The Press., 1895-06-06

pay. This nights work would have been worth a tenner each to Sam Brown and me if the treasure had been there.''
 "Mr. Thaddeus ShOlto is a rich man" I said. "He will see that you are reward ed, treasure or no'
 The inspector shook his head despond- ently, however. Its bad job,'' he re- peated, "and so MT. Athelney Jones will think.'
 His forecast proved to be correct, for the detective looked blank enough when I got to Baker street and sh owed 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 stolidly opposite to him with his wooden leg cooked over his sound one. As I exhibited the empty box he leaned back in his chair and laughed aloud.
 This is your doing, Small," said Athelney Jones angrily.
 "Yes, l have put it away where you shall never lay hand upon it,'' he cried exultantly. Ut is my treasure, and if 1 can't have the loot I'll take darned good care that no one else does. I tell you that no living man has any right to it unless it is three men who are in the Andaman convict barracks and myself. I know now that I 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. We'll l know that they would have had me do just what I have done and throw the treasure into the Thames rather than let it go to kith or kin of Sholto or of Nor pfn T10ff fo lyo +hco1I ri oh hot we did fol Achmet You'll find the treas ure whore the key is and where little Ton ga is. When I saw that your launch must catch us, I put the loot in a safe place. There are no rupees for you this journey"
 You are deCeiving us, Small," said Athelney Jones sternly. If 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 a 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 it may be a harder job It went to my heart to do it, though. was half mad when you came up with us. However, there's no good
 
 and Two had downs, but I've learned not to cry over spilled milk"
 ''This is a very serious matter, Small, ," said the detective. If you had helped justicc instead of thwarting it in tEis way, you would have had A better chance at your trial"
 ''Justice!'' snarled tho C1-convict "A pretty justice! 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 havo earned it! Twenty long years in that fever ridden swamp, all day at work under the mangrove trees, all night chained up in tho filthy convict huts, bitten by mosquitoes, racked with a9ue, bullied by every cursed black faced police man who loved to take it out of white man. That was how I earned the Agra treasure and you talk to me of justice be- cause l cannot bear to feel that l have paid this price only that another may en- joy it! would rather swing a score of times, or have one of Tongas darts ill my hide, than live in conVict's cell and feel that another man is at his ease in a 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 handcuffS clanked together with the i'm passoned movement of his hands. could understand, as I saw the fury and the passion of the man, that it was no ground. less or unnatural terror which had pos sessed Major ShoIto when he first learned that the injured convict was upon his track
 "You forget that we know nothing of all this, said Holmes quietly. We have not heard your story, and we cannot tell how far justice may originally have been on your side. '
 Well sir, you have been very fair spo- ken to me, though I can see that have gnu to thank that 1 have these bracelets upon my wrists. Still bear no grudge for that. It is all fair and above board. If you want to hear my story, l 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 if I am dry"
 II am Worcestershire man myself born near Pershore. I dare say you will find heap of Smalls living there now ii you were to look. have often thought of taking look round there, but the truth is that was never much of credit to the family, and l doubt if they would be SC very glad to see me. They were all steady, chapel going folk, small farmers, well known and respected over the country side, while was always bit of a rover At last, however, when I was about IS, gave them no more trouble, for l got into a mess over girl and could only get out of it again by taking the queen shilling and joining the Third Bluffs, which was just starting for India.
 II wasn't destined to do much soldier ing, however. I had just got past the goose step and learned how to handle my musket, when was fool enough to gc 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 I was halt