HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1896-05-08, Page 24.11
THE WJ,N 1..7[.1 -[AM TIMES, MAY 8, #$J6r.
.4.444+4444/444T44.0
'she Sivi)
of the Four.
to
-'- �'" at whist I might do in the old coutary , keeping my promise. I atm telling you
with it, and how my folk would stare 1 every word of this business just exactly
when they saw their ue'er-do• wecl rout- ; as it happened, whether it is in lily
•
•
By A, Conan Doyle,
favor or not."
ing back with his pockets fu11 of gala i He stopped, and he1t1 out his man-
,.,waiter
old 11a therefore, t fo 1 lreacl 1 hands for the s 1 is 'e • and
ole:,. I d 1 ids L acted ds r t 1,
a"n y ac h i y
made up my mind. Abdullah Khan, which I1011nes clad Brewed for him.
i m.
however, thinki>ig that I hesitated, For myself, I confess that I had now
1 pressed the matter more closely. eonceived the utmost horror of the
" "Consider, Sahib,* said he, 'that if man, not only for this cold-blooded,
this elan is taken by the commandant business in which he had been concern -
•11 andh somewhat
e will U hungal t• at his jewels. c but more forthe b y 0i l e l l t t even n to
,
� ,
1 sono tin which h
taken b- 1 Cxav x11 went that flippant 1 ca r l •s s a telt 4
s the eiHipp: n aid .4 a eb y
malt will be a rupee the better for them, haw narrated it, 'Whatever punish-
Now, since we do the taking of him, ment was in store for flim, I felt that
i why should we not do the rest as well? he might expect no sympathy from me.
The jewels will be as well with its as Sherlock 1 -Holmes and Jones sat with
{ in the Company's coffers. 'There will their hands upon their Imees, deeply in-
' be enough to melte every one of us rich terested in the story, but with the same
M-
I
andgrea tchiefs. No one can know disgust written upon their faces• He
1 even a s lel•At na ... f about the .natter, for here we are cut may have observers it, for there was a
Curt tt'r
perch, Don't make •a� noise, The fort off from all men. What could be better touch of defiance in his voice and mau-
1 joined, wood n leg ani an. ...t..,.,, is safe enough. 'There are no rebel dogs for the purpose? • Say again,- then, nee its he pro0 odea,
out to eet rebelsat ' lahguege ('n this side of the river.' There was Sahib, whether ,you are with us, or if tett was all \ ry bad. no doubt," said
m t el Sl r ,•„
h ring of truth in what he staid, and . we must look tenon you es an enemy. ae. ' .,1 should Ike to know now many
.early in July, ma we beat them bads: the i g., � �? ,
for a time, saute, our powder gave out, 1 knew that if braised env voice I was I am with you, heart and. soul,
and w t back o the ei v a dead. Tuan. I e+oulcl read it i11 the fel- said I. P
n eladta�llb c upon. 1 t.
,, ,r
ibanding
t iswell,' to ns -er d 1 an 1 11
I w a rt e 1
• s waited, therefore, 1, ,
tt -s i rclwn e e I sl to 1fi;
Nothing but they worst nc+w•s came to to t 3
us front every side --which is not to be in silence, to see what it was that they me back my fir lock. 'You see. that
^u€ted frog me
•o r d a youlook a i map
K, n
'u nde e t fox 'f o t the i
k
1
e , we trust yon, fo- , your word, like ours,
you will see that', we were right in this ”'Listen to. 111e, Sahib,' saia the is not to be b oken, We have now
heart of it. Luck -now is rather better taller and fiercer of the pair, the one only to wait ft my brother and, the
than a hundred miles to the Cast, and . whom thy called .Abdullah Khan, merchant.'
awn yore about as r to the south. 'You must eitlir be with us now or "Woes your rather know, then, of
From every point -on ' „,
C . 1 vt-on 1 e compass there you must be silenced forever. The what you will d?' 1 asked.
r
was nothing but torture, and murder, ; thine is too great a one for its to heel -'The plan is his. He Inas devised
and outrage. • tate. Either yore are beast ant sou
"The City of Agra is a great place, 1 with 118 on your ath on the cross of
swarming with fanatics and fierce . the Christians, or ,our body this night
i .o the ditch and we
; shall he thrown 1 l e
devil -worshipers. of all sorts.. Our ditch
of meu were lost tumoug the shall Trus over t our brothers in the
narrow, winding s treet
s. Our leader rel,el army, The is no middle way..
moved across the river, therefore, and 1 Which is it to 4, death or We? We
took up his poition in the old fort of can only give time tis eela minutes
to de -
Agra, if an • of you eide, for the e
Agra, I don't y
gentlemen have evgr read or heard any- ' mut bo done before the rounds come
thing of that old
queer place—tete
was in, and I hay
• corners, too. Firs'
mous in size. I sh
enclosure must b)
There is a modern
our garrison, wood
and everything e
Teem over. But
nothing like the si
where nobody goe
over to the scorn
hetre.c. It is all f
alls and w•indu
corridors twisting,
is easy enough for
it. For this reaso
any one went into
again 1L' party wi
exploring. .
"The river wash,
the olds fort, and 4 protects it, but on
• the sides and bel ind there are many
doors, and these h d to be guarded, of
course. in the old uarter as well as in
- that which was ctually held by our
troops. We wer short-handed, with
hardly men enou h to man the angles
of the building a -d to serve the guns.
It was impossib for us, therefore, to
station a stronguard at every
one of
the innumerab1
gates. What we did
• was to organize central guard -house
lin the middle: of; the fort, and to leave
• each gate under the charge of one white
mall and two or three natives. I was
selected to take arge during.certain
hours of the nigh of a small isolated
door upon the outhwest side of the
building. Two Sikh troopers were
ecommand, an l I vas
placed under myc t
- instructed if ane fling went wrong to
fire my musket ' when I• might rely
upon help comi g at onceo. t e
central guard. es the guardwas
two 1 1 acs away,how-
ever,
111 ncl • ( e
a
and as the pace between was cut
up into a lal•yi ith of passages and
corridors, 1 ria
whether e trier the5 co
of any use 111 cis
"Well,Iwas 1j
this small co1n11
was a raw recrt
one et that. 1?
watch with in
were tall, fier
,hornet Singh a Abdullah Brian by
name, both old ghting men who had
borne arms ag, nst us at Ch
i
lianwa
l-
tal. They con talk English pretty
well, but I cou get little out of them.
They preferred o stand together and
jabber all nig.: in their queer Sikh
lin ro. Poe my 1f, I used to stance out-
side the gateire •, looking down on the
broad, winding •i ver and on the
twink-
ling lights oft} . great The beat
ing of drums, lie rattle of tontcm
s.
and tie yells id howls of the rebels, ,
drunk with oils 111 aiid with bang, were
euoueb to ron11 d us all night of our °;
&see a ons meg bors across the stream:
Every two ho rs the officers of the
night used to "me round to all the,
poste, to make - 1re that all was well.'
the third n' : It of my watch wee'
dark and dirty. ith a small, driving.
rain. It was dr ry work standing in
theat a hot 1 .
ew v after holt` In yet@
h,
g
r '
a her. tr' (
wet � le ag,aln aur agititi�to
make my Sikhs t lk, but without much
success. At tw" in the morning; ntlie
rounds passed, and broke for a inpinent
the weariness of Ithe night. finding
that my coanpttni s would notied led
into ei,llversation,'' 1 took out my ,- ipe,
sp
Ltd co 1 musket to rid{ a
a
nd It sv i 111 mu, ast e
match. In an instant the two Sikhs
were upon me. 0 e of them, s�i.:4tclied
my fire -lockup a d levelled it at my
head, while the her held :a°.great
knife to ray threat and swo o'between
i e that he N ouldplunge it into
hate th a
true if I moved a stip, "
"My first thong t was that these fel-
lows were in lea ue with the rebels,
and that this wathe begifining of an
assault. If our d or were in the hands
of the ;iepoys the lace must fall, and
the women and c ildreit be treated as
they were in C •nporo:> t Maybe you
gentlemen think t et retiY; jast making
out a case for my ell, but .1 give you
my word that wh I t.Iaought of that,
though I felt the oine tf the knife at
M throat, I o ea mymouth with
the intention of wing sermon. if it
was my last one -td ith might alarm
the main guard -, e plan who held
Me. aleonied to kn w my thoughts* fat,
art. It is a very again,
veerest that ever I `"'Row can I:decide? said I, 'You
been in some rum have not told vie what you want of
of all. it is (-nor- 113e. But I tell •.you now, that if it is
Ad think that the anything egltinst the safety of the fort
• acres and acres. 1. will have no truck with it ; so you
art, which took all can drive home your knife and web -
1 children, stores conte.'
se, with plenty of " 'It is nothing against the fort,' said
be modern part is I he. 'We only ask you to do that which
of the old quarter, Four countrymen cometo this lance for.
whichand sgs
i given We ask you to be rich, If yon will be
us and the eenti- t one of us this night, we will swear to
1 ofreat deserted i you upon the naked knife, and by the
passages, and longi thrce-fold oath which no Sikh was ever
11 and out, so that it 1 known to break, that you shall have
folks to get lost i11 your fair share of the loot. A quarter
it was seldom that of tate treasure shall be yours. We can
it, though nory and sat no fairer.'
t torches might go " 'But what is the treasure, then?"
1 asked. 'I am as ready to be rich as
s along the front of you can be, if you will hurt show me
iww it can be done.'
"'You swear, then,' said he, `by the
bents of your father, by the honor of
peer mother, by the cross of your faith,
•a raise no Hand and speak no word
against 11s, either 1101 Or after'w'ard?'
I will swear it.' I answered, 'pro-
vided•that the fort is not endangered.
" "Then my comrade anal will swear
that you steal have a quarter of the
treasure, whit ishan be equallytlivided
,
c
turban, and a
g � with great �ellosv nr an
s a ea
}�of u s ,
•tm n the foul' s
. o , g ..
" "Mere arebut three,' said I. • bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl.
"'No • Dost tAkbar must have his He seemed to be all in a quiver with
share. We can tell the tale to you fear, for his had; trvitehecl its if lie had
while we await ,them. Do you stand the ague, and his head kept turning to
at the gate, Mehlpmet Singh. and give left and right vitlt two bright little
notice of their r' coming. The. tiling twinkling eyesellike a mouse when he
stands thus, Sahib, and tell it to you ventures out £e lm his hole. It gave me
because I know hat an oath is bind- the chills to thi k of killing him, but I
i1tct upon a Perin ee, and that we inay thought of the [treasure, and my heart
1
Hin- , as l s a flint within me.
is 73 was a, halt t
o Had a been a lying n
r 1. d o
trust1
y
g
doo, though you Macs sworn by all the When he saw j y white face he gave a
::ads in their fats* temples, your blood little chirrup o joy and came running
1
wouldtowards In
theknife And L p war O d C. h enG upon
have be
me
your body in tate water. But - the "Your protection, Sahib,' he pant
Sikh knows the Englishman, and the. eu ; 'your protection for the unhappy
great doubts as to • Englishman knorl's the Sikh.Ileark- merchant chniet. I have traveled
Id arrive in time to be enthen, to what d have to say. across I1 ajpooteta that I might seek the
of an actual attack,1 , 'There is a rajah in the northern shelter of the, fort at Agra. I have
bus
been robbed, 1ic1. beaten,and abused
wealth,1p u p a
. r
!r
n•ovinces who .has much ,
•ett - rout. at having
rldyglven me, since I though his lands are small. Much has because I have been the n•ienclgof the
t, and a game-lcg„ed come to sum frons' his father, and more company.- It is a blessed night this
r two nights I kept still he has self by himself, for he when I am oneo more in safety—I and
Punjaubees. They is of a low nature and hoards his gold my poor possessionet
-looking chaps, Ma- rather than speed it, When the " `What havice you in the bundle `s'>
it. We will go to the gate and share
the watch with Mehemet Singh.'
`The rain was still failing steadily,
for it was just the beginning of the wet
season. .Brown, heavy clouds were
drifting across the sky, and it washard
to see more than a stone -cast. A sleep
moat lay in front of our door, but the
water was in places nearly dried tip,
and it could eas'1ly be crossed. It was
strange to me tit be standing there with
those two wild unjaubces waiting for
the man who w• .s conning to his death.
"Suddenly m • eye caught the glint
of a shaded lout en at the other side of
the moat. It ; •aluished among the
mound heaps, ail then appeared again
comiug slowly i11 `our direction.
"' 1 l'exclaimed.
Il='ore they aa . I
"'You will ch, lenge him, Sahib, as
usual,' whisperer Abdullah. 'Give
11r1n 110 cause for ear. Send us in with
stun, and we sha do the rest while you
stay Here on guard. Have the lantern
ready to uncoveif that we may be sure
that tie indeed t11€1 roan.'
"'.rhe light haaefilekered onward, now
stopping and m w• advancing, • until I
could see two figteres on the other side
of the moat, fx let them scramble
dow•11 the slo1lilfg bank, splash through
the mire. and c imb Half -way up to the
• gate before I c allenged them.
r sub-
dued
said in
ub
S� 1a goes 1 1 d I n
1 r,o ,
clued voice.
"'F'riends,' came the answer.
"1 uucovored my lantern and threw
a flood pf light upon thein. The first
was an enorinpus Sikh, with a black
beard which swept nearly down to his
cummerbund. *Outside of a show I
have never seal so tall a man. The
other was a l' tie, fat, round fellow,
Vis•
• . i- M
troubles broke 3 out he would. be I asked.
friends both with'the lion and the tiger , "'An iron bd,
—with the Seeov and with the Com- contains one
I,icny's,Ii,aj. • Soon. however, it seemed .natters which
to him -that ,the white men's day was others, but whi
all the 1a11(. he could lose. Yet I a
Cut of their death and shall reward r
r. Yet, being a care- your governor •
suck plans that, come the shelter I as
at least of his treasure "I could no
come, fo%'.,th t'oitg
hear of nothing
of their tr✓erthro'
fur iil:iif, he shad
wliat,might, sial
r,' he answered, 'which
r two' little family
are of no value to
1i I should be sorry to
a not a beggar ; and T
ot1, young Sahib, and
leo, if he will give me
trust myself to speak
•Should be left to int. That which was longer with t e man. The more I
iii' 0.g 8h1,ancl sieve he kept by him in the looked at his tt, frightened face, the
vaults of the alacc, 11t the most harder r id its ( that we
should slay
•prcc•iotrt; stones turd the choicest pearls him in cold b ood. It was best to get
ettlittnbe had he pat in an iron box, and it over.
sent• it.b}- it true y servant who, under 'Take him- 0 the main guard,' said
alar wise of a m);:rchant, should take it I. The two Si -hs closed in upon him
,tab' 1n fort at Agra, thereto lie lultil the on each side, an(1 the giant walked.
Iliial is at peace. Thus, if the rebels behind, while ley marched in through
Avon he would heave his money, butif the the dark gate vay. Never was a man
(nnepany conquer his jewels would be so compassed ,ouiad with death, I re-
f avec! to nein. • aving thus divided his mained at the gateway with the len-
hoard,
,11-
lioard, he three• himself into the cause tern, '
Of the Sepoys, ?since they were strong "I could heat the measured tramp of
upon his borders. By his doing this, their footstel'
mark you, Sah,Th, his property becomes lonely torrid"
the due of tlhote who have been true to and 1 heard
their salt. 4 ; the sound 0
"'This pretended merchant. who there came,
t o cls unaer un(ler the 118)110 Achmet,is
footsteps coin
theloud. e
now 611 thecity and d wires to o br
1ta af>', rt 1
3' g
gain his way into the fort. Ile has I turned ray
with hien, as travellin•, companion, my ' straight pas
foster brother„ Dost Akbar, who knows fat man, ruin
}its secret. Dost Akbar has promised smear of hi
this night to lend him to e side postern close at his 1
of the fort, and has chosen this one for the great b
his precise. $11e will eome 1prea:eutly, . knife flashi
and here lie Will find Mehemet Singh never seen
and myself t . aiting him. The place • tittle; mettle
is lonely, anti none rhitll know of his • the Sikh, a
coling. The world shall know of the once passed.
merchant Achmet no more, but the lie would s
geeattreasure'of therajah shall be (1i- softened to •
viued among 4s, What say you to it, of his trey
Sahib? M bitter. I c
"l 1Y W'orceetersliiie the life of a man legs as ]10,
seems a greattand sacred thing, but it twice over
is very different when theta is fire and timid stagg
Woodall roued.you and you have been upon him, a
u(0(1. to .meeting death at every turn. in his side
Whether Aehlliet the merelinnt lived moan lior m
et* cried was a : hing as light as air to he load false
tae, lint at the alk About the treasure may have
�,
31 t �-h fall You
a t• anal Jr t 01 t
my heath turn i
,c" u I ,
C.
sounding; through the
S. Suddenly it ceased, when we might
ices, and a scufiie, with shares of the pi
blows. A moment later however, our hop'
o my horror, a rush of our being arreste
in my direction, with Achmet.
hing ofa'miming nan
came about
lantern down the long, ; rajah put his: je
ge, and three .was the , 'of Achmet, Ito did
ing like the wind, with a that he was a tr
-ed across his face, and ' suspicious folk in
fellows i"!nervy shoes would Have refus-
ed a share o lis loot when they knew
that they wo 1 have their throats cut
Besides, for their pains, ] esldes, it was lay
once he was iii the fort,
ut, the whole business
le to light, rind I should
t-martialed and shot as
r people were not very
like that."
ur story," said Holmes,
ried hum in, Abdullah,
fine weight he was,
life or his. who
If he had got •
would have co
have been con
likely as not ;
leele111 at at tit
"Go on with y'
shortly.
"\'Nell, we ca
Akbar and. I.
too, for all that' to was so short. . Ma- w
homet Singh was left to guard the door. le mat Harriet, and I was left pl! tty
We took him to a place which the Sikhs . muck to myself. It is a dreary, fuer-
had already prepared. It was some I stricken place, and all beyond our little
distance off, where a winding passage ; clearings was infested with wild can -
leads to a great,empty hall, the brick nibal natives, who were ready eltoltgl3
walls of wliich1 were all crnanbling. to to blow a poisoned dart at us if they
—.-ruse) of us because • we Tiad held the
gate that night, and the fourth because
110 was known to Have been in the cora-
pony of the murdered alien. Not a
word about the jewels calve out at the
been deposed
•a ah
had
tlei
trial, for i
i ,
ie had
• so 0 of
ojfI Lithe li
out. u ,
driven
alas
any pparticular interest in them, The
murder, however, was clearly made
out and, it was certain that we must
Let Tire hear all about it, il, Give
1110 the facts.'
"I told hire the whole story, with
shall changes so that he Gould not
identify the places. When I had finish-
ed stock-still and full 'toe 6t a i 1
•oo a )* 1 1 of
he bt.
ed
thought, I could see by the twitch of
his hp that there was a struggle going
on within him.
'!'his is a very important matter,
all have been concerned in it. The Small,' he said at last, 'You must not
three Sikhs got penal eervitudo for life, say a word to airy one about it, and I
g
1 again though 11 you a t1 soon,'
it ` 1€ 1 ee
t death, g shall s
t on
was condemned�
and I Svata G n C
my sentence was afterward commuted "Two nights later he and his friend
into the sante as the others.
"It was rather a queer position that
we fouilct ourselves in then. There we
were all four tied by the leg, and with
precious little chalice of ever getting
Otlt again, While the each held a scent
which might have put each of Lis in it
palace if we could only have made use
of it. It wits enough to make a lean
eat his heart• out to have to stand. the
kick and the cuff of every petty jack -
in -office, to leave rice t0 eat and hater
to drink, when that gorgeous ,fortune
was ready for Hite, outside, just waiting
Il riven
' 11t have I
t m1 d
rcked a �,
tobe g .
P
1
t
• ,5 L not.
• always
t
mo rnad; but I was € s y pretty
stubborn one, so I just held on and
bided my time, have
last it seemed to lie to
c01ne, I was."cllanteil from Agra to
Madras, ancl'from there, to Blair Island
in the Anclamans. 'Themltre very few
•
white ecnviots i31 this sett
as I hed behaved well from
soon found myself a privilege
I w,+s given a hut in Hope
chis a shall place on the sl
meat, and,
tttlie first, I
terson.
Town,
lilpes of
pieces, The eat.
031e place, makil
we left Achme
having first covered him over with
loose bricks. This done, we all wont 1 we wore busy enough all day ; though
back to the treasure. ( in the evening we had a little time to
"It lay w•herethe had dropped it when • ourselves. Among other things I learn -
he was first att€yFked. The box was the 1 ed to (dispense drugs for the surgeon,
1i floor had sunk in at 1 fi
a natural grave, so 1 saw a chance. There was digging. and
the merchant there, ditching, and yarn -planting, and a
dozen other things to be done, so
same \Vltich no
table. A key r�
cord to that ca
• lies open upon your g and picked up , a smattering of the as hung by a silken knowledge. A11ethe time I wi.. on
ved handle upon the + lookout for a ehahco of escape • but it ie
top. We openoil• it, and the light of the hundreds of miles':from any ogler land,
lantern gleamed upon it collection of and there is little .00 no wind in those
gems such as shave read of and.thonght • seas; so it was a terribly difficult job
about when 1 was a little lad at Per- ; toet away,
g y
shore, it was linding to look upon "The surgeon, a
them, When r e had feasted our eyes • fast, .sporting y
we took them a out and made a list of : other young office
them,. There IN -
forty -three forty-three dram
including one eve
believe, the Gre
to be the second largest stone in ex- • Often, if I felt lonesome, I used to turn
istence. Then there were ninety-seven !• out the lamp in the surgery, and then,
very= fine emeralds, and one hundred standing. there, I'could. hear 'their talk
and. seventy rubies, some of which, and watch their play. I am fond of
pall. There were a Hand at cards myself, ana it was al-
vo hundred and ten , most as good as having ono to watch
agates. and a great the others. There was • Major Sholto,
onyxes, cat's eyes,' Captain Morstan and Lieutenant
r stones, the very , Bromley Brown,, who were in cora-
r. Somerton, was a
ung chap, and the
;s would meet in his
re one hundred and ,rooms of an ever ,n and play cards.
nds of the first water, 1 Tho surgery, whq 0 1 used to make up
ch had been called I - m drus was net to his sitting -room,
t Mogul,' and is said) withtgas small window between us.
however, were
forty carbuncles, i
sapphires, sixty -or
quantity of beryls
turquoises and of
ac h
notknow ' the na -e troops,a 11 there
names of which �.I did 1. a ry • mend ofi;T.r,
at the time, though I have become' was 'the surgeon himsef, and two or
more familiar with them since. Besides three prison ofii.:ials, crafty old hands
this, there were nearly three hundred who played a nice. sly, safe game. A
very fine pearls, twelve of which were . very snug little party they used to
set in a gold coronet. By the way Snake.
these last had be taken out of the "Well, there was one thing which
very 80011 struck ine, ind that was that
soldiers used. ale ays • to lose and the
civilians to win
that there 2 1'.
vol was L
it was. These 1
little else than 1
they 1111), ren a the .Anuamans, and
they knee each ther's game to'a, point,
while the others.ust played to pass the
c l r tri i eards down any-
how.tun l t 1 ew e r. d y
how. Night after' night the soldiers
got uppoorer men, and the poorer they
T
o thefor 1{ 'u they were to piay.
tn e c e 1
�y
p Y
MajorSholto.the.lar d t hit. H
wa es e
used to rt n i1 :t s and olct atfirst
t a e
3 �.
but soon it cam ` to notes of hand and
for big- sums. 'He sometimes would
win for a few cleats, just to lye him
chest and were t there when I re-
covered it.
"After w•e had onnted our treasure
i
w
c U the chest and put them ba int a c t
c,aree d them to th gateway to show
there to Mahome Singh, Then wo
solemnly renewed' our oath to standby
twit other and bo true to our secret.
We agreed. to co coal our loot in a safe
place until the "'ecountry should he at
peace again, and. then to clivicle it
equally among rselves. There was
no use dividing
. it at present, for if
gems of such v ue were found upon
us it would caus suspicion, and there
was no privacy - n the fort nor an
place where we could keep them. We
carried the box, therefore, into the
small hall where we had buried the
body, and there, under certain bricks,
iu the best preserved wall, we made a
hollow and put our treasure. We made
careful note otthe place, and next day
ns, one for each of us,
of the four of us at the
had sworn. that we
ys act for ail, so that
advantage. That is
in put pay hand to my
r that I have never
I drew four p
and put the sig
bottom, for w
should each alts
none lni•r11t to
an oath that I
heart and ssv
broken,
"Well, there
you, gentlemen,
dian mutiny. Af
and Sir Colin relieved Lucknow, the
back of the business was broken. Fresh
troops 00113e pouring in, aiid Nana
Sahib made himself scarce over the
frontier. A flying column under Col-
onel (4reatlieacl came round. to Agra
and cleared the*Mlles away from it.
Peace seemed tot be settling upon the
country.and e,four were
'beginning
"
t 10 t 1 t•-.tl. woe t hand
0 3 t1e lit 1i me v 1 a
Lioly go off with our
der. In a moment,
s were shattered, by
as the murderers of
3 110 use my telling
that came of the In-
ti Wilson took Delhi,
his way. When the
vels into the hands
t because he knew
sty lnan, They' are
he test, however ho e er•
,
ell , bounding like a tiger, so what does this rajah do but take a
mor van and
ck-1 •t. �cl c Sikh, •'t second even arustyservant, te,1 e1 with a,
g in his head, I have set him to piny the
man run so fast as that This secarl(1 man r
nt. He was gaining on let Ao. met out of 1
d I could. see that if he lowed lain like ]ti,
e and got to themien air, after hilly that nigi
ve himself yet, My heart through the dloor.
tin, but again the thought thought he had
ure tainted me hard and. fort, and applied
st my fir•clock between his himself next day
raced Last, and ]ie rolled trace of Achmet.
Ike a shot rabbit. Ere he so strange that 130;
to his feet the Sikh was sergeant 0f etudes
d buried his WA twice the ears of tile. col
the man never uttered ou h Hearts wits qt
'vett muscle, but lay whale body was (liscove
I think. myself, that ho vets moment that
•oken his neck with thewas safe. we wer,
ee, ttentlemen, that I axil brought to trial ori
py upon the first !
as ordered never to
s sight, and he foie
shadow. Ile went
, andante* him pass
•sty, Of course he
(ken refuge ,iii the
r admission there
but could find no
his seemed to him
poke about it to a anered; 'toGovet inept.' But he sand upon ins throat ---that was my one
who brought it tea it in at halting fas ion, and . knew in thought. Evert the Agra treasure hncl
mandant. A thor• my heart that I h 'd got him, come to be a snuffler thing in my mind
ckly made, and the"'Yon think, t n, sir, that I should than the slaying of Sholto,
ed. Titus at the give the infanta n to the Governor- . 'SS ell , I have set my mind on many
e thought, that all General?' said I, iietly. • things in this life, and never one Whfen
all four seined and ," 'Well, well, a must not 'do any Ito �ax�etxtrb.
elfaree of murder thing rash, or t1 • you might vomit. 1 C j
Mind, I don't say
ytlting unfair, but so
'ison-chaps had. done
ay cards ever since
Captain Moisten carie to any slut in the
dead of night with a lantern,
"' I want you just to let Captain
Moreton hear that story from your own
lips, Small,' said lie.
"I repeated it as I had told it before,.
"'It rings true, est?' said he, 'It'a
good enon'h to aet upon.'
Captain Morstan nodded.
"'Look hero, Sinal. .' said the major,
'W'e have been talking it over, my
friend and I, and we have come to the
conclusion that this secret of yours is
hardly a Government matter after all,
0your
L concern f
butis rtv€ to c rte own,
a
p
you have
your 'e the
w hlcll, of s,
of disposing of as you think best, Now,
the question is, what price would yoti
ask for it? We might be inclined •to
take it up, and at least look into it, if
we could agree as to terms.' He tried
to speak in at cool, careless way, buthis
eyes were shining with excitement an(1,
greed.
Why. as to that, gentlemen,' I
answered, trying also to be cool, but
feeling as excited as he did, 'there is
only one bargain which a man in my
position can male. I shall want you
to help me to my freedom, incl to help
any three companions to theirs. We
shall then take you into partnership,
and give you a fifth share to divide be-
tween you.
"'Hum!' said he, 'A fifth share!
That is not very tempting.'
"'It would coarse to fifty thousand
apiece,' said I.
"'But how can we gain your' free-
dom? You know very well that you
ask an impossibility.'
"'Nothing of the sort,' I answered.
'I have thought it out to the last detail.
The only bar to our escape is that we
can get no boat fit for the voyage,
and no provisions to last us for so
long a time. There aro plenty of little
yachts and yawls at Calcutta or Ma-
dras which would serve our turas well.
Do you bring one over. We shall en-
gage to get aboard. her by night, and if
you will drop Its on any part of the In-
dian coast you will have done your
part of the bargain.'
"'If there were only one,' he said,
'"None or all,' I answered. 'We
have sworn it. The four of us must
always act together,'
`:.'Yon see, Marstan,' said he, 'Small
is a man of his word. He does not
flinch front his friends. I. think we inay
very well trii$t Mian.'
"'It:'s a flirty business,' the other
answered. 'Yet, as you say. the
money would. save air contniissione
handsomely,'
said the major, ,.'we
must. I suppose, +'ry and nicer you. We
must first, of course, test the truth of
Tell
1>
yourslot -, ell mo where the box is
iid,an(t 1 sl1itll get leave of absence
and go back to India in the monthly
relief boat to inquire into the affair.'
",
'1colder.
Not so fa.t said I rawi r
, , t,r
as he got hot. 'I must Have tllo consent
of my three comrades. I tell you that
it is four or none with ue'
"'Nonsense!' he broke in. 'What
have three black fellows to do with our
agreement?'
" 'Black or blue,' said 1, 'they are in
With lie, and we all go together.'
.,
by
"Well, th matto • ended a second
� e e 1 e ad
meeting, at which Mehemet Singh,
Abdullah Khan, and Dost Akbar were
all present. We talked. the matter
over again, and at last wo came to' an
arrangement. We were to provide both
heart, and then the hick would set 111 the officers with charts of the part of
against him worse than ever. All day the Agra fort, and mark the place in
the would wan
thunder, and he
morn than was
"One night Ire
than usual. I was sitting in my hut • yacht provisioned for a voyage, which
when he and Captain Morstan came was to Ito off Rutland Island, ainl to
stmnbling along on the way to their which we were to make our way, and
quarters. They were bosom friends, finally to return to his duties. Captain
those two, ami never far apart. The Morstan was then to apply for leave of
major was revil g about his losses. absritee, to meet us at A ra, and there
er about as black as the wall where the treasure w•l1s 1nrd.
took to chinking a deal ,Major Sholto was to go to India to test
ood for him. Ourstory, If he found the box he was
lost even more heavily to leave it there, to send. out a small
„ r
t: a In
z51
p
ing, as they pa
have to sena f1
ruined man.'
"'Nonsense, la chap 1' said the could think 0r the lips utter. I sat up
other, slapping him upon the shoulder. all night with paper and ink, and by
‘I've e had a nasty facer myself, bttt the morning I had the two charts all '
That was all I could hear, but it was ready, signed with the sign of four—
enough
oto
enough to set me thinking. . that is, of Abdullah, Akbar, Mehemet
.t3, couple of days later Major Sholto and myself.
was strolling on the beach; so I took "Well, eentlemen, I'weary you with
Viking to him. " my Ion story, end I know that my
;eyour advice, major,' friend, fr. Jones, is impatient to get
m safes stowed in chokey. o v ow d cl ke 111 make
what is it?' ]ie said, it as shortas I can, yThe villain
from his lis. . Sholto went„off to India, but he never
sk. you, sir,'said I, came back again. Captain Morstan
per person to whom . showed me his name among a
ould be handed over. list of passengers in one of the mail
I'boats vet shortly i io worth les or 1 afterward. I1'
a m 11 n w r s
y1
Y
uncle had c
L it myself, � c 1 died, lea i v 1'
t use . , v a g him a fortune
thought perhaps 3o best thing that I anc111c had left the army, yet ]ie could
coulct'do would be to hand it over to stoop to treat five men as he had treat•
per- ed us. Mo •
•€, d then,leanwent
the proper authorities, ,1i pover to Agra
haps, they would get my sentence shortly afterward, and found, as wo
t
expected; drat t • s
•hortett .cl for me.' the lea, ur was `
s eora• indeed
'—Half a million, Small ?' he gasped,. goe. The scoundrel had stolen it all,
looking hard at me to see if I was in without carrying out one of the con-
earnest.ditions on which rve c 1 Ivo had sold 11im the
"'Quite that. err—in jewels and secret. Frotn that day 1 lived only for
pearls, Mies there ready for anyone, vengeance. I thought of it by day,
ng about 1t .is that the and I nursed it by night. It became
tlawed and can not an overpowering, absorbing passion
that it belongs to the with me. I eared nothing for the hive
-'-nothing for the gallows. To escape,
nt, Small,' he stand- to track down Sholto, to have my hand
r
•S - o t
.,.o sal i was say- we were t have a final c tension of e
r i low s s v
y
sed my hut. 'I shall treasure, he taking the major's share
my papers. „I am a as well as his own,. All this we sealed
by the most solemn oaths that the mind
the chance of S'9(
'I wish to 11a,
said I,
.''
'Well, Smalls
taking his eheroe
"'I wanted to
'who is the pr
hidden treasure s
know where ha.
and, as I Cann'
And. the (111eer tIlp
1'ea1 owner is of
hold property, sce
firsts comer.
"'To foveralln