Part 12 (1/2)

”Huh!” he exclaimed, when he had taken a swift glance round. ”The watchin' ended in a ruction, that's evident. Who's that?”

He stepped to the table, leaned both hands on it, and stared into the corner where the prisoners cowered. Tom coolly removed his pipe from between his lips, nodded to the officer, and then turned on Jaime.

”Dat?” he asked, pointing with the stem of his pipe. ”Oh, dat a very brave prisoner dat try to kill Ma.s.sa Jim, and now very sorry! Stand up dere, yo in de corner. Stand up, or, by lummy, Tom want to know what fo!

”Now den,” continued Tom, when the wretch had risen to his feet, s.h.i.+vering with fright. ”Who am yo?”

”That don't matter one single bra.s.s pin ter me,” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the officer suddenly, his colour heightening, his voice taking on a tone of exultation. ”Reckon it's my business to know who every criminal is.

Jaime de Oteros, you're badly wanted. Guess there's a score of charges up against you. Boys, jest come in here.”

He put his fingers to his lips and sent forth a shrill whistle, which instantly brought a couple of policemen into the hut.

”Handcuffs for 'em both,” said the officer shortly. ”Search 'em for weapons. Now then, siree?”

He turned on Jim serenely, and extended a hand. ”Tell me all about it.

Of course the darkie you sent along got to work and poured a whole heap of stuff into my ear as we ran here. Guess I know who you are, where you come from, and the very first day you ever had measles. There ain't many young chaps around same as Ma.s.sa Jim.”

There was a broad smile on his face, and the grip he gave our hero was unusually cordial. ”Gee!” he went on; ”a real good coloured servant is a thing to be proud of. Reckon you've two. You're jest about lucky. Those boys think all the world of you, and I've been too long amongst them not to have learned that there's always a good reason when things are like that. You've got to be extra good and plucky and all that. But let's get to business. What happened?”

Jim told him abruptly. ”It was precious near a case with me,” he smiled.

”This fellow Jaime did his best to kill me. That's a reminder; he stuck his knife through my shoulder.”

Strange to say he had forgotten the matter, and till now had had but little pain. But now he recollected, and, slipping off his jacket, exposed his arm high up near the shoulder. The officer at once inspected the wound, while Tom, and Sam, who had now arrived upon the scene, bent over him anxiously.

”Not enough to stop you enjoying a single meal,” declared the officer.

”Little more than skin deep, and made by a knife that had cleaned itself as it pa.s.sed through your clothing. A dressing put there right away will fix the matter for good. Thomas,” he sang out. Then, as another man appeared, dressed in Commission uniform: ”see here, my lad, we want that first-aid case of yours. Get to work at this gentleman's shoulder. Now, sir,” he went on, ”you can continue the tale while Thomas is busy. These fellows tried to murder you. You had surrounded the place, I understand, and had sent Sam there back into Colon. Wall, now, what next?”

In a few words Jim described how one of the rascals had detected him as he looked in through the window. How the ruffian, the same who had fired at him earlier in the evening, had again narrowly missed striking him with a bullet, and how the whole five had then thrown themselves on him.

”Here's the result of it all,” he ended. ”I should have been killed but for Tom. But he arrived just in the nick of time. We took three prisoners between us; two have managed to get away.”

”And that man who fired at you?” asked the officer.

”He is one of the two escaped.”

”Then there's a chase before us. You'll come right along to the office, sir, where we can talk matters over. Wait while I see these rascals handcuffed to my men. But let me congratulate you and your men, sir. You did as well as any police could have done, and you showed no end of pluck. Boys, get to with those prisoners. Four of you can carry the man who's insensible. Two each to the others will be enough. Bring 'em along, boys. This is a fine evening for the police of Colon.”

That the capture of three of these notorious ruffians was indeed a matter for congratulation was brought still more forcibly to Jim's mind some little time later; for, having trudged into Colon, the whole party entered the offices of the Police Commissioner there, and came face to face with that gentleman. He had been hurriedly aroused, and had at once turned out of his bed to learn what had happened. His eyes lit up with a smile as the officer who had gone to the scene of the capture introduced Jim.

”Very glad to meet you, sir,” said the Commissioner. ”Now tell me all about it. This, of course, will be only a preliminary enquiry; I shall remand the prisoners to the cells, and their case will be taken later.

Then, of course, I shall require your evidence, and that of your men.

Please state who you are?”

”James Partington, sir; from New York.”

”Lately arrived, eh?”

”No, sir. Been cruising in the Caribbean with a salvage plant. Then took a pa.s.sage to New York. There was a collision, and a number of Spaniards aboard the s.h.i.+p fought for the boats. I--er--I helped the----”