The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-30
CHAPTER XII



10 the iron box which he had done so
much and waited so long TO gain. He
was sunburned. reclxless-cyed fellow,
with a network of lines and wrinkles
oil over his mahogany features, which
told of hard, opcn-air life. There
was a singular prominence about his
bearded chin which marked a man
who was not TO be easiiy turned from
his purpose. His age may have been
fifty or thereabouts, for his black,
curly hair was thiclxly shot with gray.
His face In roposo was not m 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 his
hnndcuffed hands upon his lap and his
head sunk upon his breast, while he
looked with his keen. twinhling eyes
ut 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 countennnce.
Once he looked up at me with CLEAN
of something like humor In his eyes
swell. Jonathan small. "said Holmes.
lighting cigar, II am sorry that 1t
has come 10 this"
"And so am L." he answered, frankly.
81 don't believe that ] can swing over
the job. give you my word on the
book that | never raised my hand
against Mr.. Sholto. 1t was that little
hcll-hound Tonga who shot one of his
cursed darts into him. had no part
In IL. sir. was as gricvcd ns IL II had
been my blood-relntion. / welted the
little devil with the slack end OF the
rope for II, but IL was done, and could
not undo IL again"
"IIavc cigar" said Holmes; land
you had best take pull out Of my flask,
for you are very wet. How could you
expect so small and weak man as this
black fellow TO overpower Mr.. Sholto
and hold him while you werc climbing
the rope?
"You seem t. know as much about IL
as II you were there. sir The truth Is
that | hoped 10 find the room clear.
/ knew the habits of the house pretty
well, and II was the time when Mr..
Sholto usually went down 10 his cup
per. shall make no secret of the
business. The best defense that can
make is just the simple truth. Now. II
II had been the old major would have
swung for him with light heart.
would have thought no moro of knit
ing him than of smoking this cigar.
But it's cursed hard that should be
Jagged over this young Sholto, with
whom had no quarrel whatever.
"You nre under the charge of Mr..
Athclncy Jones, of Scotland Yard. He
Is going TO bring you up 70 my rooms,
and shall nslx you for n true account
OF the matter. You must make clean
breast of II, for II you do hope that /
may be Of use TO you. ! think can
prove that the poison nets so quickly
that the man was dead before ever you
reached the room"
THAT he was. sir. mover got such
turn In my life IA when saw him
grinning ne me with his head on his
shoulder rs climbed through tho win
dow. II fairly shook ne. sir. I'd have
half killed Tonga for 1t IL he had not
scrambled of. That was how he
cnme 20 leave his club. and some
OF his darts, too, as he tells me,
which dare say helped TO put
you on our track; though how
You kept on IL Is moro than can tell
don't feel no malice against you for
it. But IL does seem queer thing"
he added, with bitter smile. 'th0t /,
who have fair claim 20 nigh upon
half million OF money should spend
the FIRST half of my life building a
brenlswatcr in the Andamnns, and am
like 10 spend the other half diggin'
drains nt Dnrtmoor. it was an evil
day for me when Rrst I clappcd eyes
upon tho merchant Achmct and had TO
do with tho Agra treasure, which never
brought anything but curse yet upon
the man who owned It. To him IL
brought murder. TO Maj. sholto IL
brought fear and guilt, 20 me Il has
meant slavery for life"
At this moment Athclncy Jones
thrust his broad face and heavy shout
dcrs into the tiny cabin. quite fam
lily party" he remarked II think !
shall have q pull at that flask. Holmes.
Well. ! think we may nll congratulate
cnch other Pity we didn't take tho
other alive; bat there was no choice 1
say. Holmes, you must confess that you
cut II rather flnc. II WINS oil that we
could do 90 overhaul hcr."
"All Is well that ends we'll" said
Holmes. "Dut certainly did not
know that the Aurora was such
clipper
"Smith says that she Is one Of the
fastest launches on The river, and that
II he had hnc another man 60 help him
with the engines we should never have
caught her. lie swcurs he knows moth.
ing Of this Norwood business"
Neither ne did" cried our prisoner