Chapter XII The Strange Story of Jonathan Small

. “‘Itiswell,’heanswered,handingmebackmyfirelock.‘Youseethatwetrustyou,foryourword,likeours,isnottobebroken.Wehavenowonlytowaitformybrotherandthemerchant.’ “‘Doesyourbrotherknow,then,ofwhatyouwilldo?’Iasked. “‘Theplanishis.Hehasdevisedit.WewillgotothegateandsharethewatchwithMahometSingh.’ “Therainwasstillfallingsteadily,foritwasjustthebeginningofthewetseason.Brown,heavycloudsweredriftingacrossthesky,anditwashardtoseemorethanastone-cast.Adeepmoatlayinfrontofourdoor,butthewaterwasinplacesnearlydriedup,anditcouldeasilybecrossed.ItwasstrangetometobestandingtherewiththosetwowildPunjaubeeswaitingforthemanwhowascomingtohisdeath. “Suddenlymyeyecaughttheglintofashadedlanternattheothersideofthemoat.Itvanishedamongthemound-heaps,andthenappearedagaincomingslowlyinourdirection. “‘Heretheyare!’Iexclaimed. “‘Youwillchallengehim,Sahib,asusual,’whisperedAbdullah.‘Givehimnocauseforfear.Sendusinwithhim,andweshalldotherestwhileyoustayhereonguard.Havethelanternreadytouncover,thatwemaybesurethatitisindeedtheman.’ “Thelighthadflickeredonwards,nowstoppingandnowadvancing,untilIcouldseetwodarkfiguresupontheothersideofthemoat.Iletthemscrambledowntheslopingbank,splashthroughthemire,andclimbhalf-wayuptothegate,beforeIchallengedthem. “‘Whogoesthere?’saidI,inasubduedvoice. “‘Friends,’cametheanswer.Iuncoveredmylanternandthrewafloodoflightuponthem.ThefirstwasanenormousSikh,withablackbeardwhichsweptnearlydowntohiscummerbund.OutsideofashowIhaveneverseensotallaman.Theotherwasalittle,fat,roundfellow,withagreatyellowturban,andabundleinhishand,doneupinashawl.Heseemedtobeallinaquiverwithfear,forhishandstwitchedasifhehadtheague,andhisheadkeptturningtoleftandrightwithtwobrightlittletwinklingeyes,likeamousewhenheventuresoutfromhishole.Itgavemethechillstothinkofkillinghim,butIthoughtofthetreasure,andmyheartsetashardasaflintwithinme.Whenhesawmywhitefacehegavealittlechirrupofjoyandcamerunninguptowardsme. “‘Yourprotection,Sahib,’hepanted,—‘yourprotectionfortheunhappymerchantAchmet.IhavetravelledacrossRajpootanathatImightseektheshelterofthefortatAgra.IhavebeenrobbedandbeatenandabusedbecauseIhavebeenthefriendoftheCompany.ItisablessednightthiswhenIamoncemoreinsafety,—Iandmypoorpossessions.’ “‘Whathaveyouinthebundle?’Iasked. “‘Anironbox,’heanswered,‘whichcontainsoneortwolittlefamilymatterswhichareofnovaluetoothers,butwhichIshouldbesorrytolose.YetIamnotabeggarandIshallrewardyou,youngSahib,andyourgovernoralso,ifhewillgivemetheshelterIask.’ “Icouldnottrustmyselftospeaklongerwiththeman.ThemoreIlookedathisfat,frightenedface,theharderdiditseemthatweshouldslayhimincoldblood.Itwasbesttogetitover. “‘Takehimtothemainguard,’saidI.ThetwoSikhsclosedinuponhimoneachside,andthegiantwalkedbehind,whiletheymarchedinthroughthedarkgateway.Neverwasamansocompassedroundwithdeath.Iremainedatthegatewaywiththelantern. “Icouldhearthemeasuredtrampoftheirfootstepssoundingthroughthelonelycorridors.Suddenlyitceased,andIheardvoices,andascuffle,withthesoundofblows.Amomentlatertherecame,tomyhorror,arushoffootstepscominginmydirection,withtheloudbreathingofarunningman.Iturnedmylanterndownthelong,straightpassage,andtherewasthefatman,runninglikethewind,withasmearofbloodacrosshisface,andcloseathisheels,boundinglikeatiger,thegreatblack-beardedSikh,withaknifeflashinginhishand.Ihaveneverseenamanrunsofastasthatlittlemerchant.HewasgainingontheSikh,andIcouldseethatifheoncepassedmeandgottotheopenairhewouldsavehimselfyet.Myheartsoftenedtohim,butagainthethoughtofhistreasureturnedmehardandbitter.Icastmyfirelockbetweenhislegsasheracedpast,andherolledtwiceoverlikeashotrabbit.ErehecouldstaggertohisfeettheSikhwasuponhim,andburiedhisknifetwiceinhisside.Themanneverutteredmoannormovedmuscle,butlaywerehehadfallen.Ithinkmyselfthathemayhavebrokenhisneckwiththefall.Yousee,gentlemen,thatIamkeepingmypromise.Iamtellingyoueveryworkofthebusinessjustexactlyasithappened,whetheritisinmyfavourornot.” Hestopped,andheldouthismanacledhandsforthewhiskey-and-waterwhichHolmeshadbrewedforhim.Formyself,IconfessthatIhadnowconceivedtheutmosthorroroftheman,notonlyforthiscold-bloodedbusinessinwhichhehadbeenconcerned,butevenmoreforthesomewhatflippantandcarelesswayinwhichhenarratedit.Whateverpunishmentwasinstoreforhim,Ifeltthathemightexpectnosympathyfromme.SherlockHolmesandJonessatwiththeirhandsupontheirknees,deeplyinterestedinthestory,butwiththesamedisgustwrittenupontheirfaces.Hemayhaveobservedit,fortherewasatouchofdefianceinhisvoiceandmannerasheproceeded. “Itwasallverybad,nodoubt,”saidhe.“Ishouldliketoknowhowmanyfellowsinmyshoeswouldhaverefusedashareofthislootwhentheyknewthattheywouldhavetheirthroatscutfortheirpains.Besides,itwasmylifeorhiswhenoncehewasinthefort.Ifhehadgotout,thewholebusinesswouldcometolight,andIshouldhavebeencourt-martialledandshotaslikelyasnotforpeoplewerenotverylenientatatimelikethat.” “Goonwithyourstory,”saidHolmes,shortly. “Well,wecarriedhimin,Abdullah,Akbar,andI.Afineweighthewas,too,forallthathewassoshort.MahometSinghwaslefttoguardthedoor.WetookhimtoaplacewhichtheSikhshadalreadyprepared.Itwassomedistanceoff,whereawindingpassageleadstoagreatemptyhall,thebrickwallsofwhichwereallcrumblingtopieces.Theearthfloorhadsunkinatoneplace,makinganaturalgrave,soweleftAchmetthemerchantthere,havingfirstcoveredhimoverwithloosebricks.Thisdone,weallwentbacktothetreasure. “Itlaywherehehaddroppeditwhenhewasfirstattacked.Theboxwasthesamewhichnowliesopenuponyourtable.Akeywashungbyasilkencordtothatcarvedhandleuponthetop.Weopenedit,andthelightofthelanterngleameduponacollectionofgemssuchasIhavereadofandthoughtaboutwhenIwasalittleladatPershore.Itwasblindingtolookuponthem.Whenwehadfeastedoureyeswetookthemalloutandmadealistofthem.Therewereonehundredandforty-threediamondsofthefirstwater,includingonewhichhasbeencalled,Ibelieve,‘theGreatMogul’andissaidtobethesecondlargeststoneinexistence.Thentherewereninety-sevenveryfineemeralds,andonehundredandseventyrubies,someofwhich,however,weresmall.Therewerefortycarbuncles,twohundredandtensapphires,sixty-oneagates,andagreatquantityofberyls,onyxes,cats’-eyes,turquoises,andotherstones,theverynamesofwhichIdidnotknowatthetime,thoughIhavebecomemorefamiliarwiththemsince.Besidesthis,therewerenearlythreehundredveryfinepearls,twelveofwhichweresetinagoldcoronet.Bytheway,theselasthadbeentakenoutofthechestandwerenottherewhenIrecoveredit. “AfterwehadcountedourtreasuresweputthembackintothechestandcarriedthemtothegatewaytoshowthemtoMahometSingh.Thenwesolemnlyrenewedouroathtostandbyeachotherandbetruetooursecret.Weagreedtoconcealourlootinasafeplaceuntilthecountryshouldbeatpeaceagain,andthentodivideitequallyamongourselves.Therewasnousedividingitatpresent,forifgemsofsuchvaluewerefounduponusitwouldcausesuspicion,andtherewasnoprivacyinthefortnoranyplacewherewecouldkeepthem.Wecarriedthebox,therefore,intothesamehallwherewehadburiedthebody,andthere,undercertainbricksinthebest-preservedwall,wemadeahollowandputourtreasure.Wemadecarefulnoteoftheplace,andnextdayIdrewfourplans,oneforeachofus,andputthesignofthefourofusatthebottom,forwehadswornthatweshouldeachalwaysactforall,sothatnonemighttakeadvantage.ThatisanoaththatIcanputmyhandtomyheartandswearthatIhaveneverbroken. “Well,there’snousemytellingyougentlemenwhatcameoftheIndianmutiny.AfterWilsontookDelhiandSirColinrelievedLucknowthebackofthebusinesswasbroken.Freshtroopscamepouringin,andNanaSahibmadehimselfscarceoverthefrontier.AflyingcolumnunderColonelGreathedcameroundtoAgraandclearedthePandiesawayfromit.Peaceseemedtobesettlinguponthecountry,andwefourwerebeginningtohopethatthetimewasathandwhenwemightsafelygooffwithoursharesoftheplunder.Inamoment,however,ourhopeswereshatteredbyourbeingarrestedasthemurderersofAchmet. “Itcameaboutinthisway.WhentherajahputhisjewelsintothehandsofAchmethediditbecauseheknewthathewasatrustyman.TheyaresuspiciousfolkintheEast,however:sowhatdoesthisrajahdobuttakeasecondevenmoretrustyservantandsethimtoplaythespyuponthefirst?ThissecondmanwasorderednevertoletAchmetoutofhissight,andhefollowedhimlikehisshadow.Hewentafterhimthatnightandsawhimpassthroughthedoorway.Ofcoursehethoughthehadtakenrefugeinthefort,andappliedforadmissiontherehimselfnextday,butcouldfindnotraceofAchmet.Thisseemedtohimsostrangethathespokeaboutittoasergeantofguides,whobroughtittotheearsofthecommandant.Athoroughsearchwasquicklymade,andthebodywasdiscovered.Thusattheverymomentthatwethoughtthatallwassafewewereallfourseizedandbroughttotrialonachargeofmurder,—threeofusbecausewehadheldthegatethatnight,andthefourthbecausehewasknowntohavebeeninthecompanyofthemurderedman.Notawordaboutthejewelscameoutatthetrial,fortherajahhadbeendeposedanddrivenoutofIndia:sonoonehadanyparticul