The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-02-26

contains one or two little family mat
! ters which are of no value to Others
but which ! should BE sorry to lose
! Yet am not beggar; and l shall re-
ward you, young sahib, and your gov
ernor also, if he will give me the shell
! ter | ask
81 could not trust myself to speak
longer with the man. The more |
looked at his fat, frightened face. the
harder did it seem that we should slay
him in cold blood. 1t 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 be-
hind, while they marched in through
the dark gateway. Never was man
so compassed round with death. l re-
NAMED at the gateway with the Ian
tern.
II could hear the measured tramp of
their footsteps sounding through the
lonely corridors. Suddenly it ceased,
and heard voices, and a scuff1e, with
the sound of blows. A moment later
there came, to my horror. rush of
footsteps coming in my direction,
with the loud breathing of a run
ing man. / turned my lantern down
the long, straight passage, and there
was the fat man, running like the wind,
with a smear of blood across his face,
and close at his heels, bounding like a
tiger, the great black-bearded Sikh,
with a knife flashing in his hand. /
have never seen a man run so fast as
that little merchant He was gaining
on the Sikh, and could see 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 firelock between his
legs as he raced past, and he rolled
twice over like a shot rabbit. Ere he
could stagger to his feet the Sikh was
upon him, and buried his knife twice
in his side. The man never uttered
moan nor moved muscle, but lay where
he had fallen. think myself that he
may have broken his neck with the fall.
| You see, gentlemen, that i am keeping
my promise. | am telling you every
word of the business just exactly as it
| happened, whether it is in my favor or
| not"
He stopped and held out his man
acled hands for the whisky and water
which Holmes had brewed for him.
| For myself, confess that 1 had now
| conceived the utmost horror of the
man, not only for this cold-blooded
business in which he had been con-
cerned, but even more for the some
what flippant and careless way in
which he narrated it. Whatever pun
ishment was in store for him, l felt
that he might expect no sympathy from
me. Sherlock Holmes and Jones sat
with their hands upon their knees,
deeply interested in the story, but with
the same disgust written upon their
faces. He may have observed it, for
there was a touch of defiance in his
voice and manner as he proceeded.
st was all very bad, no doubt" said
he. 81 should like to know how many
fellows in my shoes would have re-
fused share of this loot when they
knew that they would have their
throats cut for their pains Besides, it
was my life or his when once he was in
the fort. If he had got out, the whole
business would have come to light, and
should have been court-martialed
and shot as likely as not; for people
were not very lenient at time like
that"
go on with your story" said Holmes,
shortly.
"Well, we carried him in, Abdullah,
Akbar and l. A fine weight he was,
too, for all that he was so short. Ma
homet Singh was left to guard the
door. We took him to place which
the Sikhs had already prepared. 1t was
some distance off, where winding pas
sage leads to a great empty hall, the
brick walls of which were all crumbling
to pieces. The earth floor had sunk in
at one place, making natural grave,
so we left Achmet the merchant there,
having first covered HIM over with
loose bricks. This done, we all went
back to the treasure.
1T lay where he had dropped it when
he was first attacked. The box was
the same which now lies open upon
your table. A key was hung by a
silken cord to that carved handle upon
the top. We opened it, and the light
of the lantern CLEANED upon collec-
ton of gems such as have read of and
thought about when I was little lad
at Pershore. 1t was binding to look
upon them. When we had feasted our
eyes we took them all out and made a
list of them. There were one hundred
and forty-three diamonds of the first
water, including one which has been
called, 1 believe, the Great Mogul,
and is said to be the second largest
stone in existence. Then there were
ninety-seven very fine emeralds, and
one hundred and seventy rubies, some
of which, however, were small. There
were forty carbuncles, two hundred
and ten sapphires, sixty-one agates and
a great quantity of beryls, onyxes, cats
eyes, turquoises and other stones, the
very names of which did not know al
tho tima tbounh I have baoouna more