The Green Mummy - Page 44/191

Professor Braddock was less forgetful, as he always bore in mind the

loss of his mummy, and constantly thought of schemes whereby he could

trap the assassin of his late secretary. Not that he cared for the dead

in any way, save from a strictly business point of view, but the capture

of the criminal meant the restitution of the mummy, and--as Braddock

told everyone with whom he came in contact--he was determined to regain

possession of his treasure. He went himself to the Sailor's Rest, and

drove the landlord and his servants wild by asking tart questions and

storming when a satisfactory answer could not be supplied. Quass

was glad when he saw the plump back of the cross little man, who so

pertinaciously followed what everyone else had abandoned.

"Life was too short," grumbled Quass, "to be bothered in that way."

The wooing of Archie and Lucy went on smoothly, and the Professor showed

no sign of wishing to break the engagement. But Hope, as he confided

to Lucy, was somewhat worried, as his pauper uncle, on an insufficient

borrowed capital, had begun to speculate in South African mines, and it

was probable that he would lose all his money. In that case Hope fancied

he would be once more called upon to make good the avuncular loss, and

so the marriage would have to be postponed. But it so happened that the

pauper uncle made some lucky speculative shots and acquired money, which

he promptly reinvested in new mines of the wildcat description. Still,

for the moment all was well, and the lovers had a few halcyon days of

peace and happiness.

Then came a bolt from the blue in the person of Captain Hervey, who

called a fortnight after the funeral to see the Professor. The skipper

was a tall, slim man, lean as a fasting friar, and hard as nails, with

closely clipped red hair, mustache of the same aggressive hue, and

an American goatee. He spoke with a Yankee accent, and in a truculent

manner, sufficiently annoying to the fiery Professor. When he met

Braddock in the museum, the two became enemies at the first glance, and

because both were bad-tempered and obstinate, took an instant dislike to

one another. Like did not draw to like in this instance.

"What do you want to see me about?" asked Braddock crossly. He had

been summoned by Cockatoo from the perusal of a new papyrus to see his

visitor, and consequently was not in the best of tempers.

"I've jes' blew in fur a trifle of chin-music," replied Hervey with an

emphatic U.S.A. accent.

"I'm busy: get out," was the uncomplimentary reply.

Hervey took a chair and, stretching his lengthy legs, produced a black

cheroot, as long and lean as himself.

"If you were in the States, Professor, I'd draw a bead on you for that

style of lingo. I'm not taking any. See!" and he lighted up.