Part 24 (1/2)
Russell stood still in deep gloom and despondency. All his finest feelings were outraged beyond description at this proposal. The chief, however, sat calm and smiling, as though quite unconscious of any evil intent.
”Come,” said he, ”hurry up!”
There was no help for it. He was clearly in this man's power. It was a dreadful thought; yet he had to obey.
So he took off his cravat. This he did slowly and solemnly, as though preparing to bare his neck for the axe of the executioner.
”Come, make haste,” said the chief. ”I've only got a few minutes to spare; an' if ye can't change yer clothes before me alone, why, I'll have to go off, an' thin ye'll have half a dozen av thim up here at ye.”
”And must I?” moaned the unhappy man.
”Av coorse,” said the chief. ”An' what is it all? Sure it's nothin'
at all at all, so it isn't.”
Russell gave a heavy sigh, and then taking off his coat he laid it on the floor. Then he cast an appealing glance at the chief, who, however, only responded with an impatient gesture. Thereupon Russell took off his waistcoat. Another appealing glance was then thrown at the chief, who only responded by a gesture more impatient than before.
”Come,” said he, ”be quick! Ye see, ye may have no end av val'able dockymints st.i.tched in between the lining av yer clothes--I've often knowed that same. Begorra, we get more in that way that we find st.i.tched in the clothes, than we do from the wallets an' the opin conthributions.”
”But I haven't anything st.i.tched between my clothes.”
”So ye say, an' so I'm bound to believe,” said the chief. ”Sure I wouldn't for the worruld be afther hintiu' that ye iver spake anythin' but the truth. Howandiver, I'll tell ye somethin'. Ye see, I was standin' at the dure av yer room last night by the marest accidint, an' I happened to overhear a confabulation between you an'
Rivers. An' ye know what ye towld him, and ye know what he said to you. Ye said somethin' about havin' Spanish bonds--to the chune av thirty thousand pounds--in yer pocket, or about ye somewhere, an' ye wanted some place to hide it, an' Rivers advised ye to have it st.i.tched in yer clothes. Now, I scorrun avesdhroppin', so I does, but whin iufarrumation av that kind comes free to yer ears, ye're bound to I get the good av it. An' so I'm goin' to instichoot an invistigation over yer clothes, an' over yer room, an' over yer thrunks, an' over everythin' ye've got, an' I'm not goin' to rist till I've got thim bonds. Oh, ye needn't say anythin'--I can see it all in yer face. There's nothin' to say. I don't expect ye to own up an' hand over the money. I'm contint to hunt it up meself--that is, for the prisint. Ye see, it's mine, for it belongs to His R'yal Majesty Carlos, King av Spain. The bonds are issued by Spain, an' as he is King av Spain he owns thim bonds. If ye was a native Spaniard ye'd give thim up out av pure loyalty, but as ye're a farr'ner, why, av coorse ye can't be ixpicted to deny yerself to such an ixtint.”
At this astounding disclosure Russell was struck dumb. So, then, his secret was betrayed, and in the most dangerous quarter, and, worst of all, by his own folly! Once or twice he was about to speak, but the chief checked him, and he himself was only too well aware of the utter futility of any denial or of any attempt to explain away what the chief had overheard. Only one consolation now remained, and that was the hope that the chief might not find it. The place in which he had hidden the bonds seemed to him to be very much out of the way of an ordinary search, and not at all likely to be explored by any one.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”His Unfortunate Companion Sat There, The Picture Of Terror, Despondency, And Misery.”]
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”An' So, I Say, Ye'll Have To Look On Thim Gin'ral's Clothes As Yer Own.”]
At length Russell had finished his task, and had divested himself of everything, his remorseless captor insisting on his leaving nothing; and so he stood s.h.i.+vering and crouching on the stone floor.
”Now,” said the chief, ”walk in there. I'll follow.”
He pointed to a pa.s.sage-way on the left, which led to an apartment beyond. At his gesture Russell slunk away in that direction, while the chief, gathering all the clothes up in a bundle, followed. On reaching the apartment, Russell saw some garments lying spread out on a bench. They were quite new, and consisted of a military uniform profusely decorated with gold-lace. Everything was there complete.
”There,” said the chief, ”thim clothes belonged to a frind av mine whose acquaintince I made a month ago. He left these here an' wint away in another shuit, just as ye'll lave yer clothes an' go away, as I thrust, in these. Put thim on now, as soon as ye loike. Ye'll find thim a fine fit, an' they're an excellint matayrial. The frind that left thim was a giniral officer, and be the same tokin that same man swore more, an' faster, an' louder, an' deeper than any man I iver met with afore or since.”
While the affable chief was thus talking, Russell proceeded to array himself in the general's uniform. Everything was there complete, from top to toe, and everything was of the very best quality--richest gold lace, glittering epaulettes, stripes and bands that dazzled the eye, b.u.t.tons and chains of splendor indescribable, hat with gorgeous plumage, sword of magnificent decoration, attached to a belt that a king might choose to wear. All these delighted the soul of Russell, but not least of all the cloth, whose softness and exquisite fineness appealed to his professional feelings, and caused his fingers to wander lovingly over the costly fabric.
Soon he had completed the task of dressing himself, and once more stood erect in all the dignity of manhood.
”Begorra!” said the chief, ”ye'd ought to be grateful to me for makin' ye put on thim clothes. Ye look loike a commandher-in-chafe, so ye do--loike the Juke av Wellington himself. The clothes fit ye loike a glove. I niver saw a betther fit--niver. Ye must put on yer sword an' belt, so as to give a finish to it all,” and with these words he handed Russell the weapon of war. Russell took it with evident pleasure and fastened it about his waist. The chief made him walk up and down, and complimented him so strongly that the prisoner in his new delight almost forgot the woes of captivity.
The chief now prepared to retire. Pointing to Russell's clothes, which he had kept all the time rolled up in a bundle tucked under one arm, he shook his head meditatively and said,