"Not the Professor. For Miss Lucy's sake I hope he will escape;but I trust that the savage who killed these two unfortunate people will be brought to the gallows.""So do I," said Random. "Well, Don Pedro, it seems to me that your task in Gartley is ended. All you have to do is to wait for the inquest and see Mrs. Jasher buried, poor soul! Then you can go to London and remain there until after Christmas.""But why should I remain in London?" asked the Peruvian, surprised.
Random glanced at Donna Inez, who blushed.
"You forget that you have given your consent to my marriage with - ""Ah, yes," Don Pedro smiled gravely. "I return with the jewel to Lima, but I leave my other jewel behind.""Never mind," said the girl, kissing her father; "when Frank and I are married we will come to Callao in his yacht.""Our yacht," said Random, smiling.
"Our yacht," repeated Donna Inez. "And then you will see, father, that I have become a real English lady.""But don't entirely forget that you are a Peruvian," said Don Pedro playfully.
"And a descendant of Inca Caxas," added Donna Inez. Then she flirted her fan, which she was rarely without, and laughed in her English lover's face. "Don't forget, senor, that you marry a princess.""I marry the most charming girl in the world," he replied, catching her in his arms, rather to the scandal of De Gayangos, who had stiff Spanish notions regarding the etiquette of engaged couples.
"There is one thing you must do for me, senor," he said quietly, "before we leave this most unhappy case of murder and theft for ever.""What is that?" asked Sir Frank, turning with Inez in his arms.
"To-night at eight o'clock, Captain Hervey - the sailor Gustav Vasa, if you prefer the name - steams down the river in his new boat The Firefly. I received a note from him" - he displayed a letter - "stating that he will pass the jetty of Gartley at that hour, and will burn a blue light. If I fire a pistol, he will send off a boat with a full account of the theft of the mummy of Inca Caxas, written by himself. Then I will hand his messenger fifty gold sovereigns, which I have here," added Don Pedro, pointing to a canvas bag on the table, "and we will return. Iwish you to go with me, senor, and also I wish your friend Mr.
Hope to come."
"Do you anticipate treachery from Captain Hervey?" asked Random.
"I should not be surprised if he tried to trick me in some way, and I wish you and your friend to stand by me. Were this man alone, I would go alone, but he will have a boat's crew with him.
It is best to be safe."
"I agree with you," said Random quickly. "Hope and I will come, and we will take revolvers with us. It doesn't do to trust this blackguard. Ho! ho! I wonder if he knows of the Professor's flight.""No. Considering the terms upon which the Professor stood with Hervey, I should think he would be the last person he would trust. I wonder what has become of the man."More people than Don Pedro wondered as to the whereabouts of Braddock and his servant, for everyone was inquiring and hunting.
The marshes round the cottage were explored: the great house itself was searched, as well as many cottages in the village, and inquiries were made at all the local stations. But all in vain.
Braddock and Cockatoo, along with the cumbersome mummy in its case, had vanished as completely as though the earth had swallowed them up. Inspector Date's idea was that the pair had taken the mummy to Gartley Pier, after the search made by the soldiers, and there had launched the boat, which Cockatoo -judging from his visit to Pierside - apparently kept hidden in some nook. It was probable, said Date, the two had rowed down the river, and had managed to get on board some outward-bound tramp. They could easily furbish up some story, and as Braddock doubtless had money, could easily buy a passage for a large sum.
The tramp being outward-bound, her captain and crew would know nothing of the crime, and even if the fugitives were suspected, they would be shipped out of England if the bribe was sufficiently large. So it was apparent that Inspector Date had not much opinion of tramp-steamer skippers.
However, as the day wore on to night, nothing was heard of Braddock or Cockatoo or the mummy, and when night came the village was filled with local reporters and with London journalists asking questions. The Warrior Inn did a great trade in drink and beds and meals, and the rustics reaped quite a harvest in answering questions about Mrs. Jasher and the Professor and the weird-looking Kanaka. Some reporters dared to invade the Pyramids, where Lucy was weeping in sorrow and shame, but Archie, reinforced by two policemen, sent to his aid by Date, soon sent them to the right about. Hope would have liked to remain with Lucy all the evening, but at half-past seven he was forced to meet Don Pedro and Random outside the Fort in order to go to Gartley Jetty.
