Chapter VII The Episode of the Barrel

on.Hehadsigneditinbehalfofhimselfandhisassociates,—thesignofthefour,ashesomewhatdramaticallycalledit.Aidedbythischart,theofficers—oroneofthem—getsthetreasureandbringsittoEngland,leaving,wewillsuppose,someconditionunderwhichhereceiveditunfulfilled.Now,then,whydidnotJonathanSmallgetthetreasurehimself?Theanswerisobvious.ThechartisdatedatatimewhenMorstanwasbroughtintocloseassociationwithconvicts.JonathanSmalldidnotgetthetreasurebecauseheandhisassociateswerethemselvesconvictsandcouldnotgetaway.” “Butthatismerespeculation,”saidI. “Itismorethanthat.Itistheonlyhypothesiswhichcoversthefacts.Letusseehowitfitsinwiththesequel.MajorSholtoremainsatpeaceforsomeyears,happyinthepossessionofhistreasure.ThenhereceivesaletterfromIndiawhichgiveshimagreatfright.Whatwasthat?” “Alettertosaythatthemenwhomhehadwrongedhadbeensetfree.” “Orhadescaped.Thatismuchmorelikely,forhewouldhaveknownwhattheirtermofimprisonmentwas.Itwouldnothavebeenasurprisetohim.Whatdoeshedothen?Heguardshimselfagainstawooden-leggedman,—awhiteman,markyou,forhemistakesawhitetradesmanforhim,andactuallyfiresapistolathim.Now,onlyonewhiteman’snameisonthechart.TheothersareHindoosorMohammedans.Thereisnootherwhiteman.Thereforewemaysaywithconfidencethatthewooden-leggedmanisidenticalwithJonathanSmall.Doesthereasoningstrikeyouasbeingfaulty?” “No:itisclearandconcise.” “Well,now,letusputourselvesintheplaceofJonathanSmall.Letuslookatitfromhispointofview.HecomestoEnglandwiththedoubleideaofregainingwhathewouldconsidertobehisrightsandofhavinghisrevengeuponthemanwhohadwrongedhim.HefoundoutwhereSholtolived,andverypossiblyheestablishedcommunicationswithsomeoneinsidethehouse.Thereisthisbutler,LalRao,whomwehavenotseen.Mrs.Bernstonegiveshimfarfromagoodcharacter.Smallcouldnotfindout,however,wherethetreasurewashid,fornooneeverknew,savethemajorandonefaithfulservantwhohaddied.SuddenlySmalllearnsthatthemajorisonhisdeath-bed.Inafrenzylestthesecretofthetreasurediewithhim,herunsthegauntletoftheguards,makeshiswaytothedyingman’swindow,andisonlydeterredfromenteringbythepresenceofhistwosons.Madwithhate,however,againstthedeadman,heenterstheroomthatnight,searcheshisprivatepapersinthehopeofdiscoveringsomememorandumrelatingtothetreasure,andfinallyleavesamomentoofhisvisitintheshortinscriptionuponthecard.Hehaddoubtlessplannedbeforehandthatshouldheslaythemajorhewouldleavesomesuchrecorduponthebodyasasignthatitwasnotacommonmurder,but,fromthepointofviewofthefourassociates,somethinginthenatureofanactofjustice.Whimsicalandbizarreconceitsofthiskindarecommonenoughintheannalsofcrime,andusuallyaffordvaluableindicationsastothecriminal.Doyoufollowallthis?” “Veryclearly.” “Now,whatcouldJonathanSmalldo?Hecouldonlycontinuetokeepasecretwatchupontheeffortsmadetofindthetreasure.PossiblyheleavesEnglandandonlycomesbackatintervals.Thencomesthediscoveryofthegarret,andheisinstantlyinformedofit.Weagaintracethepresenceofsomeconfederateinthehousehold.Jonathan,withhiswoodenleg,isutterlyunabletoreachtheloftyroomofBartholomewSholto.Hetakeswithhim,however,arathercuriousassociate,whogetsoverthisdifficulty,butdipshisnakedfootintocreasote,whencecomesToby,andasix-milelimpforahalf-payofficerwithadamagedtendoAchillis.” “Butitwastheassociate,andnotJonathan,whocommittedthecrime.” “Quiteso.AndrathertoJonathan’sdisgust,tojudgebythewayhestampedaboutwhenhegotintotheroom.HeborenogrudgeagainstBartholomewSholto,andwouldhavepreferredifhecouldhavebeensimplyboundandgagged.Hedidnotwishtoputhisheadinahalter.Therewasnohelpforit,however:thesavageinstinctsofhiscompanionhadbrokenout,andthepoisonhaddoneitswork:soJonathanSmalllefthisrecord,loweredthetreasure-boxtotheground,andfollowedithimself.ThatwasthetrainofeventsasfarasIcandecipherthem.Ofcourseastohispersonalappearancehemustbemiddle-aged,andmustbesunburnedafterservinghistimeinsuchanovenastheAndamans.Hisheightisreadilycal