Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-09
CHAPTER xI
THE GRrAT AGRA TREASURE.


Our captive sat in the cabin opposite
To the iron box which he had done so
much and waited so long to gain. lie
was sunburned, rcckless.eyed fellow,
with u network Of lines and wrinkles
all over his mahogany features which
told of hard, open-air life. There
was singular prominence about his
bearded chin which marked a man
who was not to be easily turned from
his purpose, Ills agc may have been
fifty or thcreabouts, for his black,
curly hair was thickly shot with gray
His face In repose was not an un-
pleasing one, though his heavy brows
and aggressive chin gave him, as ! had
lately seen, terrible expression when
moved TO anger He sat now with ms
handculfcd hands upon his lap ard his
head SINK upon his breast, while he
looked with his keen, twinltling eyes
Mt the box which had been the cause
Of his ill-doings. II seemed to me that
there was more sorrow than anger in
his rigid and contained countcnance,
Once he looked up at Inc with CLEAN
of something like hnmor in his eyes
"Wel. Jonathan Small, said Holmes,
lighting cigar, 81 am sorry that 1t
has come TO this.
AND so am I,"he answered, frankly.
~ don't believe that can swing over
the job. give You my word on the
book that | never raised my hand
upainst Mr.. Sholto. 1t was that little
hcll-hound Tonga who shot one OF his
cursed darts into him. | had no part
In 1t, sir. was as grievcd as II 1T had
been my blood-relatlon. ! welted the
little devil with the slack end OF the
rope for It, but twas done, and could
not undo II agaln.'
"IIuve cigar said Holiness and
YOU had best take pull out ofmy flask,
for you are very wet. How could you
expect so small and weak man us this
black fellow to ovcrpower Mr. Sholtc
md hold him while you were climbing
the rope? >,
"you seem to know as much about II
as If YOU were there, sir. The truth Is
thut | hoped to find the room cleur'
knew the habits Of the house pretty
we'll. and II was the time when Mr.
Sholto usually went down to his sup
pcr. | shall make no secret OF the
business. The hest defense that car
make Ia just the simple truth Now, II
II Ind been the old major would have
swung for him with light heart.
would have thought no more OF knit
inQ him than Of smoking this cigar
But It's cursed hard that should be
Jagged over this young Sholto, witt
whom had no quarrel whatever"
"You arc under the charge of Mr.
Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard. liz
Is going to bring You up to my rooms
and shall ask you for true account
OF the matter You must make eleal
breast of 1t, Or II you do hope that
may be Of use to You. | think cal
prove that the poison acts so quickly
that the man was dead before ever you
reached the ROOM
"That he was, sir never got sucl
turn in my life MS when saw HIN
prinning at mc with his head on hi
shoulder as climbed through the win
dow. It fairly shook ne, sir. ia hay
half killed Tonga for 1t II he had no
scrambled off. That was how HI
came TO leave his club, and som
OF his darts, too, as he tells INT
which ! dare say helped to pu
YOU ON our track; though hoy
YOU kept on 1T Ia more than can tell
don't feel no malice against You TO
II. But 1t does soom queer thing,
he added, with a bitter smile, chat
who have a fair claim to nigh upo
half n million Of money should spen
the first half Of my life building
breakwater In the Andamans, and nj
like to spend the other half diggi'
drains at Dartmoor. IT was an ev
day for me when first l clapped eyt
upon the merchant Achmet and had
do with the Agra treasure, which nevt
brought anything but curse yet upo
, the man who owned It, To him
brought murder, to Maj, sholto
brought fear and guilt, to me 1t hi
meant slavery for life'"
At this moment Athelney JONI
, thrust his broad face and heavy shou
ders into the tiny cabin. "Quite q far