Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-04-25
CHAPTER XII

A very patient man was tne inspector
in the cab, for it was a weary time be-
fore reioined him. His face clouded
over when / showed him the empty
box.
There goes the reward" said he,
gloomily. Where there is no money
| there is no pay. This nights work
would have been worth d tenner each
to Sam Brown and me if the treasure
had been there"
"Mr Thaddeus Sholto is rich man, "
| said. HE will see that you are re-
warded, treasure or no."
The inspector shook his head de-
spondently, however. Its bad job, "
ne repeated, land so Mr.. Athelney
| Jones will think.
His forecast proved to be correct,
for the detective looked blank enough
| when l got to Baker street and showed
| him the empty box. They had only
| Just arrived, Holmes, the prisoner and
he, for they had changed their plans so
far as to report themselves at station
upon the way. My companion lounged
| in his armchair with his usual listless
expression, while Small sat stoldlY op-
posite to him with his wooden leg
cooked over his sound one. AS l ex-
hibited the empty box he leaned back
In his chair and laughed aloud.
''This is your doing, Small" said
Athelney Jones, angrily.
Eyes, have put it away where you
shall never lay hand upon it," he cried,
exultantIy. at is my treasure; and if
I can't have the loot I'll take darned
good care that no one else does. l tell
you that no living man has any right
to it, unless it is three men who are in
the Andaman convict barracks and my
self. I know now that cannot have
the use of it, and l know that they
cannot. l 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 / have done, and throw
the treasure into the Thames rather
than let it go to kith or kin of Sholto
or of Morstan. 1t 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
saw that your launch must catch us,
put the loot in a safe place. There are
no rupees for you this journey"
"You are deceiving US, Small" said
Athelney Jones, sternly eff 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
shrewd, sidelong 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, 1t may be a harder job. 1t went
to my heart to do it, though. 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 split milk"
This is very serious matter, Small" ;"
said the detective. ''If you had helped
justice, instead Of thwarting it in this
way, you would have had better
chance at your trial"
"Justicel" snarled the ex-convict. "A
pretty justicel Whose loot is this, if
it is not ours? Where is the justice
that should give it up to those who
have never earned it? Look how have
earned i'll 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 white man. That was how
earned the Agra treasure; and you talk
TO me of justice because | cannot bear
to feel that have paid this price only
that another may enjoy it. / would
rather swing score of times
or have one of Tonga's darts in
my hide, than live in a convic's cell
and feel that another man is at his ease
in palace with the money that should
be mine" Small had dropped his mask
of stoicism, and all this came out in
wild whirl of words while his eyes
blazed, and the handouts clanlxed to
gether with impassioned movement OF
his hands ! could understand. as
saw the fury and the passion of the
man, that it was no groundless or un.
natural terror which had possessed
Maj. 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. I'VE
have not heard your story, and we can.
not tell how far justice may originally
have been on your side"
well, sir, you have been very fair
spoken to me, though / can see that !
have you to thank that | have these
bracelets upon my wrists. Still, bean
no grudge for that. 1t is all fair and
above-board. If you want to hear my
story have no wish to hold it back.
What say to you is Gods truth, every
word of it. Thank you; you can put
the glass beside me here, and I'll put
my lips to it il I am dry.
81 am Worcestershire man myself
born near Pershore. dare say you
would find a heap of Smalls living
there now IL you were to look. ! have
often thought of taking a look round
there, but the truth is that / was never
much of credit to the family, and !
doubt II they would be 80 very glad to
see me. They were all steady, chapel
going folk, small farmers, well known
and respected over the countryside,
while was always bit of rover.
At last, however, when | was about
eighteen, gave them no more trouble.
for got into mess over n girl, and
could only get out of II again by TAX
ing the queens shilling and joining
the Third Bluffs which was just starting
for India.
II wasn't destined to do much sol
diering, however. / had just got past
the goose-step and learned to handle
my musl1et, when l was fool enough to
go swimming in the Ganges. Luckily
for me, my company sergeant, John
Holder, 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 / was half way across,
and nipped off my right leg just as
clean as surgeon could have done 1t,
Just above the knee. What with the
shock and the loss of blood l tainted,
and ! should have been drowned II
Holder had not caught hold of me and
padded for the bank. l was five
months in hospital over 1t, and when at
last was able to limp out OF ii with
this timber toe strapped to my stump
/ found myself invalided out of the
army and untitled for any active occu-
patton.
II was, as you can imagine, pretty
down on my luck at this time, for
was a useless cripple, though not yet
In my twentieth year. However, my