Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-08-04

III was.
aAnd nnhlished al over the world2n

| rNC doubt, SIT. i ne pOllCe duJHOTible1
! and regular press agents would have
taken good care of that point"
"Strange that no American paper has
mentioned the matter, so far as | am
aware" exclaimed Radd. "Was there a
report in the Cape Town papers?"
ayes, sir; full details. | furnished
them myself"
Again Radd smiled as singularly as
guardedly, while Hillington uttered a
sigh of relief, vigorously wiping flood
of perspiration from his face and fore
head, which had become quite flushed
under Radd's leading questions
al suppose handbills we're printed and
posted, offering reward for the assas-
sins?S was Radd's next question.
ayes, sir;S replied Hillington. eve
even sent them away in.the mails by the
thousand to all parts Of the world"
"How large was the reward. .offered?"
give thousand pounds, sirl"
'4ndeed? So much? h?%exclaimed Radd,
| with unmistakable interest "Was this
YOUR individual offer, or that of the
police authorities of Cape Town, or both
combined?"
at was my individual offer" replied
| Hillington, his flush deepening, and
shade of anger and annoyance beginning
to appear in his bearing
III wonder such an offer did not make
the circuit Of the globel' declared Radd;
"Strange we are all still in ignorance OF
it on this side of the oceanl But how
did you expect to pay such large re-
ward in case it should be claimed?"
"Why, out of the COlonels millions
Naturally. the bulk of the reward was
offered for the return of the money"
"And the balance? How would you
have paid that-if ] am not tiring you
too much with all these questions?"
@Out Of my own money, .sir--my say
ings for the last ten years.
"Ah, you have made yourself com
Portable, have you, in the service OF the
Colonel?"
"Well. to some extent, Mr.. Morcland, y
answered the newcomer. "The Colonel
has been paying me five hundred pounds
a year. Being a single man, have
saved the bulk of my salary, and have
invested it to excellent advantage. A
small beauest was left me by an Uncle,
and / took good care OF that. i nave
also bought and sold several pieces OF
real estate advantageously. In short,
have made my way upwards, and am
worth about S5O,000."
"Ouite handsome sum for man OF
YOUR age. Mr.. Hillington, remarked
Radd. speaking as carelessly as If he
handled the amount named every day.
aNone of the rewards offered were
claimed, however,"
"No, sir"
Radd cleared his throat vigorously at
this point, as if all he had said previously
had been paving the way to;a more rigid
investigation. "a
aHave you any documents referring to
this great tragedy, Mr.. Hillington?" ne
suddenly asked. "Any handbills, the
Cape Town papers, or what not?"
oceans of them, sir-oceans! One OF
nv trunks is partly filled with them.
But why do you ask, Mr.. Moreland?"
"In your interest, simply" and Radd
fixed such a glance upon the confidential
bookkeeper as hunter fixes upon'a rep
tile he is about to destroy. "You have
come here with a very strange story,
which you will soon have occasion to tell
to my sister-in-law and niece-to a
couple of ladies, warn you, as sharp as
the teeth of one of your East-lndian
tigers! Please bear In mind that you are
not dealing with two foolish old women
who are ready to believe the first lie you
may choose to invent"
.Lie?" interrupted Hillington, turning
pale with anger, as he sprang to his feet.
"Do you mean to say l am lying?"
eCertainly not" replied Radd. "Slt
down, Mr.. Hillington, and don't be Sc
ready to take offense where none is in
tended | am merely warning you that
YOU must gather up all yoIr documents,
proofs, or whatever may bear upon the
fate which has overtaken your late en-
ployer, and be ready to offer due con-
firmation of all you say, which of course
will cover the whole period subsequent
to your departure from Calcuttal"
"Ah. yes-thank you'll comprehend,
returned Hllington, who had grown de-
cidedly nervous, as he resumed his seat.
81 will act upon your suggestion and be
ready"
"Otherwise," insinuated Radd, with
that confidential air he knew so well how
10 assume, "the tales you tell may fall
under suspicion For instance, no one
In Cape Town knows any more about the
outlaws from Calcutta, suppose, than il
they had never eXisted?"
"Wel, suppose not" answered Hill
Iington, "seeing that they have not been
captured"
ain other terms, you are the sole au-
thority for all that relates to the ColonefS
death All the Cape Town people know
of the tremendous battle in Table Bay Is
what you have told theml How un-
fortunate that you are the sole survivor
of the schooner-yacht in which the
Colonel sailed from Calcutta! What a
dreadful misfortune it is that you do not
have a single witness to confirm youl
horrible story!"
Agnus Hillington sat as If paralyzed
with glare in his eyes like that of a
hunted beast of prey.
"But you were saying you spent sew
eral days in Cape Town, Mr.. Hillington,
continued Radd, without seeming to no
tice the confusion of the newcomer
"About how many?"
81 was there five days, or until one o1
the steamers of the Union Navigation
Company sailed for Southampton, wher
l took passage in her. She proved to b5
the Africa, the very slowest ship of the
feet. and in every way the most uncom
Portable ship was ever in. She is Sc
slow that she is jocularly called the
Skinner of the Seas. The passenger:
could never tire of making jokes about
her speed, and hardly a night passed
that some one did not request the cap
tain to hang out lantern astern to war;
off sailing craft which might otherwise