would -inquire of the elder where and how he found the -tin boxes, was that Kuzmá was going to sail across -to Narva to give evidence against the Swede who -had shot him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What has that to do with it?" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail grinned and scratched his head, and -said something in Russian to the elder, who did -likewise and cleaned up his mouth with the back -of his hand besides.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well?" said Jack; "go on!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The other great lord kicked me in a painful -manner!" continued Michail, placing his hand near -the afflicted part.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He will kick you again in a still more painful -manner," said Jack, "if you don't explain yourself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is plenty of good vodka at Narva," said -Michail, "forty, fifty, or sixty copeks the bottle, or -two-forty for a </span><em class="italics">vedro</em><span>." (A </span><em class="italics">vedro</em><span> contains, approximately, -a gallon.)</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I see," said Jack. "All right, sonny, you -shall be healed, don't fear; and the other fellow -too, but ask him about the boxes first!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tea-money first!" said Michail. "Alexander -says the little box is worth five roubles and the big -one ten. At Narva, if I complained against the -merciful gentleman for kicking me, he would be -detained and fined. A gallon of vodka and twenty -roubles is my price for being kicked by the -honourable lord."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Kicked how many times?" said Jack. "For -that sum we shall certainly kick you round the -island, my friend. The police at Narva will fine -as much for one kick as for thirty. We shall take -all our kicks, remember!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail decided not to go to Narva, and to -charge me for the original kicking only—the price -of which was fixed at a vedro of vodka, to be -brought back from Narva by Kuzmá, and one rouble.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for the elder, we paid him for the tin boxes, -for, after all, they were treasure-trove, and might -prove to be very much more valuable to us than -the price asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This little matter being satisfactorily settled, -Alexander the elder deigned to inform us how he -came by the property.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This, he said, was a very simple matter. He -had had the things five years, keeping them -because he felt sure someone would arrive one -day to find them. Five years ago an old -Englishman had come on the island, all alone, -to seek rare flowers and plants, as he informed -everyone through a pilot at the lighthouse, since -departed, who spoke English.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The elder had watched the old man's botanical -researches, and saw him collect a number of roots -of "</span><em class="italics">brusnika</em><span> and other rubbish," and saw him -also plant four posts in the wood, digging holes -for each and putting them in and piling earth to -keep them steady. Then he had dug a fifth hole, -somewhere near, and buried these boxes in it, -laughing and jabbering to himself, said the elder, -like a madman. The rest was very simple. Old -Clutterbuck sailed away in the English steamer -that stopped to pick him up, and the elder quickly -went and dug up the boxes, hoping to find cash, -but discovering nothing more valuable than a -letter he could not read. He had thought of -destroying both this and "the picture of the devil," -as he called old Clutterbuck's portrait, but had -taken the wiser course of preserving both in case -someone to whom they were not valueless should -come to find them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Strong arrived and commenced his -digging operations, the elder hoped that his -opportunity had dawned; but Strong proved to be -a madman with whom it was impossible to enter -into negotiations.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The rest, of course, we knew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Were we really on the road to success at last? -At all events, Jack and I had the grace to admit -that we had enjoyed fairly good luck after all, -supposing that the letter was actually the passport -to wealth which it purported to be. If the elder -had destroyed it we should never have got any -farther than Hogland in our researches! As for -the picture, he might have done what he liked with -that, we thought; though, since it seemed to be -the desire of the testator that we should keep it, -we piously determined to do so.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So that here we were with our object attained, -or attained so far as it was possible to attain it, -and with another week or so on our hands to -be spent on this island before the steamer could -be expected to return and fetch us away. What -was to be done, and how should the time be spent?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was fishing, and there was wandering -about with our shot guns, in hopes of picking up a -few grouse or other game which might be met with -in the moorland and woods which covered the -island. But the elder made a tempting suggestion -which we caught at, though we did not anticipate -much result from his idea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There were three wolves on the island, he said, -half-starved and rather savage. They lived here -because they could not return to the mainland, -whence they had come in the days of ice, last -February or March. If we liked to pay for a -sheep, he would kill one and lay it down as a decoy. -On the third night, if we passed the hours of -darkness in a tree over the spot, we should probably -have an opportunity of shooting the brutes, and a -good thing too; and it was in consideration of this -fact that the elder would let us have a sheep for a -merely nominal sum—fifteen roubles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We agreed to pay this sum, so the sheep fell a -victim, and was laid to rest not in but upon the -earth beneath a tree.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile the wounded Kuzmá was about to -sail for the mainland in order to bring up his -bandaged arm in testimony against James Strong, -and the question arose whether Jack and I were -not bound to accompany him in order to do what -we could to ensure a fair trial to a -fellow-countryman in distress.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had done his best to murder us more than -once, true. He had also foully done to death his -own cousin, the younger Clutterbuck; and he had -only failed to shoot down three innocent Russian -peasants because one of the three had had the -cleverness to knock him on the head before his -purpose was half accomplished.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Yet, for all his crimes, we felt compunction -about allowing him to pass, friendless and helpless, -into the hands of those who are ever ready, as -Englishmen (who know nothing about it) invariably -believe, to draft their victims away to Siberia -whether guilty or innocent. He deserved "Siberia," -whatever that name may imply, as thoroughly as -any rascal; but, somehow, though neither of us -would have moved a finger to save his neck had it -been in danger at the hands of an English hangman, -yet we felt inexplicably averse to permitting -Russians to have the twisting of it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Why this was so I do not attempt to explain—it -is a psychological problem which I leave to -other heads to solve; all I know, is that it was -only the sturdy good sense of Jack Henderson -that prevented me from stepping on board his -fishing-lugger with Kuzmá, and another peasant, -and sailing away to Narva to make a quixotic fool -of myself in defence of the indefensible James -Strong.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="we-receive-a-terrible-shock"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">WE RECEIVE A TERRIBLE SHOCK</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>As it was, we contented ourselves with sending -a letter to the British Consul there (supposing -that there existed such a functionary), -exhorting him to use his influence to obtain a fair -trial for the rogue called James Strong, and to see -that he was not sent to Siberia without good and -sufficient cause shown.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Great Jupiter!" said Jack, when he had read -over my letter. "Why, man, we have evidence -enough to send the fellow to Siberia, or to the next -world for that matter, half a dozen times over!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So we had, of course.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And I'll tell you what, Peter!" continued -Jack, "it will serve us well right, when we've -got the rascal out of his scrape by our confounded -meddling, if he turns up just in time to snatch -the treasure out of your fingers at the very last -minute. What'll you do if he shows up at -Streatham and claims the right to dig with you, -neck and neck for the last lap?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, come," I said, "that's quite a different -thing! I should let him hang in England, fast -enough, but it's unpleasant to think of Russians -stringing the poor beggar up far away from friends -and country!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Doubtless Jack agreed with me, for he took no -steps to prevent the despatch of my letter. But -it has since struck me that it is, after all, very -doubtful whether the proximity of "friends and -country" would have comforted Strong much if -he had had the rope round his neck, even an -English rope.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What with fishing all day and sitting shivering -in pine trees all night (like a couple of frozen-out -sedge-warblers, as Jack picturesquely expressed it), -we contrived to pass away the time for the best -part of a week, and then Kuzmá arrived, having -prepared for us a surprise which for absolute -breathless unexpectedness undoubtedly broke the -record in so far as my own limited experience went, -or Henderson's either!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail came running up to the moor where -Jack and I were busily engaged in trying to induce -a covey of grouse to allow us within range of our -guns, and imparted the exciting information that -Kuzmá's boat was in sight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the news Jack and I gladly conceded the -honours of war to our covey of grouse and hastened -down to the shore to see Kuzmá's boat, for it had -come to this, that we were so very hard up for -excitement on this island that we would have gone -miles to see anything or nothing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There are three men on board," said Jack, as -the boat came nearer, running straight for the -shore before a fresh breeze. "I suppose they've -brought a police officer along to make inquiries on -the spot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I hope he won't ask </span><em class="italics">us</em><span> to go to Narva as -witnesses!" I laughed. "That would be a bad -look-out for poor Strong, Jack, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was gazing at the boat as it neared the -land; I gazed too, watching the jolly little craft cut -the water into an endless V as it flew scudding -towards us, as though rejoiced at the prospect of -getting home.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Peter," said Jack presently, "look at the fellow -in the bows; he's got his head round this way. -If I were not absolutely certain that such a thing -were impossible, I should say it was James Strong."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">What?</em><span>" I shrieked, "which? where?" I -stared at the man; it </span><em class="italics">was</em><span> Strong, there could not -be a doubt of it—there was no mistaking his face, -even at this distance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good gracious! Jack, what are we to do?" I -said, trembling at the knees like any coward. -"Heaven help us, what will happen now?" I -added. My nerve seemed to have taken to itself -wings at the sight of James Strong!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, what's the matter, man?" said Jack. -"It's a mystery to me how the fellow happens to -be in that boat, but you may take your oath that -he's pretty harmless as far as </span><em class="italics">we</em><span> are concerned; -he won't catch us napping again, if we have to -watch him all day and night till the steamer comes!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I recovered presently, and called myself many -evil names for yielding to a craven instinct at -sight of this ill-omened person. I was not really -afraid of the fellow; it was the unexpected that -upset me—it always does.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As a matter of fact, there was little to be afraid -of in the wretched man. It was not the James -Strong whom we had known in Africa that landed -among us that afternoon in Hogland. It was a -poor, broken-spirited, hopeless creature that raised -his arms with a cry of despair at seeing us, and hid -his face and trembled and refused to leave the boat -when Kuzmá and others beached it and ran it, with -him still seated in the bows, up the shore. I felt -quite sorry for the terrified wretch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, James Strong," said Jack, "this is an -unexpected meeting, after all that has passed! How -come </span><em class="italics">you</em><span> here, pray?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I didn't expect to find you on the island," said -Strong. "Oh, curse my luck!" he added, in a -wailing tone which changed into one of sudden -ferocity as his eye fell upon Jack, who was -laughing at him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, it </span><em class="italics">is</em><span> poor luck for you, I admit," said the -latter, "but, if it is any comfort for you to know it, -you would have been too late in any case, for we -have got all there was to find."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't believe a word of it," said Strong.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what's more," continued Jack, ignoring -Strong's remark, "the elder had it all the while, -and would have given it to you if you hadn't shot -at him. So you see what comes of evil temper, -James Strong. Now, if you had not shot poor -Clutterbuck, and tried to murder my friend and -me, you might have followed us to England, and -perhaps, even yet, have robbed us of our possessions. -As it is, you see, if you come to England -you will certainly hang!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong swore one of his vile oaths and -spluttered there was no proof. Who was going -to believe our lies? It was much more probable -that we had shot Clutterbuck than he, and any -jury of Englishmen would see that the whole yarn -was a foul conspiracy. Then he changed his tone -and whimpered, and said he had passed a miserable -fortnight in the Russian prison in Narva, and -beseeched us, if we were men and Englishmen, -to help him escape to England and thence -anywhere we pleased. The Narva police would be -after him by to-morrow for a certainty, even if -these Russian fiends did not carry him back and -deliver him up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell us your story, with as few lies as you -can put into it," said Jack, "and we'll think what's -best to be done with you."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="how-strong-escaped-from-prison"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">HOW STRONG ESCAPED FROM PRISON</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"You're such an infernal blackguard, you -see, Strong," continued Jack, with engaging -candour, "that one must be very careful in -dealing with a man like yourself. It seems to me -that it's Siberia or the gibbet, my friend; and upon -my word, I don't quite know which to advise in -your best interests. Tell us what happened at -Narva."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>James Strong was considerably cowed by his -experiences, and obeyed without further demur. -Undoubtedly, his tale was full of untruth, but as he -gave it to us I will pass it on to the reader. We -were able to learn a truer version subsequently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong declared that he had been taken to Narva -by the fishermen, having been bound by them while -still unconscious from the effects of a blow on the -head from Gavril's staff. At Narva he was thrust -into a miserable prison or police cell, where he was -interrogated by persons who could not understand -him, nor he them. A Swedish interpreter was -brought, and Strong was knocked about and bullied -because he protested that he could understand -Swedish no better than Russian. He repeated the -word "English" in hopes that an English interpreter -would be produced, but none appeared. He was -half starved and atrociously bullied by Russian -policemen, and so the time passed until the witness -Kuzmá came to give evidence against him. At the -trial the English Consul came and spoke for him -(this was in consequence of our letter, no doubt), -but he was taken back to his cell, the Consul -informing him that he could do nothing to save him -from the consequences of his violence. He would -probably be convicted of attempted murder and -deported to Siberia.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night was celebrated, Strong explained, -some Russian church holiday, and everyone was -drunk or half drunk. He succeeded in escaping -from the wooden building in which he was confined, -and in finding his way down by the river to the -port, securing a small boat, which proved to be -rotten and to leak vilely, in which he put out to -sea; he hoped to get away and finally return -somehow to Hogland, where he might even yet find the -treasure before we arrived, and escape with it on -the first steamer that passed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You can't blame me for that," interposed -Strong at this point. "I had as much right to the -treasure as you, if I could find it first."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, quite so, Strong," said Jack. "We don't -always approve of some of your methods—as, for -instance, of your attempts to remove us out of the -way, us and poor Clutterbuck—but we never denied -your right to compete. Proceed. Whom did you -murder, and how, in order to escape from your -cell?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You never give me a chance, curse you!" said -Strong, looking livid with rage. "I have never -killed a human creature. Clutterbuck fell down a -nullah and broke his neck. I shot wide of you on -purpose—it was necessary to frighten you off—and -these fellows too. Did I murder one of them or -one of you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What about my leg, Strong? you infernal lying -blackguard!" I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I was bound to keep you back how I could," -he cried hotly; "I am sorry I hurt you, but that's -not murder, and you know it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I know it was meant to be," I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was not," he cried; "I fired wide on purpose. -One doesn't hit a man in the leg if one means -killing."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, come, Strong; you are a poor shot, you -know, at the best!" said Jack. "We don't forget -Graciosa! Go on with your story."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, curse Graciosa, and you too!" said Strong -surlily, and not another word could we get out of -him at this time.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Kuzmá told us the rest of it—that is to say, -from the point at which Strong left off—though we -only heard the true version of his escape from -Narva at a later date, and from another source.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Kuzmá returning to Hogland in his fishing-boat, -had seen in the distance, when about an hour -out from Narva, a small craft occupied by one man, -who seemed to be in difficulties, since he shouted -and gesticulated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As Kuzmá and his companion consulted whether -to head for the small boat in order to offer -assistance, they suddenly observed that the vessel -had disappeared. Sailing up to the place where it -had sunk they had come upon a man swimming, -whom they did not recognise for Strong until they -had pulled him on board.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When they did recognise him, said Kuzmá, -they were for pitching him back into the sea; but -Strong had a knife, and looked so dangerous, that -they thought it wiser to bring him along, which -they did. They knew nothing of his escape or -anything else, excepting that they fully intended to -make a little money out of the job, presently, by -restoring him to the authorities, and claiming a -gratuity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Had they known more, they would probably -have smashed in his head with an oar, and pitched -him back into the gulf. Cash rewards are very, -very pleasant things; but under some circumstances -Kuzmá would have felt even greater satisfaction -in smashing a head than in earning money by -preserving it whole for others to smash!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the following day we might fairly begin to -look out for the return of our good steamship the -</span><em class="italics">Thomas Wilcox</em><span>, and it became necessary to settle -something as to James Strong and his fate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Russians, Kuzmá and his friends, being -aggrieved parties, and also interested in a pecuniary -way in returning the prisoner to his bonds, were -naturally all for conveying him back to Narva -under strong escort; but this James Strong -besought us with tears and piteous entreaties at all -hazards to disallow. He would assuredly be sent -to Siberia or starved or flogged to death, he -protested; nothing could save him. "For the love of -Heaven," he begged us, "let me sail with you from -this accursed place."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But I can't, we can't do it, as honest men!" -said Jack, in some perplexity for the wretched -fellow. "Don't you see, man, that if you set foot -in England we are bound to denounce you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then land me at Copenhagen," said Strong, -"or anywhere."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But you'll take the first steamer on to Hull, -and the difficulties will all begin again," said I.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I won't—I swear it!" he cried. "I'll sign -anything you like."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I held a consultation over this knotty -question. No doubt it will be said that our duty -was obviously either to abandon the miscreant to -these poor fellows, whom he had deeply aggrieved, -and who would restore him into the hands of -those who would try him; or else to take him to -England ourselves, and arraign him there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And yet, stern and judicial reader of these lines, -we felt that either course would be equally repugnant -to us. We could not allow these Russians to -have their will of the fellow; how did we know that -they would not knock him on the head, without -trial, so soon as we were afloat? As for taking him -to England and accusing him of murder, fully as -we believed him guilty, we were without absolute -proof, and the work of establishing a case against -him was not an enterprise we cared to undertake.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In the end we decided to buy the man off from -these islanders for the sum of one hundred roubles, -which they gladly accepted, and to allow him to -accompany us as far as Copenhagen, where he -should land. In consideration, therefore, of a signed -statement from him that he was guiltless of the -murder of Clutterbuck, who, he solemnly declared, -had fallen in fair fight during a struggle for the -revolver, which had exploded and killed Clutterbuck -on the spot; in consideration, I say, of a declaration -to this effect, Jack and I both undertook to -leave Strong unmolested so long as he did not -cross our path in England. So sure as he ever -came near us again, for good or ill, he should -be denounced by us without further compunction.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="exit-strong"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">EXIT STRONG</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We did not altogether believe Strong's story -even then; I believe it now still less, in -the light of subsequent information bearing upon -his conduct at Narva. Taking him all in all, I -daresay, and indeed I hope, that I shall never look -upon the like of James Strong again; for I do not -suppose the earth contains many such callous and -sanguinary rascals as he, and it would be more than -my share of ill luck to come across two such -scoundrels in the course of one lifetime.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I will not dwell upon his "gratitude" and joy -when our decision was communicated to him. He -had knelt weeping before us, praying aloud and -blubbering while we had the matter in consideration, -and when the thing was decided he—well, it was a -sickly exhibition, and, of course, his gratitude was -only sham. He would have stabbed either of us in -the back any minute, for a five-pound note.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus, when the good ship </span><em class="italics">Thomas Wilcox</em><span> -arrived off the island next morning early, we took -leave of our gentle but avaricious elder and his -friends, and left the island without much regret, and -James Strong went with us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," said kind and hearty Captain Edwards, -shaking each of us warmly by the hand, "found -your coal?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for me, I had completely forgotten our coal-mining -enterprise, and was foolishly taken aback by -the remark. But Jack, as usual, was "all there."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is certainly coal in the island," he said; -"but I don't think it will prove to exist in paying -quantities."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I don't think it will either; for, so far as I -know, the only coals to be found in the place are -the few ashes shot out by steamers passing the -island near enough for their siftings to be washed -ashore.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, that's a pity!" said Edwards; "I was -looking forward to be a director, one day! So -your trip's been a failure?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, not altogether," said Jack, grave as a -judge; "we've enjoyed some good fishing, and -haven't had a bad time altogether."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We paid Strong's passage to Copenhagen, and -landed him there. Not wishing to enter into -particulars as to his story, we gave out that he had -come to the island a month ago, </span><em class="italics">viâ</em><span> Helsingfors, -upon much the same errand as ourselves; and if -Captain Edwards was surprised to hear that there -had been three fools instead of two in the matter, -he was too polite to say so. But after Strong had, -to our relief, finally departed, and we were once -more in full sail for England, we received a piece -of news from Captain Edwards which gave us what -is commonly called "a turn," and we were glad at -first that we had not received it but a few hours -earlier. We had just seen Strong off, and were -sitting and talking in the dining-saloon, discussing -various matters, when Edwards suddenly startled -us by saying—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nice pranks a countryman of ours has been -playing at Narva!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What—Strong?" I blurted in my foolishness. -Jack coughed as though choking over his glass of -sherry.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How your mind is running upon Strong, -Peter!" he said. "At Narva this was, Captain -Edwards said; didn't you, captain?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, at Narva," said Edwards, suspecting -nothing; "it's a place not so very far from -Hogland, on the Esthonian shore. The fellow was -a sailor apparently, and had behaved violently -towards other sailors, Russians—I don't know the -history of it; but he was placed in 'quod' for his -misdeeds. Well, what does the fellow do one night, -finding that most people about the lock-up were -drunk by reason of a church holiday (it's a sin to -be sober on a church holiday, you must know, in -Russia); what does he do but set fire to the place, -stick a knife into one policeman, brain another with -a stool, and escape in the confusion down to the -water, where he gets to sea in a leaky boat, and goes -Heaven knows where?—probably to the bottom, for -the boat is described as a totally impossible craft."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you mean to say, captain, that the two -men he attacked are actually dead—murdered?" I -asked, feeling that I was paler than I ought to be -to hear of these excesses in a stranger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, certainly," said the captain; "he appears -to have run amuck entirely; and I should say that -if he went to the bottom he did a deuced wise -thing, for if they catch him there'll be a bad quarter -of an hour for him; on that you may bet your pile."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Anyone burnt?" said Jack. He too looked -somewhat appalled by these revelations.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Most probably—I only saw a telegram, mind -you, in the French paper, the </span><em class="italics">Journal de St. Petersbourg</em><span>. -There must have been a number of drunken -people about the place,—bah! it isn't a pretty story. -Upon my word, you have both gone quite pale over -it. Pass the sherry, Mr. Henderson—help yourself -and your friend; you both look to require it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Talking over this horrible story with Jack, -afterwards, we agreed that if we had known of this -before leaving Hogland, we could not possibly, in -conscience, have allowed the fellow to escape. We -must have sent him back to Narva. It was lucky -indeed that Kuzmá had known nothing of it, -having simply picked the man up in mid-sea!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What should we have done if Captain Edwards -had told us this story while Strong was still on -board?" I asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing," said Jack. "What would have -been the use? It would have been very awkward -for Edwards; and besides, rogue as Strong is, I -don't think I should hand the poor wretch back to -Russian judges any the easier after this. Heaven -only knows what would happen to him!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At all events, it was a matter to be thankful for -that we were at length happily quit of this -nightmare, and, as we hoped, for ever.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As we hoped, yes. But it's a delusive thing, this -bubble "Hope," and very given to bursting!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was during lunch that Captain Edwards had -told Jack and me all about the Narva business, and -it was while sitting and smoking a pipe in my cabin -an hour later that it suddenly occurred to me—I -don't know why—to have a look at old Clutterbuck's -last letter and the daub which was supposed -to be a reproduction of his features upon canvas.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did not suspect anything. On the contrary, -it never for one moment occurred to me that -anything could have happened to the things. They -were useless to anyone but myself, unless it were -Strong; but that thoroughly cowed individual -would never have dared possess himself of them—why -should he? It was impossible for him to -show himself in England, for he would know that -we should have no mercy if he were deliberately -to disobey orders and risk his neck in this way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I suppose I wanted to have a peep at the things—my -stock in trade, such as it was; just as one -enjoys taking out one's money, from time to time, -and counting it, in the mere pleasure of possession. -I can think of no other reason why I should -have gone to my portmanteau to have a look at -that foolish old letter and that unspeakable -caricature. At anyrate I went.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The portmanteau was unlocked, and strapped -only on one side, because of the nuisance of hunting -up keys and unfastening buckles when at sea. -Dressing in a cabin with a rocking floor beneath -one's feet is an extremely disagreeable process, and -I am always unwilling to add to the necessary time -to be expended in the operation by fastening up -bags and portmanteaus.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Let them lie open, day and night—there are no -thieves to come picking and stealing at the -first-class passengers' end of the ship! That is what -had been my idea in the matter, an idea supported -by the reflection that I had nothing worth stealing. -But when I went to the portmanteau and found -that both letter and picture had totally disappeared, -I realised, not for the first time, that Mr. James -Strong was an individual whose craftiness should -not be measured with the ordinary tape-yard -applicable to the shrewdness of others. He -required a measure all to himself. He had got -the better of us again!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="more-checks"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">MORE CHECKS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>I rushed upstairs to Jack, who had gone on deck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack," I cried, almost shouting in my excitement,—"he's -done us again!—he's got the things! -Heaven only knows what he means to do with -them, but he's got them and—and we haven't!" I -concluded lamely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you mean, man?" said Jack. -"Who's got what?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, Strong—Strong again! Don't you -understand?—he's stolen the letter and the picture -too, and Heaven only knows where he's gone -with them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was now Jack's turn to be moved.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Impossible!" he exclaimed; "he would never -dare; why—man alive!—he knows well enough he -must swing if he sets foot in England, and what -use are the things to him anywhere else?" Jack -rose and strode about the deck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He might have done it out of spite, though," -he added next minute; "very likely he was -determined that if </span><em class="italics">he</em><span> couldn't have the money, at all -events </span><em class="italics">we</em><span> shouldn't have it either. Are you sure -they are gone?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come and see for yourself," I said; and together -we hurried down again, through the saloon -and into my cabin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Here we turned out every single article that my -portmanteau contained; we searched every corner -of the tiny room in case the things should have -been mislaid; but we found nothing, and finally, -in desperation, we called up the steward and -cross-questioned him as to whether anyone could possibly -have entered the cabin, either by day or night, -without being seen by him or by his sub.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But neither did the steward know anything of -the lost articles, nor would he admit that anyone -could or would have entered the saloon without his -being aware of the fact.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, my pantry's at the foot of the stairs," -he said, "and if I'm not in it Arthur is, and the -stewardess is generally knocking around about here -too; how's anyone going to pass the lot of us -without someone knowing of it? Besides, we don't -keep no thieves aboard </span><em class="italics">this</em><span> ship," he concluded, -with displeasure. "No one but me and Arthur's -been in this 'ere cabin since you came aboard at -Hogland, and that's a fact!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, you're wrong there, steward!" I said, -"for that Russian sailor Michail came in to close the -portholes last night, and woke me; what's more, -he said you sent him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The steward admitted that this suddenly recollected -circumstance was correct. He had forgotten -it, he explained. Michail had come to him at about -two in the morning, and had asked whether he should -close the passengers' windows, as the wind seemed -to be rising and the portholes might ship a sea or -two presently. "If you suspect him, or me, or -any of us, all you have to do is to examine our -things," the steward ended.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we disclaimed any such desire. We would -like to see Michail, however, and as soon as -possible; for if the things were not forthcoming, -we must—as Jack expressed it—"get out at -Elsinore, and walk!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So Michail came up for examination.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Did he often volunteer for the duty of closing -portholes at night? we asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail said he did it sometimes; he generally -offered to do it because he liked the job; the -passengers now and then gave him a small gratuity. -On this occasion, Michail added, the gentlemen -had given him nothing, but it was not too late -should they desire to repair the omission.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wait a minute, Michail," said Jack. "The -time has not yet arrived to speak of gratuities. -What about this portmanteau, here? Have you -seen it before?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Often," said Michail; "it is the very one I -carried ashore on Hogland, for the gentleman with -red hair." (My hair is </span><em class="italics">not</em><span> red, it is a warm yellow; -Michail meant me, nevertheless, for Jack's locks -are raven black.)</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; but have you been a-fishing in it lately—just -an innocent search, you know, for something -of interest; not a burglary of course."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michael started back in horror and surprise. -"Do the </span><em class="italics">barins</em><span> take me for a thief?" he asked -with some indignation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That was the idea," said Jack, quite coolly. -"But you may have been acting for another—for -that other Englishman, for instance, Strong."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Which Englishman is that?" asked Michail -innocently; "one of the sailors?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Narva man; you know well enough!" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail crossed himself very devoutly. -"</span><em class="italics">Barin!</em><span>" he said; "as if I would act with -that </span><em class="italics">skoteena</em><span>!" (rascal)</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Michail," continued Jack, "will ten -roubles do it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is nothing to tell of myself," said -Michail reflectively; "but for the sum of money -mentioned, I might possibly be induced to tell you -something that I heard him say to one of our men -in the fo'c'sle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," I said, "go on Michail. It sounds -promising. When did he say it, and what did he say?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was yesterday," replied Michail; "you two -were walking on deck, and I saw him point to you -and say those two passengers had the worst tempers -of any two men he'd ever seen; they go mad angry -every two or three days, he said, and tear around, -playing Old Harry with everything. Very likely -they'll want to be landed in the middle of the North -Sea, and they'll paint everything red till they're -allowed, too; and I shan't be there to see the -fun, he said, for I shall have been put ashore at -Copenhagen."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What did he mean by that? You're romancing, -Michail!" said Jack severely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail replied that he would scorn to tell us -anything but the plain truth, though he was always -glad to tell that—for a consideration.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, you've earned nothing yet, my friend; -the ten roubles remain with me, so far. You'd better -remember a little more if you want the money."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That was all the </span><em class="italics">skoteena</em><span> himself said," -Michael continued; "but if the </span><em class="italics">barins</em><span> desire it, I -will tell them what some of those in the fo'c'sle -thought about it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go on," said Jack; "what did they say?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They said—when the </span><em class="italics">skoteena</em><span> had told us -about your tempers and what you would do in the -North Sea after he had gone—that he wouldn't say -a thing like that unless he had a reason for it; and -probably the reason was that he had got hold of -some of your property, and you'd find out about it -in a day or two and go mad with rage, and want to -be landed wherever was nearest so as to go after him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, that was it, was it?" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Michail received his ten roubles, and Jack drew -me aside.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll tell you what it is, Peter, old chap; -Michail's right. Whether he said it because he -has a guilty conscience, and wants us off the ship; -or whether Strong really used the expression he -attributes to him, one thing's certain—we must -land."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where can we?—anywhere here along the -Danish coast? By George! if we catch him again, -Jack, he shan't escape us, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He should swing if it depended upon me, -now, and I could prove anything," said Jack -grimly. "But come and interview Captain -Edwards, and see if he'll stop the ship and land -us." Captain Edwards was upon the bridge with -the pilot, whom we had shipped at Copenhagen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course," Jack added, as we caught sight of -the jolly-looking, weather-beaten Dane standing -beside our own skipper—"the pilot! We'll ask -Edwards to let us go ashore in his boat, with -him; that'll probably be Elsinore. Confound it -all, though, we shall be six hours behind him at -Copenhagen!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But why, what's up, what's happened?" asked -bewildered Captain Edwards, when we had made -known to him the nature of our request; "has the -other fellow bolted with the money-bags?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We explained that this was just about the state -of the case; the man had robbed us, and we must -land and be after him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are you quite sure it was he?" continued -Edwards; "it would be funny if you went after -this fellow and left the real culprit, </span><em class="italics">plus</em><span> your -property, on board!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we explained that there was no reasonable -doubt as to this. The only person now on the ship -who might possibly have had a hand in it was -Michail, and we begged the captain to keep an open -eye on this rascal, and even have him watched on -landing in Hull. It was possible that he might -have in his possession a picture belonging to us, -and of some value.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What! a work of art?" laughed Edwards. -"May I ask how you came to be travelling about -and landing and prospecting on Hogland in -company with a valuable work of art?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Well, we thought it best—and probably the -shorter way as well—to tell the skipper all about it, -and we did so. Now that Strong was out of our -hands we need not scruple to conceal the fact that -he was perhaps the greatest rascal unhung, and -that he and the hero of the Narva exploit were -one and the same person.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain Edwards was naturally somewhat excited.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The scoundrel ought to have been sent back -to Narva," he said, "not brought on here and set -free. You deserve what's happened for setting -such a monster loose upon society. It's not fair -dealing towards your kind, young men, upon my -soul it isn't; you may take that from an older man -than yourselves. However, please God you'll catch -him yet. You must land with the pilot, of course; -that'll be at Elsinore, in half an hour's time. You'd -better get your traps ready."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We went down to prepare for our departure. -In the cabin a thought occurred to me. What if -Michail and Strong were in direct collusion, and -had agreed upon a base of action such as this: that -Michail should convey to us, just as he had done, -by innuendo, that Strong had stolen our property, in -order that we might be induced to land at Elsinore -and hurry back after him by train to Copenhagen; -that meanwhile Strong should have caught the first -train to Elsinore, and—having "done" the distance -by land much faster than we should have -accomplished it by water—be waiting at Elsinore or -beyond it, knocking around in a small boat all -ready to be picked up at dusk by his friend Michail. -In that case he would have left the property on -board, and would simply continue his journey to -Hull, and land there in two days and a half, or three -days, while we were still hunting him, goodness -knows where, all over the Continent, perhaps!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," said Jack, "if that </span><em class="italics">is</em><span> the plan, Master -Strong will find himself in the wrong box. I don't -believe he could get taken on board out of a small -boat without stopping the ship, or the captain or -mate knowing something of it; but if he did, -Edwards knows all about him now, and he'd be as -safe here as in Newgate, </span><em class="italics">pro tem</em><span>. Let him come, -by all means; the arrangement would be all right -for us even though we did lose a few days travelling -about the Continent."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nevertheless we warned Captain Edwards that -it was just possible Strong might turn up again -beyond Elsinore and demand to be taken aboard, -or perhaps be assisted by Michail in making a -secret reappearance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not he!" said Edwards; "he wouldn't risk -it—don't you make any mistake! I only wish he -would. It would be putting his head in a bag -with a vengeance!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I think I ought to make an apology, at this -point, to the memory of the astute Mr. James -Strong. I ought never to have imagined him -capable of so crude an enterprise as that which -my fancy accused him of undertaking.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="we-find-an-old-friend"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">WE FIND AN OLD FRIEND</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The ugly castle of Elsinore was in sight when -we came on deck, and a few minutes later -the pilot's own little craft, splendidly sailed by his -mate and a boy, came alongside, and without asking -us to stop for her, made fast to us and raced along -in our company.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After a hasty farewell with Captain Edwards, -and a whispered injunction under all circumstances -to keep a good look-out upon Michail, we threw -our portmanteaus into the arms of the astonished -Dane below, and followed the pilot down the steps -swung over the side of the ship for our accommodation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Though the pilot lived at a village at some little -distance from Elsinore, he kindly agreed to convey -us to the railway station at the latter town, and -with a fair wind we soon made the jetty close to -the very spot from which the trains start. Here, -having paid off our gallant boatmen, we jumped -ashore and hurried with all speed to the station, to -find that we had just missed one train and that we -could not now catch another for an hour and more. -This was tantalising and vexatious; but at least we -were ashore and in full chase after our quarry, and -that was a source of some comfort to us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Together we paced up and down the platform -of Elsinore Station. We tried to converse. I -asked Jack what he thought would be Hamlet's -opinion of the state of affairs if he were to "come -down" and see a railway station within a stone's-throw -of his capital castle of Elsinore.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack replied that all depended upon whether -Strong should have been lucky in catching his -train; if one had started from Copenhagen soon -after he landed there, then his advantage over us -would be very great, and probably our best way -would be to let him go, and hurry back to England, -ourselves, by land.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Presently, standing at a spot whence he -commanded a good view of the castle, Jack observed -that if Hamlet's father's ghost ever walked upon -the parapet of the great ugly building nowadays, -he must be as active as a cat, for there would be a -lot of climbing to do, there being a kind of miniature -turret at every few yards which the ghost would -have to negotiate if he desired to get along.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To which I replied, in a contemplative fashion, -that in any case we knew well enough without the -paper where we had to dig for the money, and the -only thing that really mattered was the picture. -The question was, did we absolutely require the -daub to help us find the treasure, or not? At -anyrate, Strong knew too much to come fooling around -in England. He must know that we would nab -him at once. There was no fear of Strong himself -turning up. From all of which it will be gathered -that our conversation was a little mixed. However, -the train started at last, and we left Elsinore -behind us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At Copenhagen many inquiries had to be made, -and at first we were somewhat helpless; for though -the language sounded sufficiently like English to -make it additionally annoying that we could not -understand it, yet neither we nor those with whom -we attempted to converse could make head or tail of -that which we or they respectively tried to convey. -At the station we could do nothing towards making -our wishes known, and at length we determined to -visit the nearest hotel and engage an interpreter, if -such a person existed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Here we were lucky, for we found the very -man, and to him we confided our need, namely, to -get upon the track of an individual who landed -from an English steamer, and had, presumably, -gone on by the first train elsewhere.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But where?" asked our commissionaire; and -to this question we had, of course, no reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must begin at the beginning, and go -down first to the landing-stage," said our friend.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now this was annoying, because the journey -would be a loss of time; but it was obviously the -correct course, and we took it. We must begin -our inquiries from the spot at which he first touched -land.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Down at the wharf our Dane interviewed -several boatmen, all of whom had seen the </span><em class="italics">Thomas -Wilcox</em><span> arrive and depart, and all of whom agreed -that a passenger had landed and had engaged a -conveyance and driven away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To the station, of course," said I. "Why do -we wait? This is all a waste of precious time!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Which station?" asked our Dane grimly; and, -when I had no reply to make, he added, "That is -what we have come for to find out."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It seemed, however, that the point was a most -difficult one to establish, and that we should be -obliged to drive to each station in turn, thereby -wasting more time, until there wandered upon the -scene, presently, a Danish youth who said he had -taken the passenger's bag out of the boat and put -it into the carriage. The passenger was a German, -he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How do you know that?" asked Jack, through -the interpreter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Because he wanted to get to Kiel," said the -boy; "he knew no Danish, and could only hold up -his finger to the driver and say, 'Skielskor, for Kiel!'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was good enough for us. We drove -rapidly towards the station, feeling that we were -about to make a real start at last.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The clerk at the booking-office remembered the -man we wanted. He had hurried into the station -and said, in an interrogative manner, "Skielskor?" -and when the clerk had replied that it was all right, -if he meant that he required a ticket for that place, -he had repeated, "Kiel—Bremen?" Whereupon -the clerk, seeing that conversation would be difficult, -had tentatively offered two tickets, one to Skielskor, -and the other through to Kiel; of which he had -selected and paid for the latter. He had left just -an hour ago.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can't we get to Kiel direct by water, quicker -than by land to Skielskor, and thence across?" -asked Jack. "If there should be a steamer going -just about now, we might possibly cut him off at Kiel."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Fortune favoured us quite handsomely this time.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hastening back to the waterside we actually -found a Kiel steamer about to depart; that is, a -large steamer lay in mid-channel, having arrived -since we were down here half an hour before; she -had stopped to put down passengers, just as the -</span><em class="italics">Thomas Wilcox</em><span> did, and would proceed almost -immediately.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We signalled her to take us on board, and left -without a moment's delay.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Great Scott, Jack!" I exclaimed; "Strong -will have the luck of the evil one himself if he -reaches Kiel before us now; this is splendid!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We ascertained that, all being well, we should -reach our destination considerably before Strong -could do so, he travelling by land and then by small -steamer to Kiel, even though he should catch one -just about to start. Under these circumstances the -jubilation which we felt was most justifiable, and -over a capital dinner we spoke with delight of the -joy in store for us, when we should stand on the -landing-stage waiting for the arrival of the little -Skielskor steamer, and see the countenance of -Mr. James Strong change when he caught sight of us there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Will he have a fit, think you, Jack?" I asked in glee.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack said he thought it quite likely; it would -appear so uncanny to the wretched chap, and so -utterly unexpected. "I should certainly have a fit -under similar circumstances," he added.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We went to bed with the conviction that fortune -was treating us kindly this time, and that to-morrow -had consolations for us in expiation for the shocks -and disappointments of to-day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But these rascally to-morrows never perform -exactly what is expected of them. Our programme -was all of the colour of the rose, and justifiably -so; but certain circumstances marred the order of -events, and things fell out differently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now our steamer, the </span><em class="italics">Peter der Grosse</em><span>, had -come from Cronstadt, just as our own </span><em class="italics">Thomas -Wilcox</em><span> had, and in Russia at this time the cholera -was having one of those periodical innings which it -enjoys at regular or irregular intervals in that -country. And when we arrived at Kiel and -requested to be landed as quickly as might be, we -were met by the stunning statement that this would -be impossible until the quarantine officer should -have come on board and passed us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How long will that be?" we asked, and were -informed that it might be a couple of hours and -might be twelve.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are very particular here," said the -captain, "and are as likely as not to leave us half a -day or so, just to give the germs a chance, in case -they should require this much extra time to develop."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As a matter of fact, the quarantine officer did -not visit us until nearly evening, we having arrived -before midday. Just before his arrival I had -noticed a little Danish steamer creep into harbour, -and through the captain's glasses I distinguished, -or thought to distinguish, the words "</span><em class="italics">Helma</em><span>—Skielskor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack," I said, "look at the little craft just -running into harbour—here, take the glasses."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack took them and had a long steady gaze at -the small steamer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're quite right," he said presently (I had -expressed no opinion whatever!); "he's just done -it; that must be his boat; there's no question of it!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then Jack muttered an expressive word -between his teeth, and I another.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then I looked at Jack and he at me, -and—having nothing better or wiser to do, I -suppose—we both burst into a roar of laughter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was sickening to see the fellow just gliding -out of our very hands; but at the same time it was -really very funny.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never mind," said Jack. "We'll be after -him directly, and we know he's going </span><em class="italics">viâ</em><span> Bremen. -Perhaps we may catch the same train yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But we were not destined to reap this crop of -good fortune. The quarantine officers came on -board and examined carefully every creature in -the ship. This occupied a couple of hours. -Fortunately for us, we were able to prove that we had -joined the steamer at Copenhagen; still more so, -we were not asked for passports, otherwise the fact -would have been revealed that we too had come -from Russia, and we, like the rest of the passengers, -would have been delayed in quarantine for twenty-four -or forty-eight hours, or whatever the term -may have been.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As it was, we were allowed to land, though the -rest were detained; and without a moment's delay -we made for the station, calling on the way at the -jetty, at which lay, sluggishly steaming, the little -Skielskor steamer which had arrived a short while -since.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We inquired of the captain, as best we could, as -to the passengers he had brought over. Was -there an Englishman? we asked; and we -described our friend Strong. The captain -who—excellent man!—spoke English, replied that most -certainly there had been an Englishman among his -passengers, a charming, cheery sort of person, who -had laughed and drunk Swedish punch all the way, -and told capital stories. He was a generous kind -of a man too, and had stood drinks all round. He -had also made him, the skipper, a little present -which he declared to be of some value, though it -could not be said to have the appearance of much -intrinsic worth, so far as he, the skipper, was able -to judge!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh," said Jack, not greatly interested; "and -what was that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The picture of an old man—Dutch School; -after Gerard Dow, so he said," laughed the skipper. -"You can see it, if you like; you may be a judge -of these things. Lord knows why he gave it -me—drunk, I suppose!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="mr-strong-makes-an-effective-reappearance"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXVII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">MR. STRONG MAKES AN EFFECTIVE REAPPEARANCE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>This communication was as exciting as it was -utterly unexpected. We entreated the -skipper, as calmly as we could, to produce his -work of art. He did so. It was the portrait, of -course.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And we to talk of ill-luck! Why, supposing -the thing to be really of any value to us, it was a -stroke of the most magnificent good fortune to -have found it in this way! I realised this fact as -the skipper brought the ugly thing out, and—with -a laugh—placed it on the table before us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There," he said; "a beauty, isn't it? If it's -by Gerard Dow, why, I don't think much of Gerard -Dow, and that's the truth. Any offers?" he added, -with another laugh.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ten shillings!" said Jack, laughing also. -"It isn't Gerard Dow, nor yet </span><em class="italics">after</em><span> him; but I -collect these old Dutch daubs, and I'll take it off -your hands for a half sovereign."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That and a drink round," said the skipper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And ten minutes later we were driving in a -German droshky to the station, having our -newly-recovered treasure in tow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It mattered little, now, whether we caught -Strong or not. As a matter of fact he would be -more of an embarrassment than anything else. -What should we do with him if we caught him?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At anyrate, however, we would shadow him -and see what he intended to do. If his destination -should prove to be England, then matters would -be different and it would be our duty to follow -and arrest him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We can't prove anything," I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We shall have to try," replied Jack. "A -rogue like him can't be allowed to prowl about -England free." This was, of course, perfectly true.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why did the chap steal the portrait, only to -chuck it away again?" I said presently, as we drove -along. "Simply to annoy us, or prevent us finding -the treasure, even though he daren't go and dig -for it at Streatham himself?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's the idea, I should think," said Jack; -"that if </span><em class="italics">he</em><span> can't have it, </span><em class="italics">you</em><span> shan't!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Upon reaching the station we found that -Mr. Strong was, at anyrate, not to be caught in Kiel. -The Bremen train had left just an hour ago, with -him in it. There would be another in fifty minutes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, Peter, we are in the race, at anyrate, -after all!" said Jack, with a guffaw; "if we have -any luck in the trains we may catch him yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let's find out how long he'll have to wait -at Hamburg for the Bremen train," I suggested.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We did so, and found to our annoyance that -our train reached Hamburg just ten minutes after -Strong's was timed to leave that station for Bremen. -There would be another one, however, in an hour -or less, and a quicker one than his; so that we -might get him at Bremen, It would depend upon -what should be his next destination.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It doesn't much matter," I reflected. "If we -don't catch him at Bremen we'd better just see -where he's gone to and then set off for Streatham, -</span><em class="italics">viâ</em><span> Hanover and Flushing, as quickly as possible. -Are you very keen to see him, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It depends," said Jack. "I should dearly -like to see him, just once more, in a dark lane and -without witness or revolvers, but with a pair of -football boots upon my feet. That would be very -sweet indeed. At a crowded station, one might -get in a little comforting language; but kicking -would be out of the question, and therefore the case -would not really be met. However, it would be -nice just to see his face, when </span><em class="italics">he</em><span> sees </span><em class="italics">ours</em><span>, and to -tell him one or two things about himself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So we took train for Bremen </span><em class="italics">viâ</em><span> Hamburg, and -at this latter place we found, to our amusement, -that our train, though starting after Strong's, who -had already gone on, ran into Bremen a short -while before the other; ours being an express.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, Peter, this is splendid!" cried old Jack, -rubbing his hands with delight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It really was; it was splendid! Destiny was -playing a strong game in our favour; there was -no doubt about it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We should thus have the ecstatic pleasure of -meeting Mr. Strong upon the platform, and of -observing his expression of delight upon seeing us -waiting for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was at some little station outside Bremen, -and about five miles from that city, that we -overtook Strong's train, which, no doubt, was waiting -there in order to allow the express to go by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We did not know it was Strong's train, of course. -We discovered the fact in this way—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was reading, Jack was looking out of the -window. Suddenly he startled me with an exclamation. -He was staring, all eyes, through the glass, -which was closed on account of the dustiness of the -German railways.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it?" I inquired. I looked out, but -saw nothing very startling or unusual; a train lay -alongside of ours, and Jack was staring, as it -appeared, into one of the carriages.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it?" I repeated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hush!" said Jack. "Don't make a row, but -just look in there—the compartment exactly opposite -this one. Don't speak too loud or you may awake -the dear kind soul."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I looked, and first my heart gave a great jump; -then, almost immediately, I was attacked by the -most violent desire to laugh aloud, and I sank back -in my place and heaved about, stuffing my handkerchief -into my mouth to prevent an outburst of noise -therefrom.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For it was Strong himself, alone in a carriage, -and fast asleep—the pretty innocent—not dreaming -of the possibility of enemies at hand! Happy; at -peace with all the world; slumbering upon his -second-class cushions in all the guileless confidence -of a weary child. It was too beautiful for words.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Almost immediately our train started with a -sudden jerk, and spoiled our contemplation of the -sweet picture before us. But in marring one it -gave us another—a mere lightning flash of a picture, -this last, certainly; but one which I would not have -missed for untold sums, and the memory of which -is even now a constant delight to me whenever -conjured up by the wizard Imagination.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The movement of our train caused Strong to -open his eyes languidly and to raise them towards -the cause of his awakening.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the same instant he caught sight of Jack's -face and then of mine, and a more sudden and -startled rushing of a sleepy intelligence into full -and disgusted wakefulness I have never beheld. -Strong's eyes went from languid and fishy -expressionlessness into swiftly alternating phases -representing surprise, disgust, rage and terror; -they seemed to start from his head and to grow, -visibly, to about twice their normal size. It was a -noteworthy and unforgettable spectacle; it was -beautiful. As we passed out of his scope of vision, -we saw the fellow start from his seat as though to -put his head out of the window and follow us away -with his eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did you ever see the like of that?" exclaimed -Jack, subsiding into his seat and beginning to roar -with laughter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">I</em><span> never did!" I concurred. "The only thing -is," I added, "the rascal will get out, now, and not -come on to Bremen."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That doesn't matter a bit," said Jack; "let him; -it will save us trouble; we don't want him now, for -we have the picture, which is all he took from us -barring Clutterbuck's letter, of which we each have -a couple of copies, besides one apiece by heart."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He may come on to England after us," I said. -Jack laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't believe it. He wouldn't dare. This -last fright would put him off even if he had -contemplated it. As a matter of fact, I don't believe -he ever meant digging. He wouldn't have given -away the picture if he had, for he could scarcely -have failed to suppose that it has something to do -with the treasure finding, though I'm bound to say -I, for one, can't imagine </span><em class="italics">what</em><span>!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then why did he steal it from us?" I exclaimed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Malice, my dear chap; pure, unadulterated -malice and devilment; the rascal wouldn't be happy -unless he were playing Old Nick upon someone or -other." I daresay Jack was perfectly right.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We waited at Bremen Station, however, for the -arrival of Strong's train, in case he should be in it, -and—as it happened—we should have saved ourselves -both time and vexation of spirit if we had -gone on and left him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong was in the train. He came out as bold -as brass, and showed no fear or surprise when he -met us upon the platform. He even wished us -good-evening, and asked us how we came to be -here and not on board the </span><em class="italics">Thomas Wilcox</em><span>, in the -middle of the North Sea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, you're a darned cool hand, Strong, I -must say!" said Jack. "What about the work of -art, and the other things?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What work of art?" he asked, positively -without a blush.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Clutterbuck's picture—you know quite well -what we mean," I said. "You stole it out of our -cabin."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I never went near your blamed cabin," he -said; "you'd better prove what you say. You're -too jolly fond of accusing innocent people, you two -bounders. If I had you in a quiet place I'd make -you swallow all those infernal lies about me that -you invented on Hogland."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, that's your line is it, Strong?" said Jack -"You're going to figure as the injured innocent, -are you? All right, my man; you're safe here in -Germany, but don't you show yourself in England."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You cannot prove anything, curse you!" cried -Strong, "and you know it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well; quite likely; at the same time, -think twice before crossing the Channel; we may -have a little evidence up our sleeve that you don't -know of."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong uttered one of his oaths, which need -not be repeated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You deny stealing the picture, then?" continued Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I may have it and I may not," said Strong, -too angry now to care what he said. "At anyrate, -it seems </span><em class="italics">you</em><span> haven't."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never judge by appearances, Strong," said -Jack; "we have it, all right, such as it is. Pity to -allow a work of art by G. Dow to remain in the -hands of a man who can't even recognise the -beauty of it. Your friend sold the keepsake you -gave him—unkind of him, wasn't it?" Strong -winced.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have the luck of the devil," he snarled. -"What's your game? You can't touch me, here; -you know that. Michail took the picture; I didn't -want the infernal thing—he took it in revenge for -your kicking him on the island—there! You're -welcome to it; it's as like my darned uncle as two -peas, I'm sick when I look at it. It may help you -to find the treasure, though how in perdition it's -going to do it beats me. If you want my opinion, -there isn't any treasure—at least, not for you or -me. The blamed old miser played a trick on us -all; it's rotting somewhere, like him; and no one'll -ever dig up the money any more than his carcass. -The whole thing's blamed, bally rot, and we've -all been a parcel of silly idiots; that's my -opinion—take it or leave it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'll leave it, thanks, Strong," said Jack; -"and we'll leave you too, if you'll excuse us. -Good-night, my man; you'd better keep this side -of the Channel, that's </span><em class="italics">our</em><span> opinion, take or leave </span><em class="italics">it</em><span>."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong darted a look of anger at Jack, and -turned on his heel with an oath. He slunk out of -the station and disappeared in the dusk outside.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were in two minds whether to follow and -keep him in sight, or let him be. But we decided -to let him go, since he did not appear to have any -intention of molesting us further.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So we sought out a hotel near the station and -engaged a room together, for it would be just as -well to double our chance of hearing Strong should -he, by any chance, resolve to make another attempt -to deprive us of the picture, or otherwise rob us, -and somehow force an entry into the room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As it happened, we were disturbed before we -were an hour older; but not by Strong.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A very unexpected and exasperating thing -happened—comical too, after a fashion, especially -after the event.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We were seated over our supper in the coffee-room -of our hotel, when a scared-looking waiter -informed us that both the English Herren were -wanted downstairs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By whom?" we asked in some surprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By the police," said the man; "should he -invite them upstairs, or would we step below into -the entrance hall?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I looked at one another. What did -this mean?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We will come down," said Jack; and to the -great hall below we descended. Here an -astonishing spectacle greeted our eyes: a group of -policemen in uniform; a man in civilian garb, -presumably an interpreter; and—Mr. James Strong!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="arrested"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXVIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">ARRESTED</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Yes," observed Mr. Strong, upon our -appearance, "these are the very men. Tell the -police, Mr. Interpreter, that these persons have -robbed me; the robbery was effected while </span><em class="italics">en route</em><span> -from Russia; they are, I believe, in possession of a -work of art belonging to myself; their luggage had -better be searched."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I was absolutely speechless with surprise. -This was certainly the most audacious act I had -ever heard of. I did not know whether to be -more furious or amused.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack apparently decided in favour of fury. -"You infernal rascal, Strong!"—he began, but -Strong said something to the interpreter, who -signed to the police, who promptly laid hold of -Jack and me. It was too ridiculous.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Strong, you"—Jack began again, and—"Gad, -Strong, if I don't"—began I; but our -policemen would not have us speak, and marched -us up to our room, Strong and the interpreter -following, bidding us in curt military fashion hold -our tongues. It was a ridiculous position. I have -laughed over the memory of it scores of times; I -even felt inclined to laugh then. What could -Strong's motive be in acting in this way? He could -not want the picture, or he would never have -given it to the skipper at Kiel. Had he thought -better of it, and determined, if possible, to get us -locked up here for a few days while he hurried -away to Streatham to dig without us?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He couldn't, surely! Why, we could prove our -right to the work of art by telegraphing to Kiel, and, -if necessary, producing the skipper to witness to -our purchase. Besides, he would have to prove -</span><em class="italics">his</em><span> right to the thing before they could justly -deliver it over to him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It must be an act of spite, then, conceived in -the simple desire to score one against us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Of course the picture was found in my -portmanteau. Equally, of course, we protested that it -was our own, while Strong declared that we had -stolen it from him during the voyage to -Copenhagen. No less was it to be expected that upon -seeing the work of art, both policemen and -interpreters smiled grimly, and that one of them -observed—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">Was ist aber Dass für ein Teufelskopf!</em><span>"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In the end, the police took possession of the -disputed picture, but allowed us to remain in peace -at the hotel. This was, however, Saturday night, -so that the examination into the matter of ownership -which, we were informed, it would be necessary to -hold, could not be brought into court before Monday.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was very unfortunate, for if Strong should -really have devised this little interlude with the -sole desire to gain time, in order to reach the -treasure-ground in Streatham a day or two before -us, he had certainly gained his end.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was in vain that we assured our captors that -we could easily prove our title to the work of art -by simply telegraphing to Kiel, to the man from -whom we purchased it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That will be very good evidence on Monday, -supposing that the seller appears in person," said -the police. "Meanwhile, we will take care of the -work of art, and on Monday you shall speak, and -your friend here shall speak, and the plaintiff shall -speak, and then we shall see to whom the beautiful -picture belongs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This gentleman will not wait to hear the case -argued," said Jack, indicating Strong; "he will -be in England by Monday!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then he will lose the picture," said the man, -shrugging his shoulders. "Whoever remains alone -to claim it, to him we shall consider that it rightfully -belongs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're a nice, audacious blackguard, Strong, -I will say!" muttered Jack to our friend, as—accompanied -by his little band of interpreter and police, -with the picture—Strong left the room; "I warn -you, you'd better be out of Streatham by Tuesday, -for by all that's certain, we shall have no mercy if -we catch you on our side of the water!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't fret," said Strong; "I shall have the -cash by that time, and you may catch me when you -can find me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you really mean to dig, Strong?" I -said. "I wish you'd take advice and keep away; -we don't want to be the cause of your hanging, but -we shall be forced to give you up if we catch you -in England; you must know that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, catch me there, curse you!" said -Strong rudely. "You'll have to be a darned -sight sharper than you've been yet, either of you, -before you touch either me or the money! That's -my last word."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, </span><em class="italics">we</em><span> are off by the next train," said Jack -(to my surprise); "so you'll not get the start you -expect. You don't suppose we're going to wait for -that ridiculous picture, do you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong looked foxily at Jack for a second or -two; but he said nothing, and followed the others -from the room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lord!" said Jack, when they had gone, -"I don't know whether to laugh or cry; what a -mysterious, incomprehensible, snake of a beast it -is! What's his game? One thing is clear, either -it hasn't struck him (which is improbable), or he -has decided against believing, that the picture has -anything to do with finding the money."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So have you, apparently," I said; "for you -told him that we were not going to wait for it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That was bluff, man; don't you understand? -It was said to frighten him from going on by the -first train to Streatham; because, don't you see, if -he thinks that we are going at once, why, </span><em class="italics">he</em><span> can't."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you think he's still after the treasure?" -I asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's what I can't make out," replied Jack; -"it would be a fearful risk for him to be about the -place when we are there too, he knows that well -enough; yet I can't help thinking that he has not -abandoned all hope of the money. He's such a -snake, that's the mischief of it; who's to know -what his game is? At anyrate, we must wait and -get the picture. It may and may not have a -bearing on the search, but we won't risk anything."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What if he waits too, and claims it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is not at all likely; he doesn't want the -picture. I should say he'll be up at the station for -the next Flushing train, and if he doesn't see us -there, he'll go on. Perhaps we'd better show up -at the station in order to prevent his departure."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We agreed to do this, and having found out -that a Flushing train started early on Sunday -morning, we both drove to the station, great-coated -as though for travelling, and stood about near the -train as though intending to board it at any moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Carefully we scrutinised the faces of all who -passed and repassed us, about to travel by the -express, but we did not see Strong. He had not -thought good to journey to England, then; probably -Jack's hint that we were intending to travel by -the first opportunity had deterred him. Presently, -after much bell-ringing and whistling, and -loud-voiced invitations, from stentorian German throats, -to take our seats, the train slowly began to move -forward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, </span><em class="italics">that's</em><span> all right," said Jack; "he isn't -in </span><em class="italics">there</em><span>, anyhow."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good-morning, gentlemen both," said someone -leaning out of a carriage window—the last -carriage—just as we were about to turn and -depart. "Wish me luck with my digging, won't -you? Forty-eight hours' start ought to do me, eh? -Well, ta-ta; take care of the picture—it's a beauty, -it is!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong bawled out the last sentence or two at -the top of his voice from far away down the -platform, to the surprise of a few porters and -loiterers who gazed at us suspiciously. Jack shook -his fist in Strong's direction, a civility which was -replied to by that individual by a grimace, and a -gesture of the hands—as the train passed round -a curve and out of sight—which might have been -intended to signify digging, and might not.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack burst out laughing; I did not feel mirthful.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's all very well," I said, "but I don't like -it. He has forty-eight hours' start of us. He may -find the treasure in that time, by some fluke."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's been too clever for us, Peter, and that's -the plain truth," laughed Jack. "Mind you, I -don't think he'll find the money, and maybe he -doesn't intend to try; but we have been badly -scored off, and there's no denying the fact. We -must hope it is only spite. I daresay it's that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But on Monday morning when we turned up at -the police court to claim our work of art, the police, -finding that Strong had departed without waiting -for the case to be heard, exclaimed—"</span><em class="italics">Lieber Gott -im Himmel!</em><span> you were then right!" upon which the -interpreter added that he supposed the other -Englishman had not waited for the original because -the copy which he possessed of it, and which he -had shown him, the interpreter, was probably -sufficient for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Had he a copy?" asked Jack quickly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly," said the man; "a very exact one. -Done, he told me, by a clever sailor on the ship -which brought him from Russia. He had it painted -as a precaution, he said, lest certain persons should -steal the original for their own purposes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The police allowed us to take away our work -of art, however, without further difficulties.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad," said Jack, as we left the court, "my -opinion of that chap's cuteness strengthens every -day! he </span><em class="italics">has</em><span> intended, all along, to have another -dig for the treasure. He expected to gain a day -by being set down at Copenhagen; he gave away -this picture simply because he didn't require it, -having got safely away with the other; this may -be only the copy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It looks like our old friend," I said moodily; -"but one can't tell. Anyhow, we've lost, Jack; -it's very sickening after all we've been through"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nonsense, man! the battle isn't lost until it's -won. Do you suppose Strong is going to win -right off, in a day and a half? Why, there's a -fortnight's hard digging in a garden of that size! -Don't lose heart so easily, Peter, it doesn't become you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was all very well, I thought, for Jack to be -sanguine and spirited. He had nothing hanging -upon the issue of this matter, excepting the sporting -desire to win, and the friendly wish that I—as -his chum—should succeed. To me success was -absolutely everything!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We caught a train on the Monday evening, -and reached Flushing in due course; but the -weather was so terribly stormy that the steamers -were not running.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This circumstance put the coping-stone to my -disgust and depression. It was too bad—too -utterly unfortunate. The delay would cost us -another twenty-four hours, every second of which -time was a clear profit to Strong.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When the weather moderated, and the steamer -was advertised to start in the evening, we found -that an immense number of passengers had -assembled to make the crossing. We obtained -berths with difficulty, and at some additional -expense. At supper I asked the steward whether -his steamer was always crowded in this way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh dear, no, sir," said my friend; "most of -these passengers have been waiting two days and -more. We haven't run since the gale began—Sunday -night." A moment later, the significance -of this statement suddenly occurred to me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, Jack!" I exclaimed, "then"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack. "Either he's on board now, -or else he has seen us, and remained behind on -shore; at anyrate there's been no digging done at -Streatham."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank God!" I exclaimed. "I was a brute -to rave about bad luck, Jack, before I knew."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack, smiling; "the winds and -waves and all the elements seem to have fought -on our side this time, old man! It strikes me -we are going to win yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At Queenborough Station, in the morning, we -scrutinised every passenger that landed from the -</span><em class="italics">Princess Clementine</em><span>. There were many pale, -sea-sick, travel-worn people that came ashore to take -train to London; but we were both certain that -Strong was not among them. Neither did he -alight at Victoria. There was no doubt about it; -for once Strong's cleverness had been over-trumped -by the forces of nature!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="digging-again"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXIX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">DIGGING AGAIN</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack was determined to see me through with -my treasure hunting, now—as we hoped—at -its last stage, and came with me to Streatham -without even a flying visit to his Gloucestershire -home; which was good of old Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Arrived at Streatham, we put up at the best -hotel we could find, and lost no time in walking -down to old Clutterbuck's house in the lower town. -The place looked gloomy and forbidding, and we -rang at the garden gate—the only entrance—with -a feeling that our trouble was not quite over yet, -and that in all probability the old man would have -exerted his eccentric ingenuity to the uttermost in -order to make the last stage of our search at least -as difficult and toilsome as any, in spite of the -seemingly simple instructions of the letter, which -were merely to go and dig in his own garden at -Streatham, and find what we should find.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As a matter of fact, we encountered one difficulty -before getting farther than the garden gate—the -</span><em class="italics">outside</em><span> of it, I mean; for an old caretaker answered -the ring, and, opening the door an inch or two, -but without removing the chain which secured it, -peeped out and asked us what we wanted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I said that we had authority from its late master -to take possession of the house and garden.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old fellow produced from his pocket an -envelope, from which he drew a scrap of paper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is your name William Clutterbuck?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's dead," I replied.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"James Strong?" he continued.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, hang it, no! not that blackguard," said -Jack. "It's all right, old gentleman; this is -Mr. Clutterbuck's heir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old caretaker took no notice of this remark.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Charles Strong?" he continued, unmoved.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's dead too," I said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ellis?" said the old fellow, doubling up his -paper and preparing to return the envelope into -his pocket.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," said I, "but"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then you don't come in here," concluded the -man, banging the door in our faces and -double-locking it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old caretaker's arbitrary action nonplussed -me for the moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But my name is down in the will together -with those you have read out," I cried through -the panels. Jack stood and laughed. I heard the -old man stumping towards the house. I shrieked -out a repetition of my last appeal. He paused and -spoke. An errand boy stopped to look on, and -whistled "D'isy, D'isy, give me your answer do," -so loudly that I could scarcely hear the reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, it ain't," shouted the old fellow back -again. "For I copied these down from it myself, -and there wasn't another. And what's more, this -'ere door don't git opened to no one else but these -four, and if yer wants to git into the garden, -yer'll 'ave to climb the wall and see what yer'll git -from the dawg. He's loose in here—speak, Ginger!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Ginger spoke, and the utterance was certainly -alarming. Ginger's voice was a deep bass, and -it seemed to say—unless my imagination gave it -a meaning which it did not really possess—that it -was as well for those outside that there was a wall -between them and Ginger. It was ridiculous; but -it was extremely aggravating also.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But my name was added afterwards," I -pleaded, while Ginger barked and Jack laughed, -and the errand boy, interested, stopped whistling -to hear the reply. This was not encouraging.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Garn!" said the rude old man; "I know -what I knows; you go and git yer 'air cut, and -come back and show me the will."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can do that easily enough," I shouted, "and -the lawyer who drew it up too, so you'd better save -trouble and let me in at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You find me a lawyer and a will as gives more -than four names, and in you may walk," said the -heroic caretaker; "and till then you can take -yourself off or do the other thing—but out you stay!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was evidently the ultimatum, for the old -fellow could be heard stumping up towards the -house. The dog Ginger remained and continued -his observations in the same tone until we retired. -The errand boy remembered an engagement and -departed, disappointed with us, no doubt. We -ought, of course, to have scaled that wall and been -eaten by Ginger in order adequately to perform -our duty to that errand boy; but we had other -views, and went and called on the lawyer, Steggins.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That good fellow was sincerely glad to see me, -I believe, and to hear that I was the successful -competitor up to this point. We told him—in -skeleton form—of our adventures, promising him -a detailed account if he would dine with us at the -hotel, which he gladly undertook to do. Then we -told him of our difficulties with the old caretaker, -who had received his instructions, evidently, before -my name had been added to the will. Steggins -laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What, old Baines?" he said. "I'll soon put -that right; we are old friends, he and I. But I'm -afraid this other gentleman, Mr.——er"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Henderson," interposed that worthy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mr. Henderson cannot take any part with -yourself in the digging operations; the instructions -are so clear that </span><em class="italics">only</em><span> the successful competitor is -to be allowed in the house or garden until the -treasure has been found. Otherwise, you see, all -the rest might have remained at home, and still -have been in at the death, so to speak. They -might simply wait till the report went about that -you were busy digging in the garden, and would -then come and take a hand on equal terms with -you, who had had all the trouble."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This seemed true. It was annoying, however, -that I was not to have the benefit of Jack's help -in my last dig. As I told Jack, I had particularly -wished him to have half the work of digging.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And half the fun of being worried by Ginger!" -added Jack; "thanks awfully, Peter. It will be -rather fun to stand outside and hear you 'Good-dogging' -Ginger, and presently your squalls when -he lays hold of you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ginger's all right," laughed Steggins. "He's -almost as old as his master, and hasn't a tooth in -his head; besides, he's the friendliest of animals, -and wouldn't injure a baby."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"His voice doesn't sound like it," I said. -"Jack grew quite pale when he heard it." Jack -shinned me under the table for this, I am sorry to -say. He is a vindictive and un-Christian-like -person, is Jack, when his pride is touched.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ginger's voice is his fortune," said Steggins; -"it always has been; he's the finest dog for the -other side of a wall that ever I saw."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I may say that presently, when Steggins had -taken me down and introduced me to Baines and -Ginger as the </span><em class="italics">bonâ fide</em><span> heir-at-law, I found that -Ginger was quite as benevolent a being as Steggins -had described him. He was a St. Bernard, of -enormous size and the very mildest of manners, -and his voice was a complete fraud, for whereas -it threatened gore and thunder, its real purport -and intent were nothing more shocking than small -beer or milk and water. For all he knew, I might -have been a murderous desperado, but he took to -me at sight, like David to Jonathan.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Old Baines, too, was polite enough on his own -side of the wall, and showed me over the house -and garden. He was surprised when I asked for -spades, but produced one nevertheless; however, -when he had watched me turn over the first few -sods of turf, he retired muttering into the house, -and I could see plainly enough that the new -proprietor was, in his opinion, about to prove a -disappointing master, inasmuch as he was -harmlessly but hopelessly mad.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The garden measured sixty-three yards by -forty-eight, and on that first morning of my solitary -digging I ardently wished, with all my heart, that -it had been one-quarter the size. For to dig up a -garden of this area, and dig it deeply too, as the -latest instructions suggested, and all by oneself, -was a task involving more trouble than is agreeable, -or ever has been, to the present scribe, who is no -lover of monotonous drudgery.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There were a few trees here and there, but not -a flower-bed in the place; the whole area was -roughly covered with turf upon which coarse grass -had been allowed to grow throughout the summer, -which grass I was obliged to mow down with a -scythe before I could proceed in any comfort with -my digging.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack did not desert me, though he might not -assist me on my own side of the wall. He -remained at the hotel, where I lunched and dined -with him daily; and during these meals we -consulted upon my labours and the direction these -should take; and sometimes Jack would come and -carry on a conversation from the top of the wall, -upon which he climbed when none were by to -see. Ginger used to look up and wag his tail -affectionately upon the stranger appearing in that -unorthodox fashion within the domains he was -kept to watch over. If Jack had been a burglar, -Ginger could not have looked up more lovingly at -him as he sat on the wall and gave the dog bits of -biscuit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Several days passed, and the late Mr. Clutterbuck's -garden now resembled a ploughed field; but -never a glint of gold had I struck yet, nor a -glimmer of diamonds, nor the pale crisp delight of -a bank-note or cheque.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Baines knew nothing, he protested, about -anything whatsoever; he merely thought me a -madman, and considered it the safer way to leave -me entirely alone. I questioned him, now and -again, as to whether he had ever observed the late -lamented, whom he had served as </span><em class="italics">factotum</em><span> in life, -employed in digging or in taking measurements in -the garden; but to all these inquiries Mr. Baines -gave answers courteously but plainly pointing to -one and the same conclusion—namely, that though -old Clutterbuck had been undoubtedly a "skinflint" -(as he picturesquely described the parsimonious -character of the deceased), yet he had always -shown himself a </span><em class="italics">sane</em><span> skinflint, and therefore unlike -the gentleman who now took his place as master of -the establishment. By which Mr. Baines meant to -infer that old Clutterbuck neither took measurements -nor dug in the garden, and that I—who did -both—must therefore be mad. He did not say so -in as many words, but he made it pretty clear that -this was his meaning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no assistance to be got out of old Baines.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="jack-proves-himself-a-genius"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XL</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">JACK PROVES HIMSELF A GENIUS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>After all, it was only natural that "the -testator," desiring to give his heirs as much -trouble as possible, should scarcely confide his -secret to one who would probably reveal it, afterwards, -to the first that offered him half a crown for -the information.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the end of the fourth day I was very tired -and rather depressed. I had measured the garden -from end to end and across, and dug down at every -spot where, according to carefully thought out -calculations, stretched strings would cross one -another; I tried every dodge I could think of or -that Jack could suggest. I gazed a dozen times at -the old portrait, and could suck no inspiration from -it; indeed, as regards that work of art, I had quite -decided ere this that the thing was no more than -a sickly joke on the part of its grim old original. -I took Clutterbuck's age and measured it out in -feet, and dug at the end of the seventy-first, and in -inches, and diagonally in yards, starting each from -the house, and the two first from the centre. I -pulled up the old stump of a cut-down tree and -looked inside the hole it left behind. I think I -really tried nearly every device that the mind of -man could conceive, but nothing had as yet come -of my labours excepting fatigue and depression and -stiffness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, one day, on returning to the hotel, weary -and cross by reason of repeated failure, I found -Jack studying the portrait of old Clutterbuck, -which annoyed me still more; for I was angry with -the miser and his detestable expedients for keeping -his money out of the hands of honest persons who -had worked for it and fairly earned it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look here, Peter," said Jack, smiling, "here's -fun for you; see what I have found on the back of -this work of art—read it for yourself!" He passed -the portrait over to me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I took it with, I am afraid, a growl of ill-temper, -and read the words he had pointed out to me. -They were written very faintly and in pencil on the -back of the portrait, at a spot where the paper had -become loose under the beading, and ran as follows—it -was a doggerel rhyme, and this fact annoyed -me still more in my ridiculously furious state of -mind at the moment:—</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"If you'd save yourself some trouble,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Dig at three foot six, and double!"</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"What does it mean?" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, take the confounded thing and chuck it -into the fire!" I said sulkily.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, but what </span><em class="italics">does</em><span> it mean, if it means -anything?" Jack insisted. "You've got to take tips -if you can get them, you know; so make the most -of this, though it does seem to convey a rather -unpleasant meaning. As I understand it, you -have to dig to a depth of seven feet—that is, -</span><em class="italics">double</em><span> three foot six, and"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What!" said I hotly, "dig over the whole -garden to a depth of seven feet? I'll see the old -skinflint"—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't swear," said Jack, though I had not -sworn; "but keep cool and help me to think this -matter out. Now look here: he said, 'Dig at -seven feet in order to save yourself trouble,' or -words to that effect. Now, I can't help thinking -he meant this for a tip; for if it meant that you -were to dig over the whole garden to a depth of -seven feet, what trouble would you save yourself -by doing that? What the old boy meant was, find -the right spot, and </span><em class="italics">then</em><span> dig down seven feet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," I said, laughing mockingly and throwing -the portrait on the table, "find the right spot; -that's just the </span><em class="italics">crux</em><span>! If you'll kindly find the spot -for me, I'll dig to any depth you like—sink an -artesian well, if you please; but where the dickens -</span><em class="italics">is</em><span> the spot?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are angry and disinclined to speak like a -sensible creature," said Jack. "Have your dinner, -and then perhaps you'll be in a fit mood to listen -to an idea which has struck me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This rather sobered me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Have you really an idea?" I asked, flushing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack, "I have; but I'm not going -to tell you till you've dined. A full man is a less -dangerous being than an empty one; you might -fall upon me and rend me now, if you thought my -idea absurd, as you very likely may."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Entreaties broke like little waves upon the -shingle of Jack's obstinacy. I said I was sorry for -being rude and angry; I begged to hear his last -new idea. Jack's only reply was—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dinner's at eight; you'd better change those -digging clothes and make yourself look like a -decent Christian, if you can."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was perfectly right. Dinner made a -wonderful difference in the view I took of things in -general; it always does. After dinner, armed with -his pipe, sitting over an early fire in our private -sitting-room, Jack dismounted from his high horse -and admitted me into his confidence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I daresay you won't think anything of it," he -said; "but it was the portrait of old Clutterbuck -that set me dreaming."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">What!</em><span>" I said, jumping to my feet and -seizing a dessert knife, "you don't mean to say, -after all my digging, that the money's hidden in it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, man, no! I never thought of that," -said Jack. "However, open the back carefully -and see, if you like."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did so; I ripped the back off and looked in -the space between it and the canvas upon which -the odious caricature was painted. An earwig ran -out, but there was no treasure. I threw the thing -back upon the table, and the knife with it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't fret," said Jack; "that's not what I -meant at all. What I did mean is this: do you -suppose that any sane man—and you cannot say -that old Clutterbuck was anything else—would any -man who was not insane take the trouble to carry -a picture to the Gulf of Finland and bury it there for -his heirs to find—an odious misrepresentation of -his features too—unless there were some object to -gain by so doing? In a word, what I can't understand -is how both you and I should hitherto have -accepted the ridiculous fact without suspicion."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But we </span><em class="italics">did</em><span> suspect," I cried. "We said at -the time that the thing was about as idiotic as it -could be; but when one's right to benefit by a will -depends on the sanity of the testator, one doesn't -like to air one's opinion that he was mad, even -though one may think so."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Depend upon it, the old boy was no madder -than you or I," said Jack gravely. "I am -beginning to think that he was very sane indeed, -and that he has managed the whole of this business -with consummate skill—always bearing in mind his -expressed desire to make his heirs sweat for their -money. Now listen here. I have been thinking -while you did your hard labour in the garden, and -I am now perfectly convinced that the old fox did -not bury his precious piece of rubbish because he -valued it or thought his heir would. Quite the -contrary. He knew that it was extremely likely -that his heir—probably James Strong, as he -supposed at the time—would chuck the portrait in -the fire with a curse at the memory of the original. -And why, think you, did he take the trouble to -have this picture painted and to bury it and -solemnly bequeath it to his heir if he suspected -that the finder would burn it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It beats me," said I. "Go on."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Because he knew that the portrait was -indispensable, or nearly so, to the finding of the -treasure," said Jack mysteriously. "See here. -He hates Strong and the rest, and knows they hate -him. Therefore he makes his portrait indispensable -in the hope that they will destroy it, and with -it their chance of finding his money."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well," said I, "let us admit all that; but -how </span><em class="italics">can</em><span> the portrait be indispensable to, or have -any connection with, the finding of the hidden -treasure?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's what we have to learn," said Jack; -"but I have evolved a theory on that point also."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Upon my life, Jack, it's too funny," I said. -"You are as ingenious as Machiavelli himself; but -how are you going to connect that awful daub -with the buried treasure? You can't do it; I defy -you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I'll tell you, anyhow; it may be as -ridiculous as you suppose, and it may not," said -Jack. "You see the eyes of the awful personage -in the picture: look here, I hold the portrait thus. -Now get in front of the thing and try if you can -find a place where the eyes focus you; you'll have -to lie down on the carpet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still amused, but interested nevertheless, I lay -down along the carpet, as desired, and presently -found a spot where the eyes certainly seemed to -gaze at me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," I said, "what then? They are to -gaze at the spot where the money lies hidden? Is -that it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's just exactly it," said Jack, flushing a -little.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-excitement-becomes-intense"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XLI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE EXCITEMENT BECOMES INTENSE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"But, man alive," said I, "where's the picture -going to hang, or be held, in order to -point out the spot?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's what we've to find out," said Jack. -"If my theory is right, the old boy will have -prepared a place for it to hang. Are there trees, -or nails in the wall?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There are trees, certainly," said I; "I don't -know about the nails. And am I to dig a -seven-foot hole wherever the confounded picture will -hang?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, you are," said Jack imperturbably, "and -you know it. And now you had better go to bed; -partly because you'll require some rest for these -seven-foot holes, but chiefly because you are in -such an evil humour to-night that I'm blessed if I -will endure your society any longer!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And so to bed I went.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night I dreamed a great many wonderful -dreams, and in each and all of them I was digging -and for ever digging, and the treasure was still -unfound or, when found, snatched from me! In one -of my dreams, I remember, I fancied that I had -hit upon the right tack, when of a sudden three -huge Mahatmas bore silently down upon me from -the world of spirits and demanded of me what I -sought.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They looked out upon me with piercing black -eyes let into cavernous sockets framed in dead-white -faces, and they flapped their sable mantles -over me and frightened me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, sirs," I said, "I am seeking for buried -treasure; I am within an ace of finding it and yet -have not found it. Help me, I beseech you, to -light upon it, and you shall do with me as you -will!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Treasure is vanity, vanity, vanity!" cried one -of the Mahatmas.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gold is dross, dross, dross!" wailed a second.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nevertheless, I will show you where to find -it!" sang the third, in a mournful monotone. "Come!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I dreamed that I followed the Mahatma back, -earthwards, and we alighted in Clutterbuck's -garden. He did but turn over one spadeful of -earth, and there lay revealed a sack of glittering -gold pieces. Instantly the two other Mahatmas -flew shrieking to the treasure and fought for it, -tearing the black mantles from one another's -shoulders. But the third slew them both from -behind, and, seizing the sack of gold, fled over -land and sea, I, shrieking, after him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But just as I was overtaking him he turned, -and I saw his face—it was James Strong. At the -same moment he cried aloud, and said: "For -treasure I have sinned and murdered, and lo! I -have bartered my soul in vain—for see what this -gold of yours is!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With the words he poured the gold out of the -sack's mouth, and behold! it was ashes, and they -fell hissing into the sea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In another of my dreams I was busily digging, -while the dog Ginger watched my efforts. -Suddenly I turned up a sod in which lay a piece of -bread, and in the bread was folded a cheque for -one hundred thousand pounds; but even as I read -the figures, and was about to cry aloud for joy, the -dog snatched both bread and paper from my hand, -and swallowed them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All this dreaming went to prove that I was far -more interested and influenced by Jack's rather -brilliant idea than I had chosen to show; his -suggestion was on my mind and had "murdered -sleep," quiet, solid sleep, such as I usually indulged -in. Consequently, I was up very early on the -following morning in order to set about putting the -new idea to a trial. I hurried through breakfast, -and was out of the hotel and busy at work in the -garden before Jack was dressed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>First I tried the trees.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a willow, a fine tree with two big -branches, almost as large as the parent stem, -about ten feet from the ground. There was no -excrescence from this tree small enough to hang -the picture upon, and I passed on to the next, a -poplar. Here, at about five feet from the earth, -there was a twig from which the picture might -be got to hang in a lopsided kind of way; but -the twig was evidently a young shoot, and had -probably sprung into existence since the picture -had been taken to Hogland and buried, so that -I spared myself a seven-foot dig beneath that poplar.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then there was a lime, a small one, near the -end of the garden; and into the trunk of this tree, -on the wall side, I discovered that a nail had been -knocked. I grew hot and cold at the sight, for -I thought I had "struck oil" at last.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But, alas! when I had hung the picture by -its little ring to this nail, and tried to get my face -where the eyes would be fixed upon it, I found -that the portrait glared at a spot about half-way -down the brick wall, and not at any place on the -ground whereinto a man might sink a spade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There were no more trees, and I now turned -my attention to the wall itself, and looked for nails -up and down, and from end to end. I found one, -to my delight, and having hung up the portrait, -was engaged in the occupation of lying on my -stomach and wooing the stony glare of old -Clutterbuck's lack-lustre eyes, when Jack mounted the -wall just above it, and nearly fell off again for -laughing at the ridiculous spectacle which he said -I presented. However, I focussed the eyes, and -planted a stick in the exact spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's the only nail in the garden, Jack," I cried -excitedly. "I do believe we've hit off the place -at last!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good!" said Jack grimly; "now dig for all -you're worth!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I did dig. I dug that seven-foot hole as -though at the bottom of it some terrible earthworm -had seized by the throat all that I held most dear -in the world. Never were seven feet of earth -displaced in quicker time by human energy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But there was nothing there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dig another three-foot-six!" said Jack from -the wall. "The rhyme may mean 'Three foot six, -and double </span><em class="italics">that</em><span> besides'—that is, ten feet six in -all."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Breathless, despondent, stiff, half dead with -fatigue, I dug on till the water was up to the top -of my boots; it was of no use.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I won't dig another inch!" I groaned; "not -to-day, at all events."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come out then, and consult," said Jack. -Even he seemed dejected with the last failure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I came out, dead beat.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are there no more nails in the wall, -</span><em class="italics">anywhere</em><span>?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not one," said I. "I couldn't dig again -to-day if there were!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Have you tried the trees?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; there's nothing to hang the confounded -thing from on any of them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I see the cut-up trunk of a felled tree against -the shed, over there. When was that one cut down?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I didn't know.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ask old Baines," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Baines was within doors, though Ginger was -with me; the dog had been a terrible nuisance all -day, licking my face when I had to lie on my -waistcoat in order to focus those eyes, and while -I was digging the huge hole standing at the brink -and whining and howling as though he expected -me to unearth a huge cat for his delectation. As -a matter of fact, he would have run away if a -mouse had jumped out. Ginger was not a brave -dog; he was too benevolent to be really brave.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I went and fetched Baines, and asked him -who had cut down the tree, and when and why?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Baines said that he had felled it a year ago -at his master's orders.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What for?" I asked. But Baines did not -know that. Only, he said, he had strict orders -not to burn the wood, or even touch it, for some -reason or other.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This seemed rather curious, and I reported to -Jack on the wall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Great scissors!" said that most ingenious -individual; "go and see if there's a nail in the -trunk!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To my astonishment and delight, there was a -nail; I shouted this news to Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, hang it all, I'm coming over!" cried Jack; -"this is too exciting for sitting on walls," he added, -as he joined me and looked at and felt the nail for -himself. "Where was this tree?" I took Jack -and showed him the big hole in the centre of the -garden out of which I had dug the root.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come on," said he; "we must have that root -in again! Shove!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Together we shoved the stump back into its -own place, taking care to fit it into the hole exactly -as it had rested there in life, and to keep its -sawn surface level with the earth in order that -the sundered portions of the trunk might be made -to stand one upon another and all upon the parent -stump, straight and without tipping forward or -backward.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="all-over-but"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XLII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">ALL OVER BUT——</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Then we brought the round thick logs which -had formed the trunk, and which had been -sawn into lengths of about four feet, and piled -them one on top of another in their own order, -which was obvious and unmistakable on account -of the lessening girth of the trunk as it went higher. -We piled three of these, fitting them one upon the -other as they had stood in life, and the nail was -in the fourth, with which we crowned the edifice, -Jack standing upon a step-ladder and I handing -up the logs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There!" he said, when he had built up the -edifice to the height of some fifteen feet; "there's -our tree as it stood in life, wobbly, no doubt, and -insecure; but it will bear the picture though it -wouldn't stand much of north-easter. Hand up -the work of art."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We hung up the portrait, and again I lay on -the ground here and there and ogled the hideous -thing until I had wooed its eyes to meet my own.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then we dug together. Jack had thrown all -ridiculous fastidiousness to the winds of heaven, -and helped me like a man and a sensible being.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Together we dug, and the hole rapidly grew, -and with it grew also our own excitement and -Ginger's, who looked on whining, as before, for -the game that we were to start from our burrow -for him to run away from. We had had no lunch, -and the afternoon was fleeting fast; but we dug on.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Now the grave was two feet deep, and now -four, now five. I had never felt so excited as -this, even at that supreme moment when my fingers -touched the tin box in the African veldt.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now the hole was six feet in depth, and Jack's -head, when he stood up, was just below the -earth-level. Ginger, in his excitement, pulled Jack's -cap off and laid it on the ground beside him, -probably determined that if we were to disappear -altogether, he would preserve at least a memento -of us to swear by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Six feet and a half, and now my spade (it </span><em class="italics">was</em><span> -mine; I am glad it was mine), </span><em class="italics">my</em><span> spade struck -against something hard and metallic.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo!" cried Jack, who heard the sound.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Only a stone, I'm afraid!" said I, trembling -so that I could hardly raise my spade. Jack -stopped work to watch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Your first blood!" he said. "Dig again and -see; if there are honours, they shall be yours!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There </span><em class="italics">were</em><span> honours. Half impotent with excitement, -I dug again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was no stone. Trembling, I cleared the -clayey soil from the object, whatever it might be, -and revealed a vessel of hardware.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pull it out, pull it out, man!" said Jack; "don't -stand quaking there!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I made an effort, and removed the thing and -handed it to Jack; I felt cold and faint with the -excitement. I could only just see out of my eyes -sufficiently to recognise that the object I had -found was a large earthen jar, corked and sealed -round.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack scrambled out of the hole and gave me -a hand; I climbed out in a dream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Open it," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No—you," I gasped. I sat down and watched, -only half alive.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack put the vessel on the ground and broke -it neatly in two pieces. Inside was a small tin -box, hardly larger than the envelope which Jack -drew forth from it after prising it open.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Another sickening disappointment?" I gasped.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't know," said Jack; "read it, and see."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can't," I said; "open it and read it to me; -if it's another sell, I shall curse Clutterbuck and die."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack—looking pale and thin—broke the seal of -the envelope. I saw the colour rush back to his face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it, in Heaven's name?" I said; -"don't madden me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All right this time, old boy," cried Jack, -handing me the paper with flashing eyes—"a -cheque to bearer."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was so. A cheque for ninety-seven thousand -odd pounds!</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>I do not know what I did. Jack, who sometimes -tells the truth, says that I deliberately stood -on my head on the very top of the pile of earth we -had dug out of the hole, and that Ginger licked my -face just as I had reached the third bar of the -National Anthem (performed then positively for -the first time in that position!) and brought me -down with a run. Personally I do not recollect the -episode.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The cheque was duly paid, the bank manager -gravely smiling as I handed it to him in his private -room. He was, I found, partially in the secret. -He asked for, and I gave him, a short account of -my adventures, when he was kind enough to -express the opinion that I deserved the money.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-shouting"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XLIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">—THE SHOUTING</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>That evening Jack and I gave a party. That -is, we sent down to old Baines a box of -cigars, a bottle of champagne, and a hamper of -delicacies which—I have since reflected—must -have made him very unwell, if he ate them. We -did not forget Ginger; Ginger enjoyed, that night, -a meal which he must, I am sure, have believed to -have been cooked in the Happy Hunting Grounds, -and to have been sent specially from that abode -of canine bliss for the comfort of his declining -years. To this day I sometimes see him, when -asleep, licking his lips and going through the -action of masticating imaginary food. Well, I -believe he is, at such moments, enjoying once -again—in the sweet glades of remembrance—the -ecstasies of that </span><em class="italics">gala</em><span> banquet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for ourselves, Jack invited me and I him -to a Gaudeamus, and together we celebrated the -occasion in a manner befitting so glorious a finish -to our wanderings and toil (not that Jack ever did -much of the digging!) and sufferings and disappointments, -and so on. Together we fought o'er again -every encounter, whether with Strong, with -elephants, with lions, or with the devils of despair -and disappointment, and it was on this festive -occasion that Jack made me promise to write down -for your benefit, my dear reader, the record of -our experiences and adventures. I may say that -we drank your health, dear owner of this volume, -whoever you may be, and voted you an excellent -fellow for buying, or having presented to you, the -book; and wished you were twins and each had a -copy,—all for your own benefit, you know, because -the tale is a jolly good—but perhaps I had better -leave all this for others to say; only I should just -like you to know that we thought of you, as of a wise -person to have possessed yourself of the book, that's -all. Well, among other things that night, absurd -things that—in our joy and triumph—we said and -did, we drank Strong's health and wished that he -might escape the hangman's rope; we also breathed -a fervent wish that we might never see the rascal -again, and then, in more serious mood, discussed -the question as to whether it was at all likely that -we ever should.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We both decided that it was extremely unlikely. -He certainly had audacity enough and—to do him -justice—pluck enough for five men; but when -a man knows that he is a murderer, and a double -or treble murderer, and that if his crimes could be -brought home to him he must "swing" for them, -he is not likely to haunt those parts of the world -where he would be most in danger. The world is -big enough. He would keep away from us, at -anyrate!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder what he is doing now?" said Jack -with a laugh; "and where he is, and what he would -say or do if he knew of to-day's little success, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I'm glad on the whole that he doesn't," -I said; and in this conclusion Jack concurred; for, -without being exactly afraid of the fellow, we had -had enough of him, and that's the truth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now, the longer I live in this world the more -I realise that we human beings are but a poor, -blind, helpless lot of creatures; we are best pleased -with ourselves when we have, in reality, little -cause for satisfaction; we imagine ourselves safely -out of what is familiarly termed "the wood," when, -as a matter of fact, a very jungle of trouble lies -immediately before us, could we but see it! Here -is a case in point. We were very, very happy that -night, and apparently with every legitimate reason; -moreover, when I laid my head upon the pillow at -about twelve o'clock, I imagined that I should -awake at eight or so, ready to step into a new -bright world which the sunshine of yesterday's -success should have transformed for me into a -very paradise of bliss. I had every reason to -suppose that this would be so. I never for one -moment imagined, for instance, that this might be -the last time that I should lay my head to rest in -this world, and that the sleep I now courted should -be an endless one in so far as concerned the usual -awaking to a terrestrial morrow!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And yet this came very near to being the actual -and exact state of the case.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was, I think, about two or three o'clock in -the morning, when some pleasant dream I was -enjoying began to be marred—I remember the -feeling quite well—by a kind of choky sensation, -a difficulty in breathing. I can even recall the -fact that some friend—a dream-friend, I mean—made -the heartless remark that prosperity was -making me so fat that the function of getting -breath had become a labour to me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the sensation became rapidly unpleasant -and intolerable, and I awoke suddenly, sweating -and in terror. What had happened to me?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then I heard Strong's voice, very subdued -and soft, but certainly Strong's voice. Could this -be still a part of the dream?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>No, it was reality; Strong's voice was a reality; -so was a handkerchief which he had tied over my -mouth, gag-wise; so was a candle which he had -lighted in the room, and the light of which revealed -the detested face and ferocious expression of the -scoundrel as he bent over me, and hissed his oaths -and threats into my ear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, you're awake, are you?" he murmured -(I omit the oaths with which he befouled his -language)—"I have you at last, you see, you -infernal"—(I really cannot repeat the names he -called me, they were too vile even to mention), -"say your prayers, for you're off this time, to glory!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I could not speak for the gag upon my mouth. -I tried to raise my hands, but I found the rascal -had tied them together at the wrists. I could -hardly breathe, for the bandage was so tightly -drawn that I was half suffocated already.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong saw that this was so. He put his -hand behind my head and slightly loosened the -handkerchief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, you whelp of Satan," he said, "get -out of bed and show me where you've hidden -the treasure, curse you! I've wasted time enough -over it already. Don't pretend this hundred -pounds odd, in your letter-case, is the lot. Lies -won't do, you're off to Kingdom Come in two -minutes; you'd better not go with a lie on your -lips! Come,—I saw you find it,—you'd better be -quick!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I glared at the scoundrel, but did not move. -I was thinking hard! Oh that I could get my -hands free and be at him! or my mouth, that I -might shout for Jack—who was in the adjoining -bedroom. My heart was almost bursting with -rage and hatred for this man; yet I was absolutely -helpless; I could do nothing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What, you won't budge, won't you?" said -the scoundrel. His face, at this crisis, looked -exactly what I should imagine the devil to be -like: the very incarnation of hatred and malice -and all evil—but I daresay my own was not, at -the moment, a type of innocent beauty and -passionless charm, any more than his!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong placed his hand behind my neck a -second time, and tightened the gag. I was -suffocating—I kicked and struggled—my heart -was bursting, my brain reeled and swam, my veins -swelled—I sweated from head to foot in my agony -and terror, and then—at the critical moment—by -God's mercy an idea occurred to me.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I sprang out of bed and rushed to the wash-hand -stand, and, whether by kicking, or falling -over upon them, or pushing with bound hands or -with elbow, I contrived, somehow, before Strong -realised my intention, to send the jug and basin -crashing upon the floor with a noise, I suppose, -that would have awakened an army of men a -mile away. At the same moment I lost -consciousness, and therefore for the events of the -next few minutes I am indebted to second-hand -information.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This is, I understand, what happened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack is a lightish sleeper. He was dreaming, -he says, of a cricket match in which he once took -part at "Lords," playing for his school against -the M.C.C. in the great annual function held, as a -rule, on the first two days of the holidays. Jack -was batting, it appears, to Strong's bowling. -Dream-bowling is sometimes very difficult to play -by dream-batsmen. It depends very much upon -whether the batsman has dined judiciously or the -reverse. Jack had assisted at a banquet, as has -been shown; and Strong's bowling was giving -him a lot of trouble. Strong had sent down four -balls, of which the slowest, Jack declared, could -have given points to a flash of buttered lightning. -One of them killed the wicket-keeper; and another, -being a wide, lamed short-slip for life; no one -knew what became of the other two balls, they -were never caught sight of at all. Then Strong -sent down the fifth, and Jack—though he saw -nothing of it—slogged at it for all he was worth. -The wicket-keeper, it seems, just before he died, -had assured Jack that Clutterbuck's treasure would -be lost to us for ever, and that Strong was to be -declared the legitimate proprietor of the same, -by special rule just passed by the committee of -the M.C.C., unless he contrived to make four -runs in this over. So that it was absolutely -necessary, Jack explained, to hit this fifth ball to -the boundary.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>By some fluke Jack caught the ball full; he -did not see it; he admits having shut his eyes; -Strong's face was more than he could stand up to. -He lashed out at it blindly, and sent it flying, at -the rate of a million miles an hour, over Strong's -head, straight for the pavilion seats.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That marvellous fellow, Strong—the -dream-Strong—rushed after it, and careered so fast (at -the rate, in fact, of a million and one miles per hour) -that he was just able to leap into the air at the -very pavilion rail and touch the ball.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He could not hold it, however, and, losing -his balance—owing to the great pace at which he -had travelled—he flew head over heels clean -through the glass windows of the pavilion, and -alighted upon the luncheon-table, which fell with -a frightful crash.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This crash was my little contribution to Jack's -dream; it was the overthrow of my jug and basin, -and the tumult of it roused Jack in an instant. -He sprang from his bed, wide awake, and seeing -that a light burned in my room, and hearing—as -he thought—some sound there, pushed the door -open and entered, full of wonder and some alarm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was just in time to see a figure disappearing -out of the door, and without stopping to help -me—indeed, he declares that he didn't notice me lying -there in the corner!—sprang away after the man -at the door, believing that it was I, and that I had -gone suddenly and mysteriously mad.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Things went propitiously. Several people -rushed into my room, wakened and startled by -the crash of china and the sound of feet scudding -down the passage; and one of them speedily -removed the bandage from my mouth and the -cord from my wrists. I think this saved my life. -Indeed, I was already half dead, and even when -released I did not for some minutes recover -consciousness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, Jack had scudded after Strong -without knowing whom he pursued.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong made for the outer hall, intending to -escape from the hotel; but delay at the front -door, which he found locked, enabled Jack to run -him to earth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Strong fished out a revolver and pointed it at -Jack's head, but Jack luckily dashed it aside, and -it fell upon the marble floor of the entrance hall, -exploding as it did so, with a startlingly loud report, -which effectually roused those few people sleeping -in the hotel whose slumbers had survived the -upsetting of my jug and basin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then Jack, recognising Strong at last, fell -upon the scoundrel and administered the grandest -possible thrashing and kicking that you can -imagine. That thrashing of Strong, Jack always -says, did him a heap of good, and made a new -and self-respecting man of him again; for he had -lost of late some of his self-respect by reason of -Strong's indisputable cleverness in Copenhagen and -Bremen, where he had scored heavily against us.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When, however, he had "scarcely begun," as -he says, the process of kicking and punching the -wretched man, the performance was interrupted -by an inrush of frightened people, who had heard -a pistol-shot and were rushing downstairs to see -what was the matter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So that there was no difficulty about securing -Strong; and that arch scoundrel was presently -led upstairs to my room, bound tightly at the -wrists, in order that I might testify to his identity -as set forth by Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Well, there was little doubt about that, and as -little trouble in getting the midnight burglar -transferred from the hotel to the police cell. He had -been caught red-handed. My money and my letter-case, -with my own cards in one of the pockets, were -found in his possession, two hundred pounds in -notes, the bulk of Clutterbuck's cheque had of course -been deposited by me in the bank. It was as clear -a case of burglary as ever delighted policeman's -ears, and the constable, summoned to remove -Strong, looked as pleased as one who has come, -unexpectedly, into a good thing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We found that Strong had—under an assumed -name, of course—actually slept for three nights -within a room or two of us! He had taken care -to remain invisible at all such times as we spent -within the hotel, however; but had kept a watch -upon our actions, and had even—as he declared—watched -me find the treasure,—peeping over the -wall at a spot where his face was well hidden by -the branch of a spreading tree. He probably -concluded that I should have the entire proceeds of -the cheque with me in the hotel. It was just as -well that I took the precaution to bank the money, -however; for had he found it, he would have got -clear away without awaking me. As it was, he -deliberately awoke me in order to compel me, by -the torture of suffocation, to point out where I had -hidden my property.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There is not much more to tell. The magistrate -committed our rascal for trial at the Croydon -sessions, and in due time he was sentenced by the -court to a term of hard labour. Jack and I -consulted earnestly as to whether we ought to reveal -the miscreant's criminal acts in Bechuana and in -Narva; but we decided that it would be useless to -attempt to prove the major offence of murder; we -were without evidence of any kind; and, after all, -so long as the fellow was safe within stone walls and -under many locks and keys at Millbank or Portland -or at Dartmoor, or wherever it might be, it would -be out of his power to commit further mischief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Did he intend to murder me in the hotel, I -wonder? Jack says he thinks not; but then Jack -did not feel the torture of that gag, and the horror -of imminent suffocation as I did; and I am certain -that, whether Strong intended it or not, I should -have died then and there, if my good friend had -not rushed in and released me in the nick of time.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I suppose there are not many, even among the -convicts in Dartmoor, so utterly evil and cruel in -disposition as this man James Strong, and I am -glad that I may here take leave of him—in these -pages at least—for good and all. I daresay the -reader is as glad to be rid of him as I am. I -humbly hope and pray that I may never meet him -again in this world.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>And now at length I was able to enter into -peaceful possession of my hard-earned inheritance -of Clutterbuck's treasure. I had worked and -suffered much for it, and I think on the whole that -I deserved it. Of course, money earned by regular -daily toil is, in a way, more worthily obtained; but -since destiny placed in my way the opportunity to -make my fortune, as it were, by a single sustained -effort, the only condition being that I should possess -the necessary pluck and perseverance to continue -that effort right up to the goal, Success, why, I am -not troubled with any compunctions as to the -comparative shortness of the road which, in my case, -led to wealth and prosperity. Nevertheless, feeling -that I should better enjoy my prosperity if I were -assured of the well-being of those (always excepting -James Strong) whom my own success had, in a -manner, disappointed of expected benefit, I sought -out, through Steggins, the relatives of the murdered -Clutterbuck, who—I found—had been a widower. -He had left two children in poor circumstances, and -the future of these youngsters I shall make it my -business to secure. They are living in comfort with -a sister of their dead father, and will never know, -I hope, but that their parent perished through an -accidental fall into an African nullah.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Ellis, the cousin, a meek person, who refused -from the first to take part in the treasure hunt, -though one of the five potential heirs of the old -man, was, I found, fairly well-to-do, and declined -with thanks my offer to make him a small allowance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As for myself—well, you have probably had -enough of me by this time. But I will just mention -this much: that the little affair down in Gloucestershire -to which I have once or twice made slight -allusion ended in accordance with my dearest hopes; -and that Jack and I are now even more than school -and college chums, being united by a tie whose -name is Gladys, and who is certainly one of the -sweetest— But no! I will not go into that. She -suits me excellently, and that, after all, is the main -thing!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>We live in Gloucestershire, near Henderson -Court, in a house that was once a farmhouse but -which has been glorified for our benefit by Jack, -who is its owner.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and I have not many elephants and lions, -or even ibex and elands, about the premises; in -fact, I do not remember to have shot a single one. -But we have plenty of rabbits and not a few -partridges, and occasionally a pheasant or two. As for -our ".500 Expresses," they are hanging ready on -the wall in case any of the above-mentioned types of -the larger animals should come down into -Gloucestershire; so that we are all right.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Ginger came to the wedding. He </span><em class="italics">would</em><span> come -into church with the rest of us, and he sat between -two school children and behaved shockingly; for he -nosed all the hymn-books off the pew in about -half a minute, and howled aloud when I told Gladys -that with all my worldly goods I her endowed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack said afterwards that there spoke the spirit -of old Clutterbuck, who was doubtless present in -the form of Ginger, and who hated to hear me -make over his property in this way without forcing -Gladys to do a single day's work for it.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><em class="italics small">Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London and Bungay.</em></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 6em"> -</div> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="backmatter"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst" id="pg-end-line"><span>*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK </span><span>CLUTTERBUCK'S TREASURE</span><span> ***</span></p> -<div class="cleardoublepage"> -</div> -<div class="language-en level-2 pgfooter section" id="a-word-from-project-gutenberg" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<span id="pg-footer"></span><h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><span>A Word from Project Gutenberg</span></h2> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We will update this book if we find any errors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This book can be found under: </span><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46582"><span>http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46582</span></a></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. -Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this -license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works to protect the Project Gutenberg™ concept and -trademark. 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