Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-09

ed the staff corps from an infantry regi-
nlent in India. A natural taste for Ian
guages had helped me in passing the higher
standard: l was fuc..t in Hindustani and
Persian, had fair knowledge of Arabic
and sma;tering of Hindee. These ac-
quirements had gaired me civil billet.
1 entered the police department and was
presently occupied almost entirely with
ThVsee and Daccity-
i may lay claim to considerable success
in police work. In one recent case / was
able to bring home a grave and mysterious
crime of poisoning by Datura to its perpe-
traitors, and for this / had received the
thanks of government. Then. just when L
was on the high read to speedy advance
ment. on the very threshold of brilliant
future. my health broke down. A long ILL
ness followed the completion of the case
above mentioned, with its lncessant labors
and keen anxieties. / was now on my way
home to recruit. but with serious warn
ing from the doctors that it would be peri
lous 10 my life to return to India.
To be forced into retirement on scanty
pension when well this side of forty, hav-
ing given ones best years and energies to
work strenuous and all-sufficing in itself,
but seemingly impossible to find elsewhere.
was bitter blow to a man who still felt
himself fit for something. / had no pros
pect no hope of finding suitable employ
ment in England. SO at least L thought in
my then respondent condition. My active
career. as / believed. had terminated
Abruptly. L was 100 poJr 10 H.driy, Hfii
no living relations. 1 could have no home
but my clubs and a back bed room off ST.
James street. There was nothing before
me but to vegetate in obscurity without
hope or horizon. disappointed and useless,
until 1 faded rapidly into premature old
age.
As 1 brooded thus mootfily. taking i'll
terest in he hustle and scufile around
was frequently challenged to run ashore
with the rest.
But l had no keart for it. 1 knew Glib
raltar like my pocket; i had been quar-
tered there with my regiment in early
days; the place was full Of ghosts. 1 did
not wish to be reminded Of joyous times in
the heyday of youth now when l was 50
keenly conscious of the failure 1 had made
in life.
Yet / went and almost Immediately tum-
bled upon an old friend. 1t was Harry
Brightsmith. whom j had not seen since
we were lads at school together. He was
row grown into a puffy, round-cheeked
consequential little man, with the self
satisfied air of accustomed to give ad-
vice to others. He was q partner in the
highly respectable firm of Black & Bright
smith, solicitors. of Gresham street.
As We walked up waterproof street to-
getEer he explained this unexpected meet
ing
Il came out a couple Of days ago." he
said. by the mail steamer. meaning to
travel to some beastly place inland. But
i have been stopped here by a telegram
from my partner with some curious news.
I'm fairly beat; and don't know what is
best TO do
rs it business?'
Yes On account of some clients of ours
heirs of the late Sir William McKillop
. He went rather blindly into a mining
speculation in these parts quite without
consulting US, you understand). Now it's
all in a tangle. The heirs are minors I'M
able to act for themselves and even we can
make nothing of 1t. So we decided that
one of ought TO come out and look after
the property Black couldn't. or wouldn't
and it fell TO my share, worse luck"
Let's hear about it. Where Is the mine
exactly, and what is the trouble?"
It's lead mine in some mountains
forty or fifty miles from here. The nearest
town is called MarbeIla."
Il know it-on the coast, half way to
Malaga"
The mine was brought to Sir William
Mckillop's notice by mining expert, and
l believe the scheme looked extremely rosy
L md report among his papers that the
ore was very plentiful and very rich 1t
could be worked easily, labor was cheap,
the stuff could be got down without diff
Guilty and shipped on the open sea beach
Sir William took to the thing, paid a large
sum for first rights, and Just as he was
looking for returns. died. Then when we
went into the business, as representing the
benefciaries under the will. could not
see our way We've been eleven months
trying TO straighten il up, and have done
just nothing at ALL There is hitch after
hitch We can get no information, no re-
Plie9 10 our letterS- Inc engineers who
brought the thing to Mckillop cannot be
found"
Were they the real vendors?''
NO The property belonged really to a
Spanish nobleman. certain MARQUIS de
Almendral- He is somewhere in this God
forsaken country. l suppose. but the con-
tracts were made with the engineers who
took the lead in everything
And You can't come down on the en-
gineers?''
Can't find them, / tell you You evil
IDENTIFY don't know much about mining en-
gineers-of this sort. anyway. They're like
cells, and have slipped clean out of sight. II
was firm, called CriPps Raskelf Bros.
Knew them. and once had dealings with
them. TO my sorrow. 1t was in a South
moters. but got left high and dry l smell,
something fishy in this business when
heard that Cripps Raskelf was IL, it. II
was about his last COUP"
Has the firm failed?"
Gone under completely. The whole OF
them-lock. stock and barrel The part.
ners have disappeared to the uttermost
ends of the earth. Grips was last heard
of in western Australia somewhere on the
Murchison: his brother Sias is supposed
TO be in Mysore: the rest of them are fr
Abyssinia, South America, Alaska good
ness knows where
why don't you take possession of tn.
property and work the mine or sell 1t fol
the benefit of McKillop's heirs?"
came out here on purpose to do that
But since left England we hear from oul
Madrid correspondents that the Spanish
government has issued an Injunction Il
stop our proceedings. We are foreigner.
end must fulfill certain conditions, satisf,
some prior claims. goodness knows what
Black wires me to go on straight to Mad
nd and work matters at the fountain
head"