The Delta independent., 1895-09-11

stricken place, and all beyond our little
clcarings was infested with wild cnnni-
bal natives, who We're ready enough to
blow poisoned dart at us if they saw
chance. There was digging, and
ditching, and yam-planting, and n
dozen other things to be done, SO we
were busy enough all day; though in
the evening we had n little time to our
selves. Among other things, learned
to dispense drugs for the surgeon, and
picked up n .smattering OF his knowl-
edge. All the time was on the look
out for 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 terribly difficult job to
get away.
The surgeon, DIR. Somerton, was n
fast, sporting young chap, and the
other young officers would meet in his
rooms of an evening and play cards.
The surgery, where l used to make up
my drugs, was next to his ssitting-room,
with n small window between us.
Often, If felt lonesome, / used to turn
out the lamp in the surgery, and then,
standing there, could hear TIL cir talk
and watch their play. l am fond of a
hand at cards myself, and it was al
most as good as having one to watch
the others. There was Maj. Sholto,
Capt. Mlorstan and Lieut.. Bromley
Brown, who were in command of the
native troops. and there was the sur
gcon himself. and two or three prison.
officials, crafty old hands who played n
nice sly safe game. A very snug little
party they used to make.
.'Wcll, there was one thing which
very soon struck me, and that was
that soldiers used always to lose and
the civilians to win Mind, don't say
that 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 others game to n
point, while the others just played to
pass the time and threw their cards
down anyhow. Night after night
the soldicrg got up poorer men, and the
poorer they got the more keen they
were to play. Maj. Sholto was the
hardest hit. lie used TO pay in notes and
gold at first. but soon it came to notes
of hand and :for big sums. He some
times would win for 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 deal more than was good
for him
"Onc night he lost even more heavily
than usual. I was sitting in my hut
when he and Capt. Morstan came
stumbling along on the way TO their
quarters. They were bosom friends,
those two, and never far apart. The
major was ravinR about his losses.
Its all up, Morstan,' he was say
ing, AS they passed my hut. Il shall
have to send in my papers. 1 am u
ruined man.
Nonsense, old chapr said the
other, slapping him upon the shoulder.
I've had nasty facer myself, but
That was all 1 could hear, but it was
enough to set me thinking.
"A couple of days later Maj. Sholto
was strolling on the beach; so / took
the chance of speaking to him.
~ wish to have your advice, ma jor,'
said l.
"'Well, Small, what isit2' he said,
taking his cheroot from his lips.
81 wanted to ask you, sir said /,
who is the proper person to whom hid
den treasure should be handed over.
know where half "a million worth lies,
and, ns ] cannot use it myself, thought
perhaps the best thing that could do
would be to hand 1t over 10 the proper
authorities, and then perhaps they
would get my sentence shortened for
me-
"'IIalf million, Small?' he gaspcd,
looking hard at me to see II l was in
earnest.
"'Quite that, sir = in jewels and
pearls. 1t lies there ready for anyone.
And the queer thing about it is that
the real owner is outlawed and cannot
hold property, 50 that it belongs to the
first comer.'
ITO government. Small he stam-
mcred-'to government But he said
II in halting fashion, and | knew in
my heart that had got him.
"'Iou think then, sir, that should
give the information to the governor
generalP' said I, quietly.
Well, well, you must not do any
thing RASH or that you might repent
Let me hear all about it, Small. Give
me the facts
II 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. !
IN