Part 38 (1/2)
”Friends! friends!” cried Hardwicke. ”The house was attacked! Where is the Professor?”
”I reckon they have carried him off!” the nasal voice of the American answered. ”If they've killed him it's a great loss to science, you bet!
I'm coming down.” And while the gun-room was soon filled with a motley crowd from Rozel Pier, Professor Alaric Hobbs long legs dropped dangling down his rope ladder. He gazed, open-mouthed, at the anglicized Prince Djiddin.
”Who are you--friends, also?” now demanded the astonished ”Prince Djiddin” of the rescuers.
”We are friends of Simpson!” cried the nearest. ”The smugglers bludgeoned him and then threw him off the cliff, but the banks were soft and wet, and his heavy coat saved him. He sent us up here to the rescue, for he crawled half a mile on his hands and knees. We've found the old Professor tied to a tree over there in the bushes. They are bringing him here. Simpson is at the 'Jersey Arms,' all safe.”
”See here, stranger!” demanded the American, still standing amazed, pistol in hand, ”I winged a couple of these d.a.m.ned robbers; they tried their best to get the girl away from me. I'm a pretty good shot. Now, are you a prince or a fraud? I suspicioned you from the first! If you are a fraud, then the History of Thibet is all d.a.m.ned rot! I suppose that you were just 'girl hunting.' The girl's yere sweetheart. I see it all now. Hoodwinked the old man! Who's this fellow that you've got tied up there, anyway? One of the Johnny-Bull-Jesse-James gang?”
”Why! It's Joe Smith, our friend!” chimed out a dozen friendly voices.
Then Harry Hardwicke stepped up to the s.h.i.+vering wretch who stood gazing on Alan Hawke, now propped up on a doubled-up coat, and rapidly bleeding to death. ”I'll keep your secret, and save you yet, if you will disclose the whole, and keep mum!” Jack Blunt nodded, and hung his head in shame.
But, on his knees beside the dying man, Eric Murray bent down his head to listen to the final adieu of the dying wanderer, whose luck had turned at last. ”Justine Delande is to have all! The drafts, and my money, at Granville. Murray, I'll tell you everything now. Ram Lal Singh murdered old Hugh Johnstone to get the jewels that Johnstone stole. The same ones that this old scoundrel, Fraser, here, is hiding.” The red foam gathered thickly on Hawke's trembling lips. ”Tell Major Hardwicke all! He's a good fellow! The knife that Ram Lal killed old Fraser with is in my own trunk at Granville, stored in Railroad Bureau. He got in through the window. I was in the garden, and caught him coming out. I was watching old Johnstone, for fear he would give me the slip. I didn't tell--I wanted to come over here and get the jewels myself. Hang old Ram Lal! He's a cowardly murderer! Telegraph to the Viceroy to arrest the jewel seller; he will break down and confess at once. Make him pay poor Justine Delande all my drafts--Johnstone gave him that money for me to keep me silent about the stolen crown jewels. Now--now, all grows dark!
Lift me up high--higher!” he gasped. ”I played a hard game, but the luck turned--turned at last! That woman, Berthe Louison was too much--too much for me! Poor Justine! Tell her--tell her--” His voice grew fainter and fainter.
”Do you know this man, Hawke?” whispered Hardwicke, forcing Jack Blunt's face down to the dying renegade's glance.
”Never--saw him--before!” gasped Alan Hawke. ”Poor Justine, tell her--”
and with a sighing gasp, his jaw dropped, and at their feet, the fool of fortune lay dead, with a last lie on his lips.
”By G.o.d! He was dead game!” muttered Jack Blunt, kneeling there, by the stiffening form of the wreck of a once brilliant Queen's officer. He dared not lift his craven eyes!
”He had the making of a gallant soldier in him!” cried Hardwicke, as he turned to the American, and motioned to the rope ladder. ”We must not let Miss Johnstone see the body. Some of you run and get a ladder or some other means to aid her descent. And rouse up the nearest farm people. Get a carriage and bring the old Professor and maid here!”
While a dozen volunteers darted away to bring a conveyance, the rest hastily covered Hawke's body with their coats. The gun-room was now lit up, and in five minutes the waylaid carriage was drawn by hand to the door of the lonely tower. Within it lay the bruised and exhausted old scholar, bareheaded and ghastly, in the light of the flickering lanterns, while pretty Mattie Jones, with a shriek of terror, ran to the side of her sweetheart, his arms still bound with Prince Djiddin's sash.
Jack Blunt's ”swell mob” a.s.surance stood him in good stead.
”It's all a mistake, my girl,” bluntly said the mobs-man, feeling safe now that Alan Hawke's lips were sealed in death. While the old Professor was revived with copious draughts of ”usquebaugh,” Jack Blunt saw the flash below him, on the darkened seas, of a red light above a white one.
And he heaved a great sigh of relief,
”There goes the Hirondelle now, driving along out to sea with the whole gang,” he murmured. ”Now, by G.o.d, I am safe if this yellow masquerader only plays the man!” There was a hubbub of cackling voices, as on the night when the geese saved Rome! Above them, on the barrack room floor of the Martello tower, Harry Hardwicke was already holding Nadine Johnstone's drooping head upon his breast, while the lanky American gazed at the strange picture before him. The girl's arms were clasped around her lover's neck. ”Do not leave me--not a moment!” she moaned.
Alaric Hobbs, with quick forethought, tossed his blankets down below, with a significant gesture.
”Darling! You will be mine for life, now!” cried the happy soldier, as he covered her s.h.i.+vering form with his coat. Alaric Hobbs had promptly descended and hastened the necessary preparations for departure. ”d.a.m.n the explanations. Let's get the whole party out of this!” he said to Captain Murray, and then rejoined Hardwicke.
”Tell me all, quickly!” said Hardwicke. ”I am a Queen's officer and shall telegraph to the Home Guards and send for General Wragge. I must report this by cable to the Indian Government. There is justice yet to be done!”
”I was taking some private star observations here,” whispered Hobbs, bending down at Hardwicke's warning signal. ”Storm bound, I waited for the return of my wagon at dawn. I was aroused from sleep by the sounds of a struggle below.
”Some one had dragged this young woman screaming and wailing into the tower below. She soon fainted. I heard the followers tell the leader of the gang that the coachman had just cut the traces and decamped with the horses. He then bade them gather all the gang waiting in hiding so as to carry her down to some boat below, and then closing the door, he stood on guard outside. They were, however, baffled. Some of the scoundrels had taken the alarm and fled, seeing the lights of the other party moving up from the pier. Then the desperate leader tried to lead a party to steal a horse from the nearest farmhouse. They were busied in their quarreling. I dropped my ladder down, and while they wrangled, cried softly to the imprisoned woman to mount the ladder. She knew my voice at once, as I had been a visitor at her uncle's house. With my help, she got up into the barrack room, and, you bet, I quickly pulled up my rope ladder. In ten minutes more, the door was opened. The trick was discovered. They tried a pyramid of men to reach the nine feet. But I waited till they were all good and blown with their exertions and then, shot a couple of them! You'll find those fellows lingering somewhere in the bushes. I had stowed the girl safely away in the middle of the pier, over the doorway, between two pillars. She was game enough. I let them just shoot away a bit. I kept my powder and lead to kill. I've even now four cartridges left.
”But when you came on the ground, the whole coward gang skedaddled at once, and the brave chap you killed got his dose for good, for he stood his ground like a man! The girl didn't bother me. She fainted in good shape when the close fighting began. I was a dead winner from position.
I could have stood them off for hours!”
”You are a hero!” warmly cried Harry Hardwicke.
”Let's all get out of this!” replied Alaric, modestly.
The American offered Hardwicke his c.o.c.ktail bottle. ”Let's get her down.