The Press., 1895-06-13

hammed 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 will be divided among us What say you to it, sahib?'
 "In Worcestershire the life of 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 l 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 l thought of what might do in the old country with it, and how my folk would stare when they saw their neer do weel coming back with his pockets full of gold mOidores. l had, therefore, already made up my mind Abdullah Khan how | ever, thinking that l 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 l the government so that no man will be a 1 rupee the better for them Now, since we do the taking of him, why should we not do the rest as well2 The jewels will be as we'll with us as in the company's coffers | There will be enough to make every one of us rich men and great chiefs No one can know about the matter, for here we are cut of from all men. What could be better for the purpose2 Say again, sahib | whether you are with us, or if we must | look upon you as an enemy
 '' I am with you heart and soul, said | It is well,' he answered, handing me | back my frelock. 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 your brother know. then, of what you will do?' l asked
 ' The plan is his. He has devised it. We will go to the gate and share the watch with Mohammed Singh
 ''The rain was still falling steadily, for it was just the beginning of the wet sea son. Brown, heavy clouds wer drifting across the sky, and it was har , to see more than stone cast. 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 Pun | jabees waiting for the man who was com ing 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! exclaimed. You will challenge him, sahib as usual, whispered A AbduIlah. 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 onward, now stopping and now advancing, until could see two dark figures upon the other side of the moat, l let them scramble down the sloping bank, splash through the mire and climb half way up to the gate before challenged them
 Who goes there?' said in a subdued voice.
 '' Friends came the answer. l uncov- cred my lantern and threw flood of light upon them. The first was an enormous Sikh, with a black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund. Outside of show 1 have never seen so tall a man. The other was little, fat, round fellow, with great yellow turban and bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl. He seemed to be all in 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 mouse when he ventures out from his hole. It gave me the chills to think of killing him, but thought of the treasure, and my heart set as hard as a | flint within me. When he saw my white | face, he gave little chirrup of joy and came running up toward me.
 "'YOur protection, sahib, he panted your protection for the unhappy merchant Achmet. have travelled across Rajpoo- @o,1 4I0A ir,hA %Ioo ohoI% oF bn fort at Agra l have been robbed and beaten and abused because I have been the friend of the company. It is blessed night this when I am once more in safety, and my poor possessions
 What have you in the bundle?' asked
 |" An iron box he answered, which l contains one or two little family matters which are of no value to others but which l should be sor to lose. Yet am not a beggar, and I shall reward you, young sahib, and your governor also, if he will give me the shelter I ask.
 II could not trust myself to speak lon ger with the man. The more 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 l. The two Sikhs closed in upon him on each side, and the giant walked behind, while they marched in through the dark gate way. Never was man so compassed round with death. l remained in the gate way with the lantern.
 II could hear the measured tramp of their footsteps sounding through the lone ly corridors. Suddenly it ceased, and l heard voices and scuff1e, with the sound of blows. A moment later there came to my horror, a rush of footsteps coming in my direction, with the loud breathing of @ running man. turned my lantern down the long, straight passage, and there was the fat man, running like the wind, with 8 smear of blood across his face, and close to his heels, bounding like tiger, the great black bearded Sikh, with knife flashing in his hand. 1 have never seen a man run so fast as that little merchant. He was gaining on the Sikh, and I could sec 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. cast my f1relock between his legs as he raced past, and he rolled twice over like shot rabbit. Ere he could stag ger to his feet the Sikh was upon him and buried his knife twice in his side. The man never uttered moan nor moved mus cle, but lay where he had fallen. think myself that he may have broken his neck with the fall. You see, gentlemen, that am keeping my promise. I am telling you every word of the business just exactly as it happen ed, whether it is in my favor or not"
 He stopped and held out his manacled hands for the whisky and water which Holmes had brewed for him. For myself, l confess that had now conceived the ut most 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 punish ment was in store for him, felt that he might expect no sympathy from me. Sher- lock Holmes and Jones sat with their hands upon their knees, deeply interested in the story, but with the same disgust written uDOn their faces He may hHvo