"Oh, I'll accuse him right enough when the time comes," said Hervey in
his coolest manner, "but the time isn't now. Savy! I am going to see the
Don first and make sure of this reward."
"Faugh!" cried Hope with disgust, "Blood-money!"
"What of that? Ifs a man is a murderer he should be lynched."
"My friend, Sir Frank Random, is no murderer."
"He's got to prove, that, as I said before," rejoined the Yankee in a
calm way, and strolled to the door. "So-long, gents both. I'll light out
for the Warrior Inn and play my cards. And I may tell you," he added,
pausing at the door, which he opened, "that I haven't got that blamed
wind-jammer, so need money to hold out until another steamer comes
along. One hundred pounds English currency will just fill the bill. So
now you know the lay I'm on. So-long," and he walked quietly out of
the house, leaving Archie and Braddock looking at one another with pale
faces. The assurance of Hervey surprised and horrified them. Still, they
could not believe that Sir Frank Random had been guilty of so brutal a
crime.
"For one thing," said Hope after a pause, "Random did not know where the
emeralds were to be found, or even that they existed."
"I understood that he did know," said Braddock reluctantly. "In my
hearing, and in your own, you heard Don Pedro state that he had related
the story of the manuscript to Random."
"You forget that I learned about the emeralds at the same time," said
Hope quietly. "Yet this Yankee skipper does not accuse me. The knowledge
of the emeralds came to Random's ears and to mine long after the crime
was committed. To have a motive for killing Bolton and stealing the
emeralds, Random would have had to know when he arrived in England."
"And why should he have not known?" asked the Professor, biting his lip
vexedly. "I don't want to accuse Random, or even to doubt him, as he is
a very good fellow, even though he refused to assist me with money when
I desired a reward to be offered. All the same, he met Don Pedro in
Genoa, and it is just possible that the man told him of the jewels
buried with the mummy."
Archie shook his head.
"I doubt that," said he thoughtfully. "Random was as astonished as the
rest of us, when Don Pedro told his Arabian Night story. However, the
point can be easily settled by sending for Random. I daresay he is at
the Fort."
"I shall send Cockatoo for him at once," said the Professor quickly, and
walked into the museum to instruct the Kanaka. Archie remained where he
was, and seated himself on a chair, with folded arms and knitted brows.
It was incredible that an English gentleman with a stainless name and
such a well-known soldier should commit so terrible a crime. And the
matter of Hervey's accusation was complicated by the fact--of which
Hervey was ignorant--that Don Pedro was willing that Random should
become his son-in-law. Hope wondered what the fiery, proud Peruvian
would say when he heard his friend denounced. His reflections on this
point were cut short by the return of the Professor, who appeared at
the door of the museum dismissing Cockatoo. When the Kanaka took his
departure, Braddock beckoned to the young man.