The Green Mummy - Page 101/191

"Perhaps he did," said Braddock, pointing to the rifled corpse. "You see

that the emeralds are missing."

"Your assistant's assassin stole them," insisted Don Pedro coldly.

"We cannot be sure of that," retorted the Professor, "although I admit

that no man would jeopardize his neck for the sake of a corpse."

Archie looked surprised.

"But an enthusiast such as you are, Professor, might risk so much."

For once in his life Braddock made a good-humored reply.

"No, sir. Not even for this mummy would I place myself in the power of

the law. And I do not think that any other scientist would either. We

savants may not be worldly, but we are not fools. However, the fact

remains that the jewels are gone, and whether they were stolen by Vasa

thirty years ago, or by poor Sidney's assassin the other day, I don't

know, and, what is more, I don't care. I shall examine the mummy

further, and in a couple of days Don Pedro can bring me a check for one

thousand and remove his ancestor."

"No! no!" cried the Peruvian hurriedly; "since the emeralds are missing,

I am not in a position to pay you one thousand English pounds, sir.

I want to take back the body of Inca Caxas to Lima; as one must show

respect to one's ancestors. But the fact is, I cannot pay the money."

"You said that you could," shouted the exasperated Professor in his

bullying way.

"I admit it, senor, but I had hoped to do so when I sold the emeralds,

which--as you can see--are not available. Therefore the body of my royal

ancestor must remain here until I can procure the money. And it may be

that Sir Frank Random will help me in this matter."

"He wouldn't help me," snapped Braddock, "so why should he help you?"

Don Pedro, looking more dignified than ever, drew himself up to his tall

height.

"Sir Frank," he said, in a stately way, "has done me the honor of

seeking to be my son-in-law. As my daughter loves him, I am willing to

permit the marriage, but now that I have learned the emeralds are lost,

I shall not consent until Sir Frank buys the mummy from you, Professor.

It is only right that my daughter's hand should redeem her regal

forefather from purely scientific surroundings and that she should take

the mummy back to be buried in Lima. At the same time, sir, I must say

that I am the rightful owner of the dead, and that you should surrender

the mummy to me free of charge."

"What, and lose a thousand pounds!" cried Braddock furiously. "No, sir,

I shall do nothing of the sort. You only wanted the mummy for the sake

of the jewels, and now that they are lost, you do not care what becomes

of your confounded ancestor, and you--"