The Green Mummy
playfully.
“And a descendant of Inca Caxas,” added Donna Inez. Then she flirted her
fan, which she was rarely without, and laughed in her English lover's
face. “Don't forget, senor, that you marry a princess.”
“I marry the most charming girl in the world,” he replied, catching her
in his arms, rather to the scandal of De Gayangos, who had stiff Spanish
notions regarding the etiquette of engaged couples.
“There is one thing you must do for me, senor,” he said quietly, “before
we leave this most unhappy case of murder and theft for ever.”
“What is that?” asked Sir Frank, turning with Inez in his arms.
“To-night at eight o'clock, Captain Hervey--the sailor Gustav Vasa, if
you prefer the name--steams down the river in his new boat The Firefly.
I received a note from him”--he displayed a letter--“stating that he
will pass the jetty of Gartley at that hour, and will burn a blue light.
If I fire a pistol, he will send off a boat with a full account of the
theft of the mummy of Inca Caxas, written by himself. Then I will hand
his messenger fifty gold sovereigns, which I have here,” added Don
Pedro, pointing to a canvas bag on the table, “and we will return. I
wish you to go with me, senor, and also I wish your friend Mr. Hope to
come.”
“Do you anticipate treachery from Captain Hervey?” asked Random.
“I should not be surprised if he tried to trick me in some way, and I
wish you and your friend to stand by me. Were this man alone, I would go
alone, but he will have a boat's crew with him. It is best to be safe.”
“I agree with you,” said Random quickly. “Hope and I will come, and we
will take revolvers with us. It doesn't do to trust this blackguard. Ho!
ho! I wonder if he knows of the Professor's flight.”
“No. Considering the terms upon which the Professor stood with Hervey,
I should think he would be the last person he would trust. I wonder what
has become of the man.”
More people than Don Pedro wondered as to the whereabouts of Braddock
and his servant, for everyone was inquiring and hunting. The marshes
round the cottage were explored: the great house itself was searched, as
well as many cottages in the village, and inquiries were made at all the
local stations. But all in vain. Braddock and Cockatoo, along with the
cumbersome mummy in its case, had vanished as completely as though the
earth had swallowed them up. Inspector Date's idea was that the pair had
taken the mummy to Gartley Pier, after the search made by the soldiers,
and there had launched the boat, which Cockatoo--judging from his visit
to Pierside--apparently kept hidden in some nook. It was probable, said
Date, the two had rowed down the river, and had managed to get on board
some outward-bound tramp. They could easily furbish up some story, and
as Braddock doubtless had money, could easily buy a passage for a large
sum. The tramp being outward-bound, her captain and crew would know
nothing of the crime, and even if the fugitives were suspected, they
would be shipped out of England if the bribe was sufficiently large.
So it was apparent that Inspector Date had not much opinion of
tramp-steamer skippers.
However, as the day wore on to night, nothing was heard of Braddock or
Cockatoo or the mummy, and when night came the village was filled
with local reporters and with London journalists asking questions.
The Warrior Inn did a great trade in drink and beds and meals, and the
rustics reaped quite a harvest in answering questions about Mrs. Jasher
and the Professor and the weird-looking Kanaka. Some reporters dared
to invade the Pyramids, where Lucy was weeping in sorrow and shame, but
Archie, reinforced by two policemen, sent to his aid by Date, soon sent
them to the right about. Hope would have liked to remain with Lucy all
the evening, but at half-past seven he was forced to meet Don Pedro and
Random outside the Fort in order to go to Gartley Jetty.
CHAPTER XXVII. BY THE RIVER
As the hunt for the fugitives had continued all day, everyone, police,
villagers and soldiers, were weary and disheartened. Consequently, when
the three men met near the Fort, there seemed to be few people about.
This was just as well, as they would have been followed to the jetty,
and obviously it was best to keep the strange meeting with Captain
Hervey as secret as possible. However, Don Pedro had taken Inspector
Date into his confidence, as it was impossible to get past the cottage
of the late Mrs. Jasher, in which the officer had taken up his quarters,
without being discovered. Date was quite willing that the trio should
go, but stipulated that he should come also. He had heard all about
Captain Hervey in connection with the mummy, and thought that he would
like to ask that sailor a few leading questions.
“And if I see fit I shall detain him until the inquest is over,” said
Date, which was mere bluff, as the inspector had no warrant to stop The
Firefly or arrest her skipper.
The three men therefore were joined by Date, when they came along the
cinder path abreast of the cottage, and the quartette proceeded further
immediately, walking amongst the bents and grasses to the rude old
wooden jetty, near which Hervey intended to stop his ship. The night was
quite clear of fog, strange to say, considering the late sea-mist; but
a strong wind had been blowing all day and the fog-wreaths were entirely
dispersed. A full moon rode amongst a galaxy of stars, which twinkled
like diamonds. The air was frosty, and their feet scrunched the earth
and grasses and coarse herbage under foot, as they made rapidly for the
embankment.
When they reached the top they could see the jetty clearly almost below
their feet, and in the distance the glittering lights of Pierside. Vague
forms of vessels at anchor loomed on the water, and there was a stream
of light where the moon made a pathway of silver. After a casual glance
the three men proceeded down the slope to the jetty. Three of them at
least had revolvers, since Hervey was an ill man to tackle; but probably
Date, who was too dense to consider consequences, was unarmed. Neither
did Don Pedro think it necessary to tell the officer that he and his two
companions were prepared to shoot if necessary. Inspector Date, being a
prosy Englishman, would not have understood such lawless doings in his
own sober, law-abiding country.
When they reached the jetty Don Pedro glanced at his watch, illuminating
the dial by puffing his cigar to a ruddy glow. It was just after eight
o'clock, and even as he looked an exclamation from Date made him raise
his head. The inspector was pointing out-stream to a large vessel which
had steamed inshore as far as was safe. Probably Hervey was watching
for them through a night-glass, for a blue light suddenly flared on the
bridge. Don Pedro, according to his promise, fired a pistol, and it was
then that Date learned that his companions were armed.
“What the devil did you do that for?” he inquired angrily. “It will
bring my constables down on us.”
“I do not mind, since you can control them,” said De Gayangos coolly. “I
had to give the signal.”
“And we all have revolvers,” said Random quickly. “Hervey is not a very
safe man to tackle, inspector.”
“Do you expect a fight?” said Date, while they all watched a boat being
lowered. “If so, you might have told me, and I should have brought a
revolver also. Not that I think it is needed. The sight of my uniform
will be enough to show this man that I have the law behind me.”
“I don't think that will matter to Hervey,” said Archie dryly. “So much
as I have seen of him suggests to me that he is a singularly lawless
man.”
Date laughed good-humoredly.
“It seems to me, gentlemen, that you have brought me on a filibustering
expedition,” he said, and seemed to enjoy the novel situation. Date had
been wrapped up in the cotton-wool of civilization for a long time, but
his primitive instincts rose to the surface, now that he had to face a
probable rough-and-tumble fight. “But I don't expect there will be any
scrap,” he said regretfully. “My uniform will settle the matter.”
It certainly seemed to annoy Captain Hervey considerably, for, as the
boat approached the shore, and the moonlight revealed a distinctly
official overcoat, he gave an order. The man stopped rowing and the boat
rocked gently, some distance from the jetty.
“You've got a high old crowd with you, Don Pedro,” sang out Hervey, in
great displeasure. “Is that angel in the military togs, with the brass
buttons, the almighty aristocrat!”
“No. I am here,” cried out Random, laughing at the description, which
he recognized. “My friend Hope is with me, and Inspector Date. I suppose
you have heard what has happened?”
“Yes, I've taken it all in,” said Hervey sourly. “I guess the news is
all over Pierside. Well, it's none of my picnic, I reckon. So chuck that
gold over here, Don Pedro, and I'll send along the writing.”
“No,” said Don Pedro, prompted by Date. “You must come ashore.”
“I guess not,” said Hervey vigorously. “You want to run me in.”
“For that theft of thirty years ago,” laughed De Gayangos. “Nonsense!
Come along. You are quite safe.”
“Shan't take your damned word for it,” growled Hervey. “But if those two
gents can swear that there's no trickery, I'll come. I can depend on the
word of an English aristocrat, anyhow.”
“Come along. You are quite safe,” said Sir Frank, and Hope echoed his
words.
Thus being made certain, Hervey gave an order and the boat was rowed
right up to the beach, immediately below the jetty. The four men
were about to descend, but Hervey seemed anxious to avoid giving them
trouble.
“Hold on, gents,” said he, leaping ashore. “I'll come up 'longside.”
Date, ever suspicious, thought it queer that the skipper should
behave so politely, as he had gathered that Hervey was not usually a
considerate man. Also, he saw that when the captain was climbing the
bank, the boat, in charge of a mate--as the inspector judged from his
brass-bound uniform--backed water to the end of the jetty, where it
swung against one of the shell-encrusted piles. Hervey finally reached
the jetty level, but refused to come on to the same. He beckoned to Don
Pedro and his companions to walk forward to the ground upon which he
was standing. Also, he seemed exceedingly anxious to take time over the
transaction, as even after he had handed the scroll of writing to
the Peruvian, and had received the gold in exchange, he engaged in
quarrelsome conversation. Pretending that he doubted if De Gayangos had
brought the exact sum, he opened the canvas bag and insisted on counting
the money. Don Pedro naturally lost his temper at this insult, and swore
in Spanish, upon which Hervey responded with such volubility that
anyone could see he was a pastmaster in Castilian swearing. The row
was considerable, especially as Random and Hope were laughing at
the quarrel. They thought that Hervey was the worse for drink, but
Date--clever for once in his life--did not think so. It appeared to him
that the boat had gone to the end of the jetty for some reason connected
with the same reason which induced the skipper to spin out the time of
the meeting by indulging in an unnecessary quarrel.
The skipper also kept his eyes about him, and insisted that the four men
should keep together at the head of the pier.
“I daresay you're trying to play low down on me,” he said with a scowl,
after satisfying himself that the money was correct, “but I've got my
shooter.”
“So have I,” cried Don Pedro indignantly, and slipped his hand round to
his hip pocket, “and if you talk any further so insulting I shall--”
“Oh, you bet, two can play at that game,” cried Hervey, and ripped out
his own weapon before the Spaniard could produce his Derringer. “Hands
up or I shoot.”