Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-03

In the Andamans. There are very Few
white convicts at this settlement, and.
as had behaved well from the first. |
soon found myself a sort of privileged
! person. was given hut in Hope town,
which is a small place on the slopes of
Mount Harriet, and / was left pretty
much to myself. 1t is dreary, fever
stricken place, and ali beyond our little
clearings was infested with wild canni-
bal natives, who were ready enough to
blow poisoned dart at us If they saw
a chance There was digging, and
ditching, and yam-planting, and a
| dozen other thinga to be done, so We
were busy enough all day; though In
the evening we had little time to our
| selves Among other things, learned
to dispense drugs for the surgeon, and
picked up 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 1T was terribly difficult job to
| get away.
The surgeon, DR.. Somerton, was a
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 sitting-room,
with a small window between us.
Often, If felt lonesome, | used to turn
out the lamp in the surgery, and then,
standing there, could hear tn cir talk
and watch their play. am fond of a
hand at cards myself, and it was al.
most as good as having one to watch
the others. There was Mai. Sholto
| Capt. Morstan and Lieut.. Bromley
Brown, who were in command of the
native troops. and there was the sur
geon himself, and two or three prison
officials, crafty old hands who played a
nice sly safe game. A very snug little
party they used to make.
well, there was one thing which
very soon struck me, and that was
that soldiers used always to lose and
tie civilians to win. Mind, l don't say
that there was anything unfair, but sc
IL 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 10 a
point, while the others just played to
pass the time and threw their cards
down anyhow Night after night
the soldiers got up poorer men, and the
poorer they got the more keen they
were to play. Maj. Sholto was the
/ hardest hit He used to pay in notes and
| gold at first, but soon it came to notes
of hand and sfor big sums. He some
times would win for a few deals, lust
| to give him heart, and then the luck
/ would set liz against him worse than
ever. All day he would wander about
as black as thunder, and he took &c
| drinking deal more than was good
for him.
Zone night ne lost even more heavily
than usual. 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 raving about his losses.
Its all mp, Morstan,' he was say.
| ing, as they passed my hut. Il shall
! have 10 send in my papers. am a
ruined man.
Nonsense, old chapr said the
i other, slapping him upon the shoulder
I've had nasty facer myself, but
That was all could hear, but il was
enough to set me thinking
"A couple of days later Mai Sholto
was strolling on the beach; so | took
| the chance of speaking TO him
i wish TO have your advice, ma ior,
said |.
"Well, Small, what is it?' he said,
taking his cheroot from his lips
i wanted To ask you, sir said l..
who is the proper person 10 whom hid
den treasure should be handed over |
know where half million worth lies
and, as cannot use il myself, | thought
perhaps the best thing that could do
would be 10 hand il over 10 the proper
authorities, and then perhaps they
would get my. sentence shortened for
me-
"'Half a million, Small?' he qasped,
looking hard at me TO see if was in
earnest
Quite that, sir - in Jewels and
pearls. II lies there ready for anyone.
And the queer thing about it is that
the real owner is outlawed and cannot
hold property, SO that it belongs to the
first conner
Ito government Small he STAN
mered-'to government But he said
1t in halting fashion, and knew in
my heart that had got him.
lyon think then, sir, that should
give the information to the governor
general?' said |, 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
Il told him the whole story, with small
changes, so that lie could not identify
the places. When ! had finished he
stood stock still and full of thought. L
[LzT