andI
know
that
they
cannot
.
I
have
acted
all
through
for
them
as
much
as
for
myself
.
It
's
been
the
sign
of
four
with
us
always
.
Well
,
I
know
that
they
would
have
had
me
do
just
what
I
have
done
,
and
throw
the
treasure
into
the
Thames
rather
than
let
it
go
to
kith
or
kin
of
Sholto
or
Morstan
.
It
was
not
to
make
them
rich
that
we
did
for
Achmet
.
You
'll
find
the
treasure
where
the
key
is
,
and
where
little
Tonga
is
.
When
I
saw
that
your
launch
must
catch
us
,
I
put
the
loot
away
in
a
safe
place
.
There
are
no
rupees
for
you
this
journey
.
'
'
You
are
deceiving
us
,
Small
,
'
said
Athelney
Jones
sternly
;
'
if
you
had
wished
to
throw
the
treasure
into
the
Thames
,
it
would
have
been
easier
for
you
to
have
thrown
box
and
all
.
'
'
Easier
for
me
to
throw
,
and
easier
for
you
to
recover
,
'
he
answered
,
with
a
shrewd
,
side-long
look
.
'
The
man
that
was
clever
enough
to
hunt
me
down
is
clever
enough
to
pick
an
iron
box
from
the
bottom
of
a
river
.
Now
that
they
are
scattered
over
five
miles
or
so
,
it
may
be
a
harder
job
.
It
went
to
my
heart
to
do
it
,
though
.
I
was
half
mad
when
you
came
up
with
us
.
However
,
there
's
no
good
grieving
over
it
.
I
've
had
ups
in
my
life
,
and
I
've
had
downs
,
but
I
've
learned
not
to
cry
over
spilled
milk
.
'
'
This
is
a
very
serious
matter
,
Small
,
'
said
the
detective
.
'
If
you
had
helped
justice
,
instead
of
thwarting
it
in
this
way
,
you
would
have
had
a
better
chance
at
your
trial
.
'
'
Justice
!
'
snarled
the
ex-convict
.
'
A
pretty
justice
!
Whose
loot
is
this
,
if
it
is
not
ours
?
Where
is
the
justice
that
I
should
give
it
up
to
those
who
have
never
earned
it
?
Look
how
I
have
earned
it
!
Twenty
long
years
in
that
fever-ridden
swamp
,
all
day
at
work
under
the
mangrove-tree
,
all
night
chained
up
in
the
filthy
convict-huts
,
bitten
by
mosquitoes
,
racked
with
ague
,
bullied
by
every
cursed
black-faced
policeman
who
loved
to
take
it
out
of
a
white
man
.
That
was
how
I
earned
the
Agra
treasure
,
and
you
talk
to
me
of
justice
because
I
cannot
bear
to
feel
that
I
have
paid
this
price
only
that
another
may
enjoy
it
!
I
would
rather
swing
a
score
of
times
,
or
have
one
of
Tonga
's
darts
in
my
hide
,
than
live
in
a
convict
's
cell
and
feel
that
another
man
is
at
his
ease
in
a
palace
with
the
money
that
should
be
mine
.
'
Small
had
dropped
his
mask
of
stoicism
,
and
all
this
came
out
in
a
wild
whirl
of
words
,
while
his
eyes
blazed
and
the
handcuffs
clanked
together
with
the
impassioned
movement
of
his
hands
.
I
could
understand
,
as
I
saw
the
fury
and
the
passion
of
the
man
,
that
it
was
no
groundless
or
unnatural
terror
which
had
possessed
Major
Sholto
when
he
first
learned
that
the
injured
convict
was
upon
his
track
.
'
You
forget
that
we
know
nothing
of
all
this
,
'
said
Holmes
quietly
.
'
We
have
not
heard
your
story
,
and
we
cannot
tell
how
far
justice
may
originally
have
been
on
your
side
.
'
'
Well
,
sir
,
you
have
been
very
fair-spoken
to
me
,
though
I
can
see
that
I
have
you
to
thank
that
I
have
these
bracelets
upon
my
wrists
.
Still
,
I
bear
no
grudge
for
that
.
It
is
all
fair
and
above-board
.
If
you
want
to
hear
my
story
,
I
have
no
wish
to
hold
it
back
.
What
I
say
to
you
is
God
's
truth
,
every
word
of
it
.
Thank
you
,
you
can
put
the
glass
beside
me
here
,
and
I
'll
put
my
lips
to
it
if
I
am
dry
.
'
I
am
a
Worcestershire
man
myself
,
born
near
Pershore
.
I
dare
say
you
would
find
a
heap
of
Smalls
living
there
now
if
you
were
to
look
.
I
have
often
thought
of
taking
a
look
round
there
,
but
the
truth
is
that
I
was
never
much
of
a
credit
to
the
family
,
and
I
doubt
if
they
would
be
so
very
glad
to
see
me
.
They
were
all
steady
,
chapel-going
folk
,
small
farmers
,
well
known
and
respected
over
the
country-side
,
while
I
was
always
a
bit
of
a
rover
.
At
last
,
however
,
when
I
was
about
eighteen
,
I
gave
them
no
more
trouble
,
for
I
got
into
a
mess
over
a
girl
,
and
could
only
get
out
of
it
again
by
taking
the
Queen
's
shilling
and
joining
the
3rd
Buffs
,
which
was
just
starting
for
India
.
'
I
was
n't
destined
to
do
much
soldiering
,
however
.
I
had
just
got
past
the
goose-step
,
and
learned
to
handle
my
musket
,
when
I
was
fool
enough
to
go
swimming
in
the
Ganges
.
Luckily
for
me
,
my
company
sergeant
,
John
Holders
,
was
in
the
water
at
the
same
time
,
and
he
was
one
of
the
finest
swimmers
in
the
service
.
A
crocodile
took
me
,
just
as
I
was
half-way
across
,
and
nipped
off
my
right
leg
as
clean
as
a
surgeon
could
have
done
it
,
just
above
the
knee
.
What
with
the
shock
and
the
loss
of
blood
,
I
fainted
,
and
should
have
been
drowned
if
Holder
had
not
caught
hold
of
me
and
paddled
for
the
bank
.
I
was
five
months
in
hospital
over
it
,
and
when
at
last
I
was
able
to
limp
out
of
it
with
this
timber
toe
strapped
to
my
stump
,
I
found
myself
invalided
out
of
the
army
and
unfitted
for
any
active
occupation
.
'
I
was
,
as
you
can
imagine
,
pretty
down
on
my
luck
at
this
time
,
for
I
was
a
useless
cripple
,
though
not
yet
in
my
twentieth
year
.
However
,
my
misfortune
soon
proved
to
be
a
blessing
in
disguise
.
A
man
named
Abel
White
,
who
had
come
out
there
as
an
indigo-planter
,
wanted
an
overseer
to
look
after
his
coolies
and
keep
them
up
to
their
work
.
He
happened
to
be
a
friend
of
our
colonel
's
,
who
had
taken
an
interest
in
me
since
the
accident
.
To
make
a
long
story
short
,
the
colonel
recommended
me
strongly
for
the
post
,
and
,
as
the
work
was
mostly
to
be
done
on
horseback
,
my
leg
was
no
great
obstacle
,
for
I
had
enough
knee
left
to
keep
a
good
grip
on
the
saddle
.
What
I
had
to
do
was
to
ride
over
the
plantation
,
to
keep
an
eye
on
the
men
as
they
worked
,
and
to
report
the
idlers
.
The
pay
was
fair
,
I
had
comfortable
quarters
,
and
altogether
I
was
content
to
spend
the
remainder
of
my
life
in
indigo-planting
.
Mr.
Abel
White
was
a
kind
man
,
and
he
would
often
drop
into
my
little
shanty
and
smoke
a
pipe
with
me
,
for
white
folk
out
there
feel
their
hearts
warm
to
each
other
as
they
never
do
here
at
home
.
'
Well
,
I
was
never
in
luck
's
way
long
.
Suddenly
,
without
a
note
of
warning
,
the
great
mutiny
broke
upon
us
.
One
month
India
lay
as
still
and
peaceful
,
to
all
appearance
,
as
Surrey
or
Kent
;
the
next
there
were
two
hundred
thousand
black
devils
let
loose
,
and
the
country
was
a
perfect
hell
.
Of
course
you
know
all
about
it
,
gentlemen
—
a
deal
more
than
I
do
,
very
like
,
since
reading
is
not
in
my
line
.
I
only
know
what
I
saw
with
my
own
eyes
.
Our
plantation
was
at
a
place
called
Muttra
,
near
the
border
of
the
North-west
Provinces
.
Night
after
night
the
whole
sky
was
alight
with
the
burning
bungalows
,
and
day
after
day
we
had
small
companies
of
Europeans
passing
through
our
estate
with
their
wives
and
children
,
on
their
way
to
Agra
,
where
were
the
nearest
troops
.
Mr.
Abel
White
was
an
obstinate
man
.
He
had
it
in
his
head
that
the
affair
had
been
exaggerated
,
and
that
it
would
blow
over
as
suddenly
as
it
had
sprung
up
.
There
he
sat
on
his
veranda
,
drinking
whisky-pegs
and
smoking
cheroots
,
while
the
country
was
in
a
blaze
about
him
.
Of
course
we
stuck
by
him
,
I
and
Dawson
,
who
,
with
his
wife
,
used
to
do
the
book-work
and
the
managing
.
Well
,
one
fine
day
the
crash
came
.
I
had
been
away
on
a
distant
plantation
,
and
was
riding
slowly
home
in
the
evening
,
when
my
eye
fell
upon
something
all
huddled
together
at
the
bottom
of
a
steep
nullah
.
I
rode
down
to
see
what
it
was
,
and
the
cold
struck
through
my
heart
when
I
found
it
was
Dawson
's
wife
,
all
cut
into
ribbons
,
and
half
eaten
by
jackals
and
native
dogs
.
A
little
farther
up
the
road
Dawson
himself
was
lying
on
his
face
,
quite
dead
,
with
an
empty
revolver
in
his
hand
,
and
four
Sepoys
lying
across
each
other
in
front
of
him
.
I
reined
up
my
horse
,
wondering
which
way
I
should
turn
;
but
at
that
moment
I
saw
thick
smoke
curling
up
from
Abel
White
's
bungalow
,
and
the
flames
beginning
to
burst
through
the
roof
.
I
knew
then
that
I
could
do
my
employer
no
good
,
but
would
only
throw
my
own
life
away
if
I
meddled
in
the
matter
.
From
where
I
stood
I
could
see
hundreds
of
the
black
fiends
,
with
their
red
coats
still
on
their
backs
,
dancing
and
howling
round
the
burning
house
.
Some
of
them
pointed
at
me
,
and
a
couple
of
bullets
sang
past
my
head
:
so
I
broke
away
across
the
paddy-fields
,
and
found
myself
late
at
night
safe
within
the
walls
at
Agra
.
'
As
it
proved
,
however
,
there
was
no
great
safety
there
,
either
.
The
whole
country
was
up
like
a
swarm
of
bees
.
Wherever
the
English
could
collect
in
little
bands
they
held
just
the
ground
that
their
guns
commanded
.
Everywhere
else
they
were
helpless
fugitives
.
It
was
a
fight
of
the
millions
against
the
hundreds
;
and
the
cruellest
part
of
it
was
that
these
men
that
we
fought
against
,
foot
,
horse
,
and
gunners
,
were
our
own
picked
troops
,
whom
we
had
taught
and
trained
,
handling
our
own
weapons
and
blowing
our
own
bugle-calls
.
At
Agra
there
were
the
3rd
Bengal
Fusiliers
,
some
Sikhs
,
two
troops
of
horse
,
and
a
battery
of
artillery
.
A
volunteer
corps
of
clerks
and
merchants
had
been
formed
,
and
this
I
joined
,
wooden
leg
and
all
.
We
went
out
to
meet
the
rebels
at
Shahgunge
early
in
July
,
and
we
beat
them
back
for
a
time
,
but
our
powder
gave
out
,
and
we
had
to
fall
back
upon
the
city
.
'
Nothing
but
the
worst
news
came
to
us
from
every
side
—
which
is
not
to
be
wondered
at
,
for
if
you
look
at
the
map
you
will
see
that
we
were
right
in
the
heart
of
it
.
Lucknow
is
rather
better
than
a
hundred
miles
to
the
east
,
and
Cawnpore
about
as
far
to
the
south
.
From
every
point
on
the
compass
there
was
nothing
but
torture
and
murder
and
outrage
.
'
The
city
of
Agra
is
a
great
place
,
swarming
with
fanatics
and
fierce
devil-worshippers
of
all
sorts
.
Our
handful
of
men
were
lost
among
the
narrow
,
winding
streets
.
Our
leader
moved
across
the
river
,
therefore
,
and
took
up
his
position
in
the
old
fort
of
Agra
.
I
do
n't
know
if
any
of
you
gentlemen
have
ever
read
or
heard
anything
of
that
old
fort
.
It
is
a
very
queer
place
the
queerest
that
ever
I
was
in
,
and
I
have
been
in
some
rum
corners
,
too
.
First
of
all
it
is
enormous
in
size
.
I
should
think
that
the
enclosure
must
be
acres
and
acres
.
There
is
a
modern
part
,
which
took
all
our
garrison
,
women
,
children
,
stores
,
and
everything
else
,
with
plenty
of
room
over
.
But
the
modern
part
is
nothing
like
the
size
of
the
old
quarter
,
where
nobody
goes
,
and
which
is
given
over
to
the
scorpions
and
the
centipedes
.
It
is
all
full
of
great
deserted
halls
,
and
winding
passages
,
and
long
corridors
twisting
in
and
out
,
so
that
it
is
easy
enough
for
folk
to
get
lost
in
it
.
For
this
reason
it
was
seldom
that
anyone
went
into
it
,
though
now
and
again
a
party
with
torches
might
go
exploring
.
'
The
river
washes
along
the
front
of
the
old
fort
,
and
so
protects
it
,
but
on
the
sides
and
behind
there
are
many
doors
,
and
these
had
to
be
guarded
,
of
course
,
in
the
old
quarter
as
well
as
in
that
which
was
actually
held
by
our
troops
.
We
were
short-handed
,
with
hardly
men
enough
to
man
the
angles
of
the
building
and
to
serve
the
guns
.
It
was
impossible
for
us
,
therefore
,
to
station
a
strong
guard
at
every
one
of
the
innumerable
gates
.
What
we
did
was
to
organize
a
central
guard-house
in
the
middle
of
the
fort
,
and
to
leave
each
gate
under
the
charge
of
one
white
man
and
two
or
three
natives
.
I
was
selected
to
take
charge
during
certain
hours
of
the
night
of
a
small
isolated
door
upon
the
south-west
side
of
the
building
.
Two
Sikh
troopers
were
placed
under
my
command
,
and
I
was
instructed
if
anything
went
wrong
to
fire
my
musket
,
when
I
might
rely
upon
help
coming
at
once
from
the
central
guard
.
As
the
guard
was
a
good
two
hundred
paces
away
,
however
,
and
as
the
space
between
was
cut
up
into
a
labyrinth
of
passages
and
corridors
,
I
had
great
doubts
as
to
whether
they
could
arrive
in
time
to
be
of
any
use
in
case
of
an
actual
attack
.
'
Well
,
I
was
pretty
proud
at
having
this
small
command
given
me
,
since
I
was
a
raw
recruit
,
and
a
game-legged
one
at
that
.
For
two
nights
I
kept
the
watch
with
my
Punjaubees
.
They
were
tall
,
fierce-looking
chaps
,
Mahomet
Singh
and
Abdullah
Khan
by
name
,
both
old
fighting
men
,
who
had
borne
arms
against
us
at
Chilian
Wallah
.
They
could
talk
English
pretty
well
,
but
I
could
get
little
out
of
them
.
They
preferred
to
stand
together
and
jabber
all
night
in
their
queer
Sikh
lingo
.
For
myself
,
I
used
to
stand
outside
the
gateway
,
looking
down
on
the
broad
,
winding
river
and
on
the
twinkling
lights
of
the
great
city
.
The
beating
of
drums
,
the
rattle
of
tomtoms
,
and
the
yells
and
howls
of
the
rebels
,
drunk
with
opium
and
with
bang
,
were
enough
to
remind
us
all
night
of
our
dangerous
neighbours
across
the
stream
.
Every
two
hours
the
officer
of
the
night
used
to
come
round
to
all
the
posts
,
to
make
sure
that
all
was
well
.
'
The
third
night
of
my
watch
was
dark
and
dirty
,
with
a
small
driving
rain
.
It
was
dreary
work
standing
in
the
gateway
hour
after
hour
in
such
weather
.
I
tried
again
and
again
to
make
my
Sikhs
talk
,
but
without
much
success
.
At
two
in
the
morning
the
rounds
passed
,
and
broke
for
a
moment
the
weariness
of
the
night
.
Finding
that
my
companions
would
not
be
led
into
conversation
,
I
took
out
my
pipe
,
and
laid
down
my
musket
to
strike
the
match
.
In
an
instant
the
two
Sikhs
were
upon
me
.
One
of
them
snatched
my
firelock
up
and
levelled
it
at
my
head
,
while
the
other
held
a
great
knife
to
my
throat
and
swore
between
his
teeth
that
he
would
plunge
it
into
me
if
I
moved
a
step
.
'
My
first
thought
was
that
these
fellows
were
in
league
with
the
rebels
,
and
that
this
was
the
beginning
of
an
assault
.
If
our
door
were
in
the
hands
of
the
Sepoys
the
place
must
fall
,
and
the
women
and
children
be
treated
as
they
were
in
Cawnpore
.
Maybe
you
gentlemen
think
that
I
am
just
making
out
a
case
for
myself
,
but
I
give
you
my
word
that
when
I
thought
of
that
,
though
I
felt
the
point
of
the
knife
at
my
throat
,
I
opened
my
mouth
with
the
intention
of
giving
a
scream
,
if
it
was
my
last
one
,
which
might
alarm
the
main
guard
.
The
man
who
held
me
seemed
to
know
my
thoughts
;
for
,
even
as
I
braced
myself
to
it
,
he
whispered
:
"
Do
n't
make
a
noise
.
The
fort
is
safe
enough
.
There
are
no
rebel
dogs
on
this
side
of
the
river
.
"
There
was
the
ring
of
truth
in
what
he
said
,
and
I
knew
that
if
I
raised
my
voice
I
was
a
dead
man
.
I
could
read
it
in
the
fellow
's
brown
eyes
.
I
waited
,
therefore
,
in
silence
,
to
see
what
it
was
that
they
wanted
from
me
.
'
"
Listen
to
me
,
Sahib
,
"
said
the
taller
and
fiercer
of
the
pair
,
the
one
whom
they
called
Abdullah
Khan
.
"
You
must
either
be
with
us
now
,
or
you
must
be
silenced
for
ever
.
The
thing
is
too
great
a
one
for
us
to
hesitate
.
Either
you
are
heart
and
soul
with
us
on
your
oath
on
the
cross
of
the
Christians
,
or
your
body
this
night
shall
be
thrown
into
the
ditch
,
and
we
shall
pass
over
to
our
brothers
in
the
rebel
army
.
There
is
no
middle
way
.
Which
is
it
to
be
—
death
or
life
?
We
can
only
give
you
three
minutes
to
decide
,
for
the
time
is
passing
,
and
all
must
be
done
before
the
rounds
come
again
.
"
'
"
How
can
I
decide
?
"
said
I
.
"
You
have
not
told
me
what
you
want
of
me
.
But
I
tell
you
now
that
if
it
is
anything
against
the
safety
of
the
fort
I
will
have
no
truck
with
it
,
so
you
can
drive
home
your
knife
and
welcome
.
"
'
"
It
is
nothing
against
the
fort
,
"
said
he
.
"
We
only
ask
you
to
do
that
which
your
countrymen
come
to
this
land
for
.
We
ask
you
to
be
rich
.
If
you
will
be
one
of
us
this
night
,
we
will
swear
to
you
upon
the
naked
knife
,
and
by
the
threefold
oath
which
no
Sikh
was
ever
known
to
break
,
that
you
shall
have
your
fair
share
of
the
loot
.
A
quarter
of
the
treasure
shall
be
yours
.
We
can
say
no
fairer
.
"
'
"
But
what
is
the
treasure
,
then
?
"
I
asked
.
"
I
am
as
ready
to
be
rich
as
you
can
be
,
if
you
will
but
show
me
how
it
can
be
done
.
"
'
"
You
will
swear
,
then
,
"
said
he
,
"
by
the
bones
of
your
father
,
by
the
honour
of
your
mother
,
by
the
cross
of
your
faith
,
to
raise
no
hand
and
speak
no
word
against
us
,
either
now
or
afterwards
?
"
'
"
I
will
swear
it
,
"
I
answered
,
"
provided
that
the
fort
is
not
endangered
.
"
'
"
Then
my
comrade
and
I
will
swear
that
you
shall
have
a
quarter
of
the
treasure
which
shall
be
equally
divided
among
the
four
of
us
.
"
'
"
There
are
but
three
,
"
said
I
.
'
"
No
;
Dost
Akbar
must
have
this
share
.
We
can
tell
the
tale
to
you
while
we
wait
them
.
Do
you
stand
at
the
gate
Mahomet
Singh
,
and
give
notice
of
their
coming
.
The
thing
stands
thus
,
Sahib
,
and
I
tell
it
to
you
because
I
know
that
an
oath
is
binding
upon
a
Feringhee
,
and
that
we
may
trust
you
.
Had
you
been
a
lying
Hindoo
,
though
you
had
sworn
by
all
the
gods
in
their
false
temples
,
your
blood
would
have
been
upon
the
knife
and
your
body
in
the
water
.
But
the
Sikh
knows
the
Englishman
,
and
the
Englishman
knows
the
Sikh
.
Hearken
,
then
,
to
what
I
have
to
say
.
'
"
There
is
a
rajah
in
the
northern
provinces
who
has
much
wealth
,
though
his
lands
are
small
.
Much
has
come
to
him
from
his
father
,
and
more
still
he
has
set
by
himself
,
for
he
is
of
a
low
nature
,
and
hoards
his
gold
rather
than
spend
it
.
When
the
troubles
broke
out
he
would
be
friends
both
with
the
lion
and
the
tiger
—
with
the
Sepoy
and
with
the
Company
's
Raj
.
Soon
,
however
,
it
seemed
to
him
that
the
white
men
's
day
was
come
,
for
through
all
the
land
he
could
hear
of
nothing
but
of
their
death
and
their
overthrow
.
Yet
,
being
a
careful
man
,
he
made
such
plans
that
,
come
what
might
,
half
at
least
of
his
treasure
should
be
left
to
him
.
That
which
was
in
gold
and
silver
he
kept
by
him
in
the
vaults
of
his
palace
,
but
the
most
precious
stones
and
the
choicest
pearls
that
he
had
he
put
in
an
iron
box
,
and
sent
it
by
a
trusty
servant
,
who
,
under
the
guise
of
a
merchant
,
should
take
it
to
the
fort
at
Agra
,
there
to
lie
until
the
land
is
at
peace
.
Thus
,
if
the
rebels
won
he
would
have
his
money
,
but
if
the
Company
conquered
his
jewels
would
be
saved
to
him
.
Having
thus
divided
his
hoard
,
he
threw
himself
into
the
cause
of
the
Sepoys
,
since
they
were
strong
upon
his
borders
.
By
his
doing
this
,
mark
you
,
Sahib
,
his
property
becomes
the
due
of
those
who
have
been
true
to
their
salt
.
'
"
This
pretended
merchant
,
who
travels
under
the
name
of
Achmet
,
is
now
in
the
city
of
Agra
,
and
desires
to
gain
his
way
into
the
fort
.
He
has
with
him
as
travelling-companion
my
foster-brother
Dost
Akbar
,
who
knows
his
secret
.
Dost
Akbar
has
promised
this
night
to
lead
him
to
a
side-postern
of
the
fort
,
and
has
chosen
this
one
for
his
purpose
.
Here
he
will
come
presently
,
and
here
he
will
find
Mahomet
Singh
and
myself
awaiting
him
.
The
place
is
lonely
,
and
none
shall
know
of
his
coming
.
The
world
shall
know
of
the
merchant
Achmet
no
more
,
but
the
great
treasure
of
the
rajah
shall
be
divided
among
us
.
What
say
you
to
it
,
Sahib
?
"
'
In
Worcestershire
the
life
of
a
man
seems
a
great
and
a
sacred
thing
;
but
it
is
very
different
when
there
is
fire
and
blood
all
round
you
,
and
you
have
been
used
to
meeting
death
at
every
turn
.
Whether
Achmet
the
merchant
lived
or
died
was
a
thing
as
light
as
air
to
me
,
but
at
the
talk
about
the
treasure
my
heart
turned
to
it
,
and
I
thought
of
what
I
might
do
in
the
old
country
with
it
,
and
how
my
folk
would
stare
when
they
saw
their
ne'er-do
weel
coming
back
with
his
pockets
full
of
gold
moidores
.
I
had
,
therefore
,
already
made
up
my
mind
.
Abdullah
Khan
,
however
,
thinking
that
I
hesitated
,
pressed
the
matter
more
closely
.
'
"
Consider
,
Sahib
,
"
said
he
,
"
that
if
this
man
is
taken
by
the
commandant
he
will
be
hung
or
shot
,
and
his
jewels
taken
by
the
Government
,
so
that
no
man
will
be
a
rupee
the
better
for
them
.
Now
,
since
we
do
the
taking
of
him
,
why
should
we
not
do
the
rest
as
well
?
The
jewels
will
be
as
well
with
us
as
in
the
Company
's
coffers
.
There
will
be
enough
to
make
everyone
of
us
rich
men
and
great
chiefs
.
No
one
can
know
about
the
matter
,
for
here
we
are
cut
off
from
all
men
.
What
could
be
better
for
the
purpose
?
Say
again
,
then
,
Sahib
,
whether
you
are
with
us
,
or
if
we
must
look
upon
you
as
an
enemy
.
"
'
"
I
am
with
you
heart
and
soul
,
"
said
I
.
'
"
It
is
will
,
"
he
answered
,
handing
me
back
my
firelock
.
"
You
see
that
we
trust
you
,
for
your
word
,
like
ours
,
is
not
to
be
broken
.
We
have
now
only
to
wait
for
my
brother
and
the
merchant
.
"
'
"
Does
you
brother
know
,
then
,
of
what
you
will
do
?
"
I
asked
.
'
"
The
plan
is
his
.
He
has
devised
it
.
We
will
go
to
the
gate
and
share
the
watch
with
Mahomet
Singh
.
"
'
The
rain
was
still
falling
steadily
,
for
it
was
just
the
beginning
of
the
wet
season
.
Brown
,
heavy
clouds
were
drifting
across
the
sky
,
and
it
was
hard
to
see
more
than
a
stonecast
.
A
deep
moat
lay
in
front
of
our
door
,
but
the
water
was
in
places
nearly
dried
up
,
and
it
could
easily
be
crossed
.
It
was
strange
to
me
to
be
standing
there
with
those
two
wild
Punjaubees
waiting
for
the
man
who
was
coming
to
his
death
.
'
Suddenly
my
eye
caught
the
glint
of
a
shaded
lantern
at
the
other
side
of
the
moat
.
It
vanished
among
the
mound-heaps
,
and
then
appeared
again
coming
slowly
in
our
direction
.
'
"
Here
they
are
!
"
I
exclaimed
.
'
"
You
will
challenge
him
,
Sahib
,
as
usual
,
"
whispered
Abdullah
.
"
Give
him
no
cause
for
fear
.
Send
us
in
with
him
,
and
we
shall
do
the
rest
while
you
stay
here
on
guard
.
Have
the
lantern
ready
to
uncover
,
that
we
may
be
sure
that
it
is
indeed
the
man
.
"
'
The
light
had
flickered
onwards
,
now
stopping
and
now
advancing
,
until
I
could
see
two
dark
figures
upon
the
other
side
of
the
moat
.
I
let
them
scramble
down
the
sloping
bank
,
splash
through
the
mire
,
and
climb
half-way
up
to
the
gate
,
before
I
challenged
them
.
'
"
Who
goes
there
?
"
said
I
,
in
a
subdued
voice
.
'
"
Friends
,
"
came
the
answer
.
I
uncovered
my
lantern
and
threw
a
flood
of
light
upon
them
.
The
first
was
an
enormous
Sikh
,
with
a
black
beard
which
swept
nearly
down
to
his
cummerbund
.
Outside
of
a
show
I
have
never
seen
so
tall
a
man
.
The
other
was
a
little
fat
,
round
fellow
,
with
a
great
yellow
turban
,
and
a
bundle
in
his
hand
,
done
up
in
a
shawl
.
He
seemed
to
be
all
in
a
quiver
with
fear
,
for
his
hands
twitched
as
if
he
had
the
ague
,
and
his
head
kept
turning
to
left
and
right
with
two
bright
little
twinkling
eyes
,
like
a
mouse
when
he
ventures
out
from
his
hole
.
It
gave
me
the
chills
to
think
of
killing
him
,
but
I
thought
of
the
treasure
,
and
my
heart
set
as
hard
as
a
flint
within
me
.
When
he
saw
my
white
face
he
gave
a
little
chirrup
of
joy
,
and
came
running
up
towards
me
.
'
"
Your
protection
,
Sahib
,
"
he
panted
,
"
your
protection
for
the
unhappy
merchant
Achmet
.
I
have
travelled
across
Rajpootana
that
I
might
seek
the
shelter
of
the
fort
at
Agra
.
I
have
been
robbed
and
beaten
and
abused
because
I
have
been
the
friend
of
the
Company
.
It
is
a
blessed
night
this
when
I
am
once
more
in
safety
—
I
and
my
poor
possessions
.
"
'
"
What
have
you
in
the
bundle
?
"
I
asked
.
'
"
An
iron
box
,
"
he
answered
,
"
which
contains
one
or
two
little
family
matters
which
are
of
no
value
to
others
,
but
which
I
should
be
sorry
to
lose
.
Yet
I
am
not
a
beggar
;
and
I
shall
reward
you
,
young
Sahib
,
and
your
governor
also
,
if
he
will
give
me
the
shelter
I
ask
.
"
'
I
could
not
trust
myself
to
speak
longer
with
the
man
.
The
more
I
looked
at
his
fat
,
frightened
face
,
the
harder
did
it
seem
that
we
should
slay
him
in
cold
blood
.
It
was
best
to
get
it
over
.
'
"
Take
him
to
the
main
guard
,
"
said
I
.
The
two
Sikhs
closed
in
upon
him
on
each
side
,
and
the
giant
walked
behind
,
while
they
marched
in
through
the
dark
gateway
.
Never
was
a
man
so
compassed
round
with
death
.
I
remained
at
the
gateway
with
the
lantern
.
'
I
could
hear
the
measured
tramp
of
their
footsteps
sounding
through
the
lonely
corridors
.
Suddenly
it
ceased
,
and
I
heard
voices
,
and
a
scuffle
,
with
the
sound
of
blows
.
A
moment
later
there
came
,
to
my
horror
,
a
rush
of
footsteps
coming
in
my
direction
,
with
a
loud
breathing
of
a
running
man
.
I
turned
my
lantern
down
the
long
straight
passage
,
and
there
was
the
fat
man
,
running
like
the
wind
,
with
a
smear
of
blood
across
his
face
,
and
close
at
his
heels
,
bounding
like
a
tiger
,
the
great
black-bearded
Sikh
,
with
a
knife
flashing
in
his
hand
.
I
have
never
seen
a
man
run
so
fast
as
that
little
merchant
.
He
was
gaining
on
the
Sikh
,
and
I
could
see
that
if
he
once
passed
me
and
got
to
the
open
air
he
would
save
himself
yet
.
My
heart
softened
to
him
,
but
again
the
thought
of
his
treasure
turned
me
hard
and
bitter
.
I
cast
my
firelock
between
his
legs
as
he
raced
past
,
and
he
rolled
twice
over
like
a
shot
rabbit
.
Ere
he
could
stagger
to
his
feet
the
Sikh
was
upon
him
,
and
buried
his
knife
twice
in
his
side
.
The
man
never
uttered
moan
nor
moved
muscle
,
but
lay
where
he
had
fallen
.
I
think
myself
that
he
may
have
broken
his
neck
with
the
fall
.
You
see
,
gentlemen
,
that
I
am
keeping
my
promise
.
I
am
telling
you
every
word
of
the
business
just
exactly
as
it
happened
,
whether
it
is
in
my
favour
or
not
.
'
He
stopped
,
and
held
out
his
manacled
hands
for
the
whisky-and-water
which
Holmes
had
brewed
for
him
.
For
myself
,
I
confess
that
I
had
now
conceived
the
utmost
horror
of
the
man
,
not
only
for
this
cold-blooded
business
in
which
he
had
been
concerned
,
but
even
more
for
the
somewhat
flippant
and
careless
way
in
which
he
narrated
it
.
Whatever
punishment
was
in
store
for
him
,
I
felt
that
he
might
expect
no
sympathy
from
me
.
Sherlock
Holmes
and
Jones
sat
with
their
hands
upon
their
knees
,
deeply
interested
in
the
story
,
but
with
the
same
disgust
written
upon
their
faces
.
He
may
have
observed
it
,
for
there
was
a
touch
of
defiance
in
his
voice
and
manner
as
he
proceeded
.
'
It
was
all
very
bad
,
no
doubt
,
'
said
he
.
'
I
should
like
to
know
how
many
fellows
in
my
shoes
would
have
refused
a
share
of
this
loot
when
they
knew
that
they
would
have
their
throats
cut
for
their
pains
.
Besides
,
it
was
my
life
or
his
when
once
he
was
in
the
fort
.
If
he
had
got
out
,
the
whole
business
would
come
to
light
,
and
I
should
have
been
court-martialled
and
shot
as
likely
as
not
;
for
people
were
not
very
lenient
at
a
time
like
that
.
'
'
Go
on
with
your
story
,
'
said
Holmes
shortly
.
'
Well
,
we
carried
him
in
,
Abdullah
,
Akbar
,
and
I
.
A
fine
weight
he
was
,
too
,
for
all
that
he
was
so
short
.
Mahomet
Singh
was
left
to
guard
the
door
.
We
took
him
to
a
place
which
the
Sikhs
had
already
prepared
.
It
was
some
distance
off
,
where
a
winding
passage
leads
to
a
great
empty
hall
,
the
brick
walls
of
which
were
all
crumbling
to
pieces
.
The
earth
floor
had
sunk
in
at
one
place
,
making
a
natural
grave
,
so
we
left
Achmet
the
merchant
there
,
having
first
covered
him
over
with
loose
bricks
.
This
done
,
we
all
went
back
to
the
treasure
.
'
It
lay
where
he
had
dropped
it
when
he
was
first
attacked
.
The
box
was
the
same
which
now
lies
open
upon
your
table
.
A
key
was
hung
by
a
silken
cord
to
that
carved
handle
upon
the
top
.
We
opened
it
,
and
the
light
of
the
lantern
gleamed
upon
a
collection
of
gems
such
as
I
have
read
of
and
thought
about
when
I
was
a
little
lad
at
Pershore
.
It
was
blinding
to
look
upon
them
.
When
we
had
feasted
our
eyes
we
took
them
all
out
and
made
a
list
of
them
.
There
were
one
hundred
and
forty-three
diamonds
of
the
first
water
,
including
one
which
has
been
called
,
I
believe
,
"
the
Great
Mogul
,
"
and
is
said
to
be
the
second
largest
stone
in
existence
.
Then
there
were
ninety-seven
very
fine
emeralds
,
and
one
hundred
and
seventy
rubies
,
some
of
which
,
however
,
were
small
.
There
were
forty
carbuncles
,
two
hundred
and
ten
sapphires
,
sixty-one
agates
,
and
a
great
quantity
of
beryls
,
onyxes
,
cats'-eyes
,
turquoises
,
and
other
stones
,
the
very
names
of
which
I
did
not
know
at
the
time
,
though
I
have
become
more
familiar
with
them
since
.
Besides
this
,
there
were
nearly
three
hundred
very
fine
pearls
,
twelve
of
which
were
set
in
a
gold
coronet
.
By
the
way
,
these
last
had
been
taken
out
of
the
chest
,
and
were
not
there
when
I
recovered
it
.
'
After
we
had
counted
our
treasures
we
put
them
back
into
the
chest
and
carried
them
to
the
gateway
to
show
them
to
Mahomet
Singh
.
Then
we
solemnly
renewed
our
oath
to
stand
by
each
other
and
be
true
to
our
secret
.
We
agreed
to
conceal
our
loot
in
a
safe
place
until
the
country
should
be
at
peace
again
,
and
then
to
divide
it
equally
among
ourselves
.
There
was
no
use
dividing
it
at
present
,
for
if
gems
of
such
value
were
found
upon
us
it
would
cause
suspicion
,
and
there
was
no
privacy
in
the
fort
nor
any
place
where
we
could
keep
them
.
We
carried
the
box
,
therefore
,
into
the
same
hall
where
we
had
buried
the
body
,
and
there
,
under
certain
bricks
in
the
best-preserved
wall
,
we
made
a
hollow
and
put
our
treasure
.
We
made
careful
note
of
the
place
,
and
next
day
I
drew
four
plans
,
one
for
each
of
us
,
and
put
the
sign
of
the
four
of
us
at
the
bottom
,
for
we
had
sworn
that
we
should
each
always
act
for
all
,
so
that
none
might
take
advantage
.
That
is
an
oath
that
I
can
put
my
hand
to
my
heart
and
swear
that
I
have
never
broken
.
'
Well
,
there
's
no
use
my
telling
you
gentlemen
what
came
of
the
Indian
mutiny
.
After
Wilson
took
Delhi
and
Sir
Colin
relieved
Lucknow
the
back
of
the
business
was
broken
.
Fresh
troops
came
pouring
in
,
and
Nana
Sahib
made
himself
scarce
over
the
frontier
.
A
flying
column
under
Colonel
Greathed
came
round
to
Agra
and
cleared
the
Pandies
away
from
it
.
Peace
seemed
to
be
settling
upon
the
country
,
and
we
four
were
beginning
to
hope
that
the
time
was
at
hand
when
we
might
safely
go
off
with
our
shares
of
the
plunder
.
In
a
moment
,
however
,
our
hopes
were
shattered
by
our
being
arrested
as
the
murderers
of
Achmet
.
'
It
came
about
in
this
way
.
When
the
rajah
put
his
jewels
into
the
hands
of
Achmet
he
did
it
because
he
knew
that
he
was
a
trusty
man
.
They
are
suspicious
folk
in
the
East
,
however
:
so
what
does
this
rajah
do
but
take
a
second
even
more
trusty
servant
and
set
him
to
play
the
spy
upon
the
first
?
This
second
man
was
ordered
never
to
let
Achmet
out
of
his
sight
,
and
he
followed
him
like
his
shadow
.
He
went
after
him
that
night
,
and
saw
him
pass
through
the
doorway
.
Of
course
he
thought
he
had
taken
refuge
in
the
fort
,
and
applied
for
admission
there
himself
next
day
,
but
could
find
no
trace
of
Achmet
.
This
seemed
to
him
so
strange
that
he
spoke
about
it
to
a
sergeant
of
guides
,
who
brought
it
to
the
ears
of
the
commandant
.
A
thorough
search
was
quickly
made
,
and
the
body
was
discovered
.
Thus
at
the
very
moment
that
we
thought
that
all
was
safe
we
were
all
four
seized
and
brought
to
trial
on
a
charge
of
murder
—
three
of
us
because
we
had
held
the
gate
that
night
,
and
the
fourth
because
he
was
known
to
have
been
in
the
company
of
the
murdered
man
.
Not
a
word
about
the
jewels
came
out
at
the
trial
,
for
the
rajah
had
been
deposed
and
driven
out
of
India
:
so
no
one
had
any
particular
interest
in
them
.
The
murder
,
however
,
was
clearly
made
out
,
and
it
was
certain
that
we
must
all
have
been
concerned
in
it
.
The
three
Sikhs
got
penal
servitude
for
life
,
and
I
was
condemned
to
death
,
though
my
sentence
was
aftewards
commuted
into
the
same
as
the
others
.
'
It
was
rather
a
queer
position
that
we
found
ourselves
in
then
.
There
we
were
all
four
tied
by
the
leg
and
with
precious
little
chance
of
ever
getting
out
again
,
while
we
each
held
a
secret
which
might
have
put
each
of
us
in
a
palace
if
we
could
only
have
made
use
of
it
.
It
was
enough
to
make
a
man
eat
his
heart
out
to
have
to
stand
the
kick
and
the
cuff
of
every
petty
jack-in-office
,
to
have
rice
to
eat
and
water
to
drink
,
when
that
gorgeous
fortune
was
ready
for
him
outside
,
just
waiting
to
be
picked
up
.
It
might
have
driven
me
mad
;
but
I
was
always
a
pretty
stubborn
one
,
so
I
just
held
on
and
bided
my
time
.
'
At
last
it
seemed
to
me
to
have
come
.
I
was
changed
from
Agra
to
Madras
,
and
from
there
to
Blair
Island
in
the
Andamans
.
There
are
very
few
white
convicts
at
this
settlement
,
and
,
as
I
had
behaved
well
from
the
first
,
I
soon
found
myself
a
sort
of
privileged
person
.
I
was
given
a
hut
in
Hope
Town
,
which
is
a
small
place
on
the
slopes
of
Mount
Harriet
,
and
I
was
left
pretty
much
to
myself
.
It
is
a
dreary
,
fever-stricken
place
,
and
all
beyond
our
little
clearings
was
infested
with
wild
cannibal
natives
,
who
were
ready
enough
to
blow
a
poisoned
dart
at
us
if
they
saw
a
chance
.
There
was
digging
and
ditching
and
yam-planting
,
and
a
dozen
other
things
to
be
done
,
so
we
were
busy
enough
all
day
;
though
in
the
evening
we
had
a
little
time
to
ourselves
.
Among
other
things
,
I
learned
to
dispense
drugs
for
the
surgeon
,
and
picked
up
a
smattering
of
his
knowledge
.
All
the
time
I
was
on
the
look-out
for
a
chance
of
escape
;
but
it
is
hundreds
of
miles
from
any
other
land
,
and
there
is
little
or
no
wind
in
those
seas
:
so
it
was
a
terribly
difficult
job
to
get
away
.
'
The
surgeon
,
Dr.
Somerton
,
was
a
fast
,
sporting
young
chap
,
and
the
other
young
officers
would
meet
in
his
rooms
of
an
evening
and
play
cards
.
The
surgery
,
where
I
used
to
make
up
my
drugs
,
was
next
to
his
sitting-room
,
with
a
small
window
between
us
.
Often
,
if
I
felt
lonesome
,
I
used
to
turn
out
the
lamp
in
the
surgery
,
and
then
,
standing
there
,
I
could
hear
their
talk
and
watch
their
play
.
I
am
fond
of
a
hand
at
cards
myself
,
and
it
was
almost
as
good
as
having
one
to
watch
the
others
.
There
was
Major
Sholto
,
Captain
Morstan
,
and
Lieutenant
Bromley
Brown
,
who
were
in
command
of
the
native
troops
,
and
there
was
the
surgeon
himself
,
and
two
or
three
prison-officials
,
crafty
old
hands
who
played
a
nice
sly
safe
game
.
A
very
snug
little
party
they
used
to
make
.
'
Well
,
there
was
one
thing
which
very
soon
struck
me
,
and
that
was
that
the
soldiers
used
always
to
lose
and
the
civilians
to
win
.
Mind
,
Ido
n't
say
there
was
anything
unfair
,
but
so
it
was
.
These
prison-chaps
had
done
little
else
than
play
cards
ever
since
they
had
been
at
the
Andamans
,
and
they
knew
each
other
's
game
to
a
point
,
while
the
others
just
played
to
pass
the
time
and
threw
their
cards
down
anyhow
.
Night
after
night
the
soldiers
got
up
poorer
men
,
and
the
poorer
they
got
the
more
keen
they
were
to
play
.
Major
Sholto
was
the
hardest
hit
.
He
used
to
pay
in
notes
and
gold
at
first
,
but
soon
it
came
to
notes
of
hand
and
for
big
sums
.
He
sometimes
would
win
for
a
few
deals
,
just
to
give
him
heart
,
and
then
the
luck
would
set
in
against
him
worse
than
ever
.
All
day
he
would
wander
about
as
black
as
thunder
,
and
he
took
to
drinking
a
deal
more
than
was
good
for
him
.
'
One
night
he
lost
even
more
heavily
than
usual
.
I
was
sitting
in
my
hut
when
he
and
Captain
Morstan
came
stumbling
along
on
the
way
to
their
quarters
.
They
were
bosom
friends
,
those
two
,
and
never
far
apart
.
The
Major
was
raving
about
his
losses
.
'
"
It
's
all
up
,
Morstan
,
"
he
was
saying
,
as
they
passed
my
hut
.
"
I
shall
have
to
send
in
my
papers
.
I
am
a
ruined
man
.
"
'
"
Nonsense
,
old
chap
!
"
said
the
other
,
slapping
him
upon
the
shoulder
.
"
I
've
had
a
nasty
facer
myself
,
but
—
"
That
was
all
I
could
hear
,
but
it
was
enough
to
set
me
thinking
.
'
A
couple
of
days
later
Major
Sholto
was
strolling
on
the
beach
:
so
I
took
the
chance
of
speaking
to
him
.
'
"
I
wish
to
have
your
advice
,
Major
,
"
said
I
.
'
"
Well
,
Small
,
what
is
it
?
"
he
asked
,
taking
his
cheroot
from
his
lips
.
'
"
I
wanted
to
ask
you
,
sir
,
"
said
I
,
"
who
is
the
proper
person
to
whom
hidden
treasure
should
be
handed
over
.
I
know
where
half
a
million
worth
lies
,
and
,
as
I
cannot
use
it
myself
,
I
thought
perhaps
the
best
thing
that
I
could
do
would
be
to
hand
it
over
to
the
proper
authorities
,
and
then
perhaps
they
would
get
my
sentence
shortened
for
me
.
"
'
"
Half
a
million
,
Small
?
"
he
gasped
,
looking
hard
at
me
to
see
if
I
was
in
earnest
.
'
"
Quite
that
,
sir
—
in
jewels
and
pearls
.
It
lies
there
ready
for
anyone
.
And
the
queer
thing
about
it
is
that
the
real
owner
is
outlawed
and
cannot
hold
property
,
so
that
it
belongs
to
the
first
comer
.
"
'
"
To
Government
,
Small
,
"
he
stammered
,
"
to
Government
.
"
But
he
said
it
in
a
halting
fashion
,
and
I
knew
in
my
heart
that
I
had
got
him
.
'
"
You
think
,
then
,
sir
,
that
I
should
give
the
information
to
the
Governor-General
?
"
said
I
quietly
.
'
"
Well
,
well
,
you
must
not
do
anything
rash
,
or
that
you
might
repent
.
Let
me
hear
all
about
it
,
Small
.
Give
me
the
facts
.
"
'
I
told
him
the
whole
story
,
with
small
changes
,
so
that
he
could
not
identify
the
places
.
When
I
had
finished
he
stood
stock
still
and
full
of
thought
.
I
could
see
by
the
twitch
of
his
lip
that
there
was
a
struggle
going
on
within
him
.
'
"
This
is
a
very
important
matter
,
Small
,
"
he
said
at
last
.
"
You
must
not
say
a
word
to
anyone
about
it
,
and
I
shall
see
you
again
soon
.
"
'
Two
nights
later
he
and
his
friend
,
Captain
Morstan
,
came
to
my
hut
in
the
dead
of
the
night
with
a
lantern
.
'
"
I
want
you
just
to
let
Captain
Morstan
hear
that
story
from
your
own
lips
,
Small
,
"
said
he
.
'
I
repeated
it
as
I
had
told
it
before
.
'
"
It
rings
true
,
eh
?
"
said
he
.
"
It
's
good
enough
to
act
upon
?
"
'
Captain
Morstan
nodded
.
'
"
Look
here
,
Small
,
"
said
the
Major
.
"
We
have
been
talking
it
over
,
my
friend
here
and
I
,
and
we
have
come
to
the
conclusion
that
this
secret
of
yours
is
hardly
a
Government
matter
,
after
all
,
but
is
a
private
concern
of
your
own
,
which
of
course
you
have
the
power
of
disposing
of
as
you
think
best
.
Now
the
question
is
,
What
price
would
you
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
a
cool
,
careless
way
,
but
his
eyes
were
shining
with
excitement
and
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
make
.
I
shall
want
you
to
help
me
to
my
freedom
,
and
to
help
my
three
companions
to
theirs
.
We
shall
then
take
you
into
partnership
,
and
give
you
a
fifth
share
to
divide
between
you
.
"
'
"
Hum
!
"
said
he
.
"
A
fifth
share
!
That
is
not
very
tempting
.
"
'
"
It
would
come
to
fifty
thousand
apiece
,
"
said
I
.
'
"
But
how
can
we
gain
your
freedom
?
You
know
very
well
that
you
ask
an
impossibility
.
"
'
"
Nothing
of
the
sort
,
"
I
answered
.
"
I
have
thought
it
all
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
are
plenty
of
little
yachts
and
yawls
at
Calcutta
or
Madras
which
would
serve
our
turn
well
.
Do
you
bring
one
over
.
We
shall
engage
to
get
aboard
her
by
night
,
and
if
you
will
drop
us
on
any
part
of
the
Indian
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
.
"
'
"
You
see
,
Morstan
,
"
said
he
,
"
Small
is
a
man
of
his
word
.
He
does
not
flinch
from
his
friends
.
I
think
we
may
very
well
trust
him
.
"
'
"
It
's
a
dirty
business
,
"
the
other
answered
.
"
Yet
,
as
you
say
,
the
money
will
save
our
commissions
handsomely
.
"
'
"
Well
,
Small
,
"
said
the
Major
,
"
we
must
,
I
suppose
,
try
and
meet
you
.
We
must
first
,
of
course
,
test
the
truth
of
your
story
.
Tell
me
where
the
box
is
hid
,
and
I
shall
get
leave
of
absence
and
go
back
to
India
in
the
monthly
relief-boat
to
inquire
into
the
affair
.
"
'
"
Not
so
fast
,
"
said
I
,
growing
colder
as
he
got
hot
.
"
I
must
have
the
consent
of
my
three
comrades
.
I
tell
you
that
it
is
four
or
none
with
us
.
"
'
"
Nonsense
!
"
he
broke
in
.
"
What
have
three
black
fellows
to
do
with
our
agreement
?
"
'
"
Black
or
blue
,
"
said
I
,
"
they
are
in
with
me
,
and
we
all
go
together
.
"
'
Well
,
the
matter
ended
by
a
second
meeting
,
at
which
Mahomet
Singh
,
Abdullah
Khan
,
and
Dost
Akbar
were
all
present
.
We
talked
the
matter
over
again
,
and
at
last
we
came
to
an
arrangement
.
We
were
to
provide
both
the
officers
with
charts
of
the
part
of
the
Agra
fort
,
and
mark
the
place
in
the
wall
where
the
treasure
was
hid
.
Major
Sholto
was
to
go
to
India
to
test
our
story
.
If
he
found
the
box
he
was
to
leave
it
there
,
to
send
out
a
small
yacht
provisioned
for
a
voyage
,
which
was
to
lie
off
Rutland
Island
,
and
to
which
we
were
to
make
our
way
,
and
finally
to
return
to
his
duties
.
Captain
Morstan
was
then
to
apply
for
leave
of
absence
,
to
meet
us
at
Agra
,
and
there
we
were
to
have
a
final
division
of
the
treasure
,
he
taking
the
Major
's
share
as
well
as
his
own
.
All
this
we
sealed
by
the
most
solemn
oaths
that
the
mind
could
think
or
the
lips
utter
.
I
sat
up
all
night
with
paper
and
ink
,
and
by
the
morning
I
had
the
two
charts
all
ready
,
signed
with
the
sign
of
four
—
that
is
,
of
Abdullah
,
Akbar
,
Mahomet
,
and
myself
.
'
Well
,
gentlemen
,
I
weary
you
with
my
long
story
,
and
I
know
that
my
friend
Mr.
Jones
is
impatient
to
get
me
safely
stowed
in
chokey
.
I
'll
make
it
as
short
as
I
can
.
The
villain
Sholto
went
off
to
India
,
but
he
never
came
back
again
.
Captain
Morstan
showed
me
his
name
among
a
list
of
passengers
in
one
of
the
mail-boats
very
shortly
afterwards
.
His
uncle
had
died
,
leaving
him
a
fortune
,
and
he
had
left
the
army
;
yet
he
could
stoop
to
treat
five
men
as
he
had
treated
us
.
Morstan
went
over
to
Agra
shortly
afterwards
,
and
found
,
as
we
expected
,
that
the
treasure
was
indeed
gone
.
The
scoundrel
had
stolen
it
all
,
without
carrying
out
one
of
the
conditions
on
which
we
had
sold
him
the
secret
.
From
that
day
I
lived
only
for
vengeance
.
I
thought
of
it
by
day
and
I
nursed
it
by
night
.
It
became
an
overpowering
,
absorbing
passion
with
me
.
I
cared
nothing
for
the
law
—
nothing
for
the
gallows
.
To
escape
,
to
track
down
Sholto
,
to
have
my
hand
upon
his
throat
—
that
was
my
one
thought
.
Even
the
Agra
treasure
had
come
to
be
a
smaller
thing
in
my
mind
than
the
slaying
of
Sholto
.
'
Well
,
I
have
set
my
mind
on
many
things
in
this
life
,
and
never
one
which
I
did
not
carry
out
.
But
it
was
weary
years
before
my
time
came
.
I
have
told
you
that
I
had
picked
up
something
of
medicine
.
One
day
when
Dr.
Somerton
was
down
with
a
fever
a
little
Andaman
Islander
was
picked
up
by
a
convict-gang
in
the
woods
.
He
was
sick
to
death
,
and
had
gone
to
a
lonely
place
to
die
.
I
took
him
in
hand
,
though
he
was
as
venomous
as
a
young
snake
,
and
after
a
couple
of
months
I
got
him
all
right
and
able
to
walk
.
He
took
a
kind
of
fancy
to
me
then
,
and
would
hardly
go
back
to
his
woods
,
but
was
always
hanging
about
my
hut
.
I
learned
a
little
of
his
lingo
from
him
,
and
this
made
him
all
the
fonder
of
me
.
'
Tonga
—
for
that
was
his
name
—
was
a
fine
boatman
,
and
owned
a
big
,
roomy
canoe
of
his
own
.
When
I
found
that
he
was
devoted
to
me
and
would
do
anything
to
serve
me
,
I
saw
my
chance
of
escape
.
I
talked
it
over
with
him
.
He
was
to
bring
his
boat
round
on
a
certain
night
to
an
old
wharf
which
was
never
guarded
,
and
there
he
was
to
pick
me
up
.
I
gave
him
directions
to
have
several
gourds
of
water
and
a
lot
of
yams
,
cocoa-nuts
,
and
sweet
potatoes
.
'
He
was
stanch
and
true
,
was
little
Tonga
.
No
man
ever
had
a
more
faithful
mate
.
At
the
night
named
he
had
his
boat
at
the
wharf
.
As
it
chanced
,
however
,
there
was
one
of
the
convict
guard
down
there
—
a
vile
Pathan
who
had
never
missed
a
chance
of
insulting
and
injuring
me
.
I
had
always
vowed
vengeance
,
and
now
I
had
my
chance
.
It
was
as
if
fate
had
placed
him
in
my
way
that
I
might
pay
my
debt
before
I
left
the
island
.
He
stood
on
the
bank
with
his
back
to
me
,
and
his
carbine
on
his
shoulder
.
I
looked
about
for
a
stone
to
beat
out
his
brains
with
,
but
none
could
I
see
.
'
Then
a
queer
thought
came
into
my
head
,
and
showed
me
where
I
could
lay
my
hand
on
a
weapon
.
I
sat
down
in
the
darkness
and
unstrapped
my
wooden
leg
.
With
three
long
hops
I
was
on
him
.
He
put
his
carbine
to
his
shoulder
,
but
I
struck
him
full
,
and
knocked
the
whole
front
of
his
skull
in
.
You
can
see
the
split
in
the
wood
now
where
I
hit
him
.
We
both
went
down
together
,
for
I
could
not
keep
my
balance
;
but
when
I
got
up
I
found
him
still
lying
quiet
enough
.
I
made
for
the
boat
,
and
in
an
hour
we
were
well
out
at
sea
.
Tonga
had
brought
all
his
earthly
possessions
with
him
,
his
arms
and
his
gods
.
Among
other
things
,
he
had
a
long
bamboo
spear
,
and
some
Andaman
cocoa-nut
matting
,
with
which
I
made
a
sort
of
a
sail
.
For
ten
days
we
were
beating
about
,
trusting
to
luck
,
and
on
the
eleventh
we
were
picked
up
by
a
trader
which
was
going
from
Singapore
to
Jiddah
with
a
cargo
of
Malay
pilgrims
.
They
were
a
rum
crowd
,
and
Tonga
and
I
soon
managed
to
settle
down
among
them
.
They
had
one
very
good
quality
:
they
let
you
alone
and
asked
no
questions
