“‘Well,well,youmustnotdoanythingrash,orthatyoumightrepent.Letmehearallaboutit,Small.Givemethefacts.’
“Itoldhimthewholestory,withsmallchangessothathecouldnotidentifytheplaces.WhenIhadfinishedhestoodstockstillandfullofthought.Icouldseebythetwitchofhislipthattherewasastrugglegoingonwithinhim.
“‘Thisisaveryimportantmatter,Small,’hesaid,atlast.‘Youmustnotsayawordtoanyoneaboutit,andIshallseeyouagainsoon.’
“TwonightslaterheandhisfriendCaptainMorstancametomyhutinthedeadofthenightwithalantern.
“‘IwantyoujusttoletCaptainMorstanhearthatstoryfromyourownlips,Small,’saidhe.
“IrepeateditasIhadtolditbefore.
“‘Itringstrue,eh?’saidhe.‘It’sgoodenoughtoactupon?’
“CaptainMorstannodded.
“‘Lookhere,Small,’saidthemajor.‘Wehavebeentalkingitover,myfriendhereandI,andwehavecometotheconclusionthatthissecretofyoursishardlyagovernmentmatter,afterall,butisaprivateconcernofyourown,whichofcourseyouhavethepowerofdisposingofasyouthinkbest.Now,thequestionis,whatpricewouldyouaskforit?Wemightbeinclinedtotakeitup,andatleastlookintoit,ifwecouldagreeastoterms.’Hetriedtospeakinacool,carelessway,buthiseyeswereshiningwithexcitementandgreed.
“‘Why,astothat,gentlemen,’Ianswered,tryingalsotobecool,butfeelingasexcitedashedid,‘thereisonlyonebargainwhichamaninmypositioncanmake.Ishallwantyoutohelpmetomyfreedom,andtohelpmythreecompanionstotheirs.Weshallthentakeyouintopartnership,andgiveyouafifthsharetodividebetweenyou.’
“‘Hum!’saidhe.‘Afifthshare!Thatisnotverytempting.’
“‘Itwouldcometofiftythousandapiece,’saidI.
“‘Buthowcanwegainyourfreedom?Youknowverywellthatyouaskanimpossibility.’
“‘Nothingofthesort,’Ianswered.‘Ihavethoughtitallouttothelastdetail.Theonlybartoourescapeisthatwecangetnoboatfitforthevoyage,andnoprovisionstolastusforsolongatime.ThereareplentyoflittleyachtsandyawlsatCalcuttaorMadraswhichwouldserveourturnwell.Doyoubringoneover.Weshallengagetogetaboardherbynight,andifyouwilldropusonanypartoftheIndiancoastyouwillhavedoneyourpartofthebargain.’
“‘Iftherewereonlyone,’hesaid.
“‘Noneorall,’Ianswered.‘Wehaveswornit.Thefourofusmustalwaysacttogether.’
“‘Yousee,Morstan,’saidhe,‘Smallisamanofhisword.Hedoesnotflinchfromhisfriend.Ithinkwemayverywelltrusthim.’
“‘It’sadirtybusiness,’theotheranswered.‘Yet,asyousay,themoneywouldsaveourcommissionshandsomely.’
“‘Well,Small,’saidthemajor,‘wemust,Isuppose,tryandmeetyou.Wemustfirst,ofcourse,testthetruthofyourstory.Tellmewheretheboxishid,andIshallgetleaveofabsenceandgobacktoIndiainthemonthlyrelief-boattoinquireintotheaffair.’
“‘Notsofast,’saidI,growingcolderashegothot.‘Imusthavetheconsentofmythreecomrades.Itellyouthatitisfourornonewithus.’
“‘Nonsense!’hebrokein.‘Whathavethreeblackfellowstodowithouragreement?’
“‘Blackorblue,’saidI,‘theyareinwithme,andweallgotogether.’
“Well,thematterendedbyasecondmeeting,atwhichMahometSingh,AbdullahKhan,andDostAkbarwereallpresent.Wetalkedthematteroveragain,andatlastwecametoanarrangement.WeweretoprovideboththeofficerswithchartsofthepartoftheAgrafortandmarktheplaceinthewallwherethetreasurewashid.MajorSholtowastogotoIndiatotestourstory.Ifhefoundtheboxhewastoleaveitthere,tosendoutasmallyachtprovisionedforavoyage,whichwastolieoffRutlandIsland,andtowhichweweretomakeourway,andfinallytoreturntohisduties.CaptainMorstanwasthentoapplyforleaveofabsence,tomeetusatAgra,andthereweweretohaveafinaldivisionofthetreasure,hetakingthemajor’sshareaswellashisown.Allthiswesealedbythemostsolemnoathsthatthemindcouldthinkorthelipsutter.Isatupallnightwithpaperandink,andbythemorningIhadthetwochartsallready,signedwiththesignoffour,—thatis,ofAbdullah,Akbar,Mahomet,andmyself.
“Well,gentlemen,Iwearyyouwithmylongstory,andIknowthatmyfriendMr.Jonesisimpatienttogetmesafelystowedinchokey.I’llmakeitasshortasIcan.ThevillainSholtowentofftoIndia,buthenevercamebackagain.CaptainMorstanshowedmehisnameamongalistofpassengersinoneofthemail-boatsveryshortlyafterwards.Hisunclehaddied,leavinghimafortune,andhehadleftthearmy,yethecouldstooptotreatfivemenashehadtreatedus.MorstanwentovertoAgrashortlyafterwards,andfound,asweexpected,thatthetreasurewasindeedgone.Thescoundrelhadstolenitall,withoutcarryingoutoneoftheconditionsonwhichwehadsoldhimthesecret.FromthatdayIlivedonlyforvengeance.IthoughtofitbydayandInurseditbynight.Itbecameanoverpowering,absorbingpassionwithme.Icarednothingforthelaw