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About The Medford mail. (Medford, Or.) 1893-1909 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1895)
SIGN OF... THE FOUR BY "CONAN DOYLE (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) "Well, there's no use my tellinsr you, gentlemen, what came of the Indian mutiny. After Vilson took Dtlhi and Sir Colvin relieved Lucknow the back of the business was broken. French troops came pouring in, and Nana Sahib made himself scarce over the frontier. A flying coulmn under Col. ureaterd came round to Agra and cleared the Pandies away from it. Peace seemed to be settling upon the country, and wo four were beginning to hope that the time was at hand when we might safely go off with onr shares of the plunder. In a moment, however, our hopes were shattered .by our being arrested .as the -murderers of Achmet. "It came about in rthis way: When the rajah put his Jewels into the hands .of Achmet he did it because he knew ithat he was a trusty man. They are : suspicious folk in the east, however: so what does this rajah do but take a sec ond even more trusty servant and set him to play the spy upon the first? This second man was ordered never to let Achmet out of hisight, and he fol lowed him like his shadow. lie went after him that night, and saw him pass through the doorway. Of course he thought he had taken -refuge in the fort, and applied for' admission there himself next day, but could find no traced of Achmet. This seemed to him so strange ' that he ' spoke about it to a sergeant of guides, who brought it to the ears of "the commandant. A thorough search was quickly made, and the body was discovered. Thus at the very moment 4 hat we thought that all was safe we were all four seized and brought to trial on a charge of murder hree of us because we had held the gate tha: niffht, and the fourth because he was known to have been in company of the murdered man. Not a word about the jewels came out at the trial, for the rajah had leen deposed and driven ow of India: so no one had any particular interest in them. The murder, how ever, was clearly made out. and it was eertain that we must all have beeD concerned in it. The three Sikhs got penal servitude for life, and I was con demned 4o death, though my sentence was afterward commuted into the Mime as the others. "It was rather a queer position that we found ourselves in then. There -we were, all four tied by the leg and with precious little chance of ever get ting out agrain. while we each held a ecret which might have put each of us in a palace if we -could only have made use of it. It tras enouph to make a man eat his heart out to have to stand the kick and the cuff of every pettv jack in office, to have rice to eat and water to drink. when that gorgeous fortune was ready for him outside, just waiting to be picked up. It might have driven me mad: but I was always a pretty stubborn one. so I just held on and bided my time. "At last it seemed to me to have come. I was changed from Agra to Madras, aad from there to lilair island in the Andamans. There are very few white convicts at this settlement, and. as I had behaved well from the first. I rood found myself a sort of privileged person. I was given a hut in Hope town, which is a small place on the slopes of Mount Harriet, and I was left pretty much to myself. It is a ilrcary. fever etricken place, aad all beyond our little clearings was infested with wild canni bal natives, who were ready enough to blow a poisoned dart at us if they saw a chance.- There was digging, and ditching, and yam-planting, and a dozen other thing's to be done, so we were busy enough all day: though in the evening we had a little time to our selves. Among other things. I learned to dispense drugs for the surgeon, and picked up a smattering of his knowl edge. All the time I was on the look oat for a chance of escape: but it is hundreds of miles from any other land, and there is little or no wind in those mess; so it was a terribly difficult job to ge.t away. - ' ,.. -- ' 'The Burgeon. Dr. Somerton. was a fast,1 sporting young chap, and the other young officers would meet in his rooms of an evening and play cards.' The surgery, where I used to make up my drugs, was next to his sitting-room, with a small window between us. Often, if I felt lonesome, I used to turn out the lamp in the surgery, and then, utanding there, I could hear their talk and watch their play. 1 am fond of a hand at cards myself, and it was al most as good as having one to watch the others. There was , Maj. Sholto, ('apt. Morstan and Lieut. J'romley . Brown, who were in command of the native troops, and there was the sur geon himself, and two or three prison oflicials. crafty old hands who played a nice sly sate game. A very snug little party they used to make. "Well, there was one thing which very soon struck me, and that was that soldiers used always to lose anil the civilians to win. Mind. I don't say that there was anything unfair, but so it was. These prison chaps had done little else than play cards ever since tbey had been at the Andamans. and they knew each other's game to a point, while the others just played to pass the time and threw their cards down anyhow. Night after night he soldiers got up poorer men, and the oorr they got the more keen they jere to play.-' Maj. . Sholto ' was the lardest hit." He used to Ry in notef and fold at first, but hoofr-it' came to note tt hand aid fr big in firm. H ftorirt- times would win for a few deals, just to give him heart, and then the luck would set in against him worse than ever. All day he would wa-nder about as black as thunder, and he took to drinking a deal more than was good for him. "One night he lost even more heavily than usual. 1 was sitting in my hut when he and Capt. Morstan came stumbling along in the way to their quarters. They were bosom frieuds, those two, and never far apart. The major was raving about his losses. '"It's all up. Morstan,' he was say ing, as they passed my hut. 'I shall have to send in my '.papers. 1 am a ruined man.' " 'Nonsense, old chup!' said the other, slapping him upon the shoulder. 'I've had a nasty facer myself, but That was all 1 could hear, but it was enough to set me thinking. "A couple of days later Maj. Sholto was strolling on the beach: so I took the chance of speaking to him. " 'I wish to have your advice, major,' said I. " 'Well. Small, what is-itV" he said, taking his cheroot from his lips. , " '1 wanted to ask you, sir,' said I, 'who is the proper person to whom hid den treasure should be handed over. I know where half a mUlion worth lies, and. as I cannot use it myself. I thought perhaps the lest thing that I could do would be to hand it over to the proper authorities, and then perhaps they would get my sentence shortened for me.' " Half a million. Small?' he gasped, looking hard at me to see if I was in earnest. " "Quite that, sir in jewels and pearls. It lies there ready for anyone. And the queer thing uUiut it i that the real owner is outlawed ami cannot hold property, so that it ln-longsto the first comer." ""To government. Small. " he stam mered 'to government. 1'ut he said it in a hailing fashion. ami I knew in my heart that I had got him. ""You think then. sir. -that 1 should give the information t the governor general?" said I. quietly. " "Well. weji. you must nut do any thing rash, or that you nii-ht rrpent. Let me hear ail alniut it. Small, tlive me the facts. '"I told him the uhnli-story, with small changes so that he could no-, iiletnify the places. When I hail tir.i-lieil t. stood stock still and full of thought. I I - -73 1 .'-.fV"35r- "l WISH TO UAVK VOI'K ADVU K. MAJOR." I ! could see by the twitch of his lip that there was a struggle going on w ithin him. ""This is a very important matter. Small." he said, at last. You must not say a word to anyone aliout it. and I shall see you again soon.' "Two nights later he and his friend Capt. .Morstan came to mv hut in '.he dead of the night with a lantern. " "I want you just to let (."apt. Mor stan hear that story from your own lips. Small.' said he. "'I repeated it as I had told it before. " "It rings true. ehV said he. "It's good enough to act upon?' "Capt. Morstan nodded. 'Look here. Small, said the major. "We have lieen talking it over, my friend here and I. and we hove come to the conclusion that this secret of yours is hardly a government matter, after all. but is a private concern of your own. which of course -on have the uower of disposing of as you think best. Now. the question is. what price would you ask for it? We might Ik- in clined to take it np. aud at- least look into it. if we could agree as to terms. He tried to speak in a cool, ra roles way, but his yes were shining with excitement and greed. . '"Why.Aivto that, gentlemen.' I an swered, trying also to be cool, but feel ing as excited as he did, "there is only one bargain which a man in my posi tion can make. 1 shall want you to help me to my freedom, and to help my three companions to theirs. We shall then take you into partnership, and give you' a fifth share to divide be tween you.' " 'Hum!' said he. 'A fifth share! That is not very tempting.' " "It would come to fifty thousand apiece," said I. "lint how can we gain your free- j dom? You know very well that you ask an impossibility. . ""Nothing of the sort." I answered. I have thought it all out to the last de tail. The only bar to our escape is that we can get no boat fit for the voy age, and no provisions to last us for so long a time. There are plenty of little yachts and yawls at Calcutta or Madras which would serve our turn well. Do you bring one over. We shall engage to get alumni her by night, and if you will drop us on any; part of the Indian coast you will have done your part of the bargain." " 'If there were only one," he said. "" 'None or all.' I answered. "We have sworn it. The four of us must al ways act together.' " "You see. Morstan, said he. 'Small is a man of his word. He does not flinch from his friends. I think we may very well trust him.' " "It's a dirty business,' the other an swered. r 'Vet, as you say, the money would save' on r commih.sions1 hand somely,! !' -1 v . , .;, " rWelU Rmall.' - tiald. th major, 'wm must, 1 suppose, try and meet yon. Wc must first, of cotirse, test t he truth of your story. Tell me where the box is hid. and I shall get leave of absence and go back to India in the monthly relief-boat to inquire into the affair.' "'Not so fast,' said 1. growing colder as he got hot. . 'I must have the eon sent of my three comrades. I tell you that it is four or none with us.' " 'Nonsense! lie broke in. 'What have three black fellows to do with our agreement?' , "' 'l'lack or blue.' said I. 'they are in with me, and we all go together.' "Well, the mutter ended by a second meeting, at which .Mahomet Singh, Ab dullah Khan and Dost Akbar were all present. We tulKcd the mutter over ;tgum. and at last we came to an ar rangement. We were to provide both thcollicers with charts of the part of the Agra fort and murk the place in the wall where the treasure was hid. Maj. Sholto was to go to India to test our story. If he found the box he was to leave it there, to send out a small ypcht provisiomsit for a voyage, which was to lie off Rutland island, and to which we were to make our way. ami finally to return to his duties. Capt. Morstan was then to apply for leave of absence, to meet u. at Agra, and there v were to have a final division of the treasure, he taking the major's share as well as his own. All this we sealed by the most solemn oaths that the mind could think r the lips utter. I sat up all night with paper and ink. and by morning 1 had the two charts all reiuly. signed with the sign of four that is. of AlHlullah. Akbar. .Mahomet and myself. "Well, gentlemen. I weary you with my long story, and I know that my frienil Mr. Jones is impatient to get me safely stowed in choky. I'll make it as short as I can. Tin villain. Sholto. went off to India, but he never came back again. Capt. Morgan showed me his name among a li--t of passenger in one of thr mail boats very shortly afterwards. His miele had died, leaving !iiiu a !o:-; ::-! .and !) had left the army, yet he e. '.!! ?; to treat five men as he had treated us. Morstan went over t' .- i-a sh r''y afterwards, and foud. a- w. ..;, -led. that the treasure was iinYe.1 ;.ti". The scoundrel had stolen it a.!.. . i l in m t curry ing o: one of the c !!. :;.-iis on which we had sol.l !i;..i i. irvt. Kr.m tfca! la I lived ...i. fi.r v. n gcaner. I thought of n i. iv au I I nt:rs-.l i! villi lit. It W'-- over pow eriti'. al.sor'oiiig pa--' x ; "1 me. I ourvi' v th;tg f--r the I- ,-. .t !iig for tin .-allow s. T. i Irrn-i; down s'l-'llo. to !w, mi' .' i !.s throat : !i:-! ;.s im on,-; ' !; a : . '!.c;; the Agra Irei'-itre iiad e i- : ' a su.alier tliitio iti my mi;.i ta.ia t.'i Jaying ..f Mii.llo. "ttr'.l. I have ki-I my miv.I is'i iiui: v thing in this life. ..t.d :.i-r v. ii . h I did li- i:.iry ovt. I n :'. v. as r.eirv years 1 fori rr Iiitu- catiii-. I oaw told i. i. that I hud nil "to-'. a; si ;ne thing f tiii-iiiciiie. Ore ii:n when Dr. Siiiirlr was iiow n wit'i a vera lit tle Ainiiuiiaii islander was nicked tip ly a o-rvn-t :rat'g in the n-sis. He wns-iiktoiIeuth.au Ult-l ;;ola' lt ; lonely place to da-. I t-ou l.iin in hand, though In was as vciio;:muis as a snake, ami after u coiipir ' :i;--nt!is 1 got him nil right and aMe to waik. lie took a Kind of funev to me then, and would hardly go Imek to his woods, but w us ulw ays hanging aUiut my hut. 1 learned a little of his lingo I'rotn him. and tnis made himall the fonder of inc. "Tonga- for that was his nauic wa a tine lsi:ituia:i. and owned a big. ro:n' canoe of his ow n. U hen I found that he was devoted to me ami would do anything to serve me. I saw mv chance of escajie. I talked it over with him. He was to bring his Imat on a eertain night to an old wharf which was never guarded, and there he was to pick me up. I gave him directions to have sev eral gourds of water anil a lot of yams, cocoa n u t.s and sw eet iHitatoes. "He was staunch and true, was little Tonga. No man ever had a more faith ful mate. At the night named he had his loat at the wharf. As it chanced, however, there was one of the convict guard down there a vile l'athan who had never missed a chance of in sulting and injuring me. I hud alwavs vowed vengeance, and now I had my chance. I was as fate had placed h:m in my way that might pay my debt before I ieft the island, lie stood on the bank with his back to me and his carbine on his shoulder. I looked about for a stone to beat out his brains with, but none could 1 sec. Then a queer thought came into my head anil showed me where I could lay my hand on a weap on. I sat down in the darkness und un strapped my wooden leg. With three long hops I was on him. He put his carbine to -his shoulder, but I struck him full and knocked the whole front of his skull in. You can see the split in the wood now where I hit him. We both went down together, for I could not keep my balance, but when- I got up I found him still lyi.igquiet enough. I made for the boat and in an hour we were well out at sea. Tonga had 1 HTItrCK HIM Ffl.l.. brought all hia , earthly possessions with him, hia arms and his gods. Among , otber things, he bad a long bamixjK)", spear,, a-ud . .name. .'Andaman coco nut .matting, witk -which I made a sort of a sail. Tor ten days we were beating about, trusting to luck, and on the eleventh we were picked up by a trader which was going from Singa pore to Jiddah with u crowd of Malay pilgrims. They were a rum crowd, and Tonga and I soon managed to settle down among them. They had one good quality they let you alone and asked no questions. "Well, if I were to tell you all the adventures that my little chum and I went through, you would not thank me. for I would have you here until the sun was shining. Here and there wc drifted about the wot Id. something always turning up to keep us from Lon don. All the time, however, 1 never lost sight of my purpose. I would dream of Sholto at night. A hundred times I have killed him in my sleep. At last, however, some three or four years ago, we found ourselves in Kng land. I had no great ditliculty in find ing where Sholto lived, and I set to work to discover whether In had real ized the treasure, or if he still hud it. I made friends with some one who could help me I name no names, for I don't want to get anyone else in a hole and 1 soon found that he still hud the jew els. Then 1 tried to get at him in many ways; but he was prettv sly, and had always two prixe-tighters. besides his sons and his khitmutgar. on guard over him. "One day. however. I got word that he was dying. 1 hurried at once to the garden, mad that he should slip out of my clutches like that. and. looking through the window. 1 saw him lying in his lied, with his sons on each side of him. I'd have come through and taken my chance with the three of them, only even as I looked at him his jaw dropped, and 1 knew that he was gone. I got into his room that same night, though, and ! senrehed his paper to sec if there was any record of where Im hail hidden our jewels. There was not a line, however, so I came away, i'ittcr and savage us a man could lc. Ilcforc I ieft I l-cthought niethut if I ever met my Sikh friends again it would he a satisfaction to know that I had left some murk of our ha tred: so 1 scrawled down thesig' f the .ft-Fh If s rvi. . ; "-'s?? j . '' i - V.'. '-. V.i ' .- 9M WK WKUK I'll 1.1 11 I T BV A TRAUKK. four of us. as it had been on the chart, and 1 pinned it on his tmsom. It was t.o much thai he should be taken to the grave without sonic toiieii from the men whom he had robbed and licfoolfd. "We carn-ii a living at this time by my exhibiting poor Tonga at fairs und other places as the black canniKil. He would vat raw meat ami dance his war lance: so we alwuys ha I a hatful of pennies after a day's work. I still heard all the news fr-uii I'ondicherry Lodge, and for some ciirs then as no news to hear, except that they were hunting for the treasure. At last, how ever, came what wc had wailed for vi long. The treasure had 1hcii found. It was up at the top of the house, in Mr. liartholoniew Miolto's chemical laboratory. I came at once aud had a hnk at tin place, but I could not see how with my wooden leg I was to make my way up to it. I learned, however, alx.ut a trap-door in the 'roof, and also about Mr. Sholto' s sup per hour. It seemed to me that I could manage the thing easi ly through Tonga. I brought him out with me with a long rope wound round his waist. He could climb like cat. and he soon maile lus way through the roof. but. as ill luck would have it. liartholoniew Sholto was still in the room, to his cost. Tonga thought he had done something very clever in kill ing him. for when 1 came up by the rope I found him strutting about as proud as a peacock. Very much sur prised was he when I made at him with the rope's end and cursed him for a lit tle bloodthirsty imp. I took the treasure-box aud let it down, and then slid down myself, having first left the sign of the four upon the table, to show that the jewels had come back at last to those who had most right to them. Tonga then pulled up the rope, closed the window, and made off the way that he had come. "I don't know that 1 have anything else to tell you. 1 had heard a water man speak of the speed of Smith's launch, the Aurora, so I thought she would 1h a handy craft for our escape. I engaged with old Smith, and was to give him a big sum if he got us safe to our ship. He knew, no doubt, that there was stuue screw loose, but he was not in our secrets. All this is the truth, and if I tell it to you. gentlemen, it is not to amuse you for you have not done nie a very good turn but it is because I lielicve the best defense I can make is just to hold back nothing, but let all the world know how badly 1 have myself been served by Maj. Sholto. and how innocent 1 am of the death of his son." "A very remarkable account," said Sherlock Holmes. "A fitting wind-up to an extremely interesting case. There is nothing at all new to me in the latter part of your narrative, ex cept that you brought your own rope. That I did not know. Hy the way. 1 had hoped that Tonga had lost all hit, darts: yet he managed to shoot one at us in the boat." "He had lost them all, sir, except the one which was in his blow pipe at th time." . . "Ah. of course," aaid Holmev. bad not thought of that." . " ''In' there in j other point which, you it' would like to ask about?" asked the convict, affably. "I think not, thank yon," my com panion answered. "Well, Holmes," said Athelney Jones, "you arc a man to be humored, aud we all know that you are a con noisseur of crime, but duty isduty, and I have gone rather far in doing what you and your friend usked me. 1 shall feel more at east- when we have our story-teller here under lock and key. The cab still waits, and there are two ins'icctors downstuirs. 1 am much obliged to you lioth for your assistance. Of course, you will lie wanted at the trial, (iood-night to you." "I iood-night, gentlemen, both,'' said Jonathan Small. "You first, Small," remarked the wary lones as they left the room. "I'll take particular care that you don't club me with you wooden leg, whatever you maj' have done to the gentleman at the Andaman Isles." "Well, and there is the end of our drama," I remarked, after we had sat some time smoking in silence. "I fear it shall lie the last investigation in which I shall have the chance of study ing your methods. Miss .Morstan has done me the honor to accept me as a husband in prospective." He gave a most dismal groan. "I feared as much." said he. "I really can not congratulate you."' I was a little hurt. "Have you any reason to Ik dissatisfied with my choice?" I asked. "Not at all. I think she is one of the most charming young ladies I ever met. and might have lecn ne-st useful in such wori: as we have '.H en doing. sju. had a decided genius that way: wit ness the way in which she preserved that Agra plan from ull the other pa pers of her father. Hut love is an emo tional thing, and whatever is emo tional is opposed to that true cold rea son which 1 place alxve all things. I should never marry mvself. lest I bias my judgment." "I trust." said I. laughing, "that mv for Infants and Children. OTHERS, Do You Know that Paregoric Batcn:.ms Droys, Godfrey's Cordial, many so-called Soothing Syrups, &nd M mcst rerucdic for children are composed of opium or morphine? 1Q Von Know lhal opium and morphine are stupefying narcotic poisons? 1Q Vow Know that in mi.l countries druggUl rc nwt jicrmiucd toscli zxarcocics A-ilhtml labeling Ihrm poisons TM You Know that ytrci sliould not permit any medicine to tc fiivm your child tmlrs you or J our phys:cian know of what it is coruposol ? To Von Know that Ca:or:a : a purr!y tReta!i3c prrparalton. and that a lisiof ' its ingiciiicnts is published with cw;y lust'c ? Io You Know that Cistoria i the prescription ofthe famous Ir Samuel ritcher. That it has been in uc fur nearly thirty years, and thai mure Castoria is now sold than of all other remedied for children combined Ho Vou Know that the Talent Office lvt-partmcnt .-f the I ni'.ed states, and of " other countries, have issue.! exclusive rifjil to Ir. Pitcher and his assigns to use the word ' Cjtntorltt " and its formula, and that to imitate them i a state prison offense ? To Vou Know tluit one of the reasons for granting this government protection ms became Castoria had been proven to be absolutely hanalena T Po Vou Know th.-.t S3 average doses of Castoria are furnished for cent, or one cent a dose? le You Know that when po.essol of this perfect preranjt:on, your children may be kept well, and that ou may ha-.r irrt'.r.ti.rt: rr-t ? Ve-lt. ttiow tntiin ac .vorih knowing. Thev arc f.tcts. The fao-wlinllc Hlgnalnre of Children Cry for Union Lihery Stables, C. n ING US & SON, Proprietors, Successor to ED. WORMAN. ... Having lately purchased this popular stable and stocked it with new rigs, safe and fast teams I am now prepared to niet the wants of the traveling public in a satisfactory manner. COKNEK SEVENTH AND 1$, MEDFOKD, OREGON. THE VERY BEST OF BRICK AND MASON 90MTRAV1.mJU1LDE I manufacture a splendid article of llriek see samples everywhere about the city. Yard one block north of Brewery. Residence north C street, Medford, Oregon. MEDFORD BSIGK GL AV. PRIDDY, iProp'r. MEDFORD, - OREGON. First-class quality of Brick always promptly filled. . . BBICK WORK ,OFvHlt KIMqS f RQPTIT EXKUlEB. v Give Wi't caM when in need of anything in xny lint" judgment may survive the ordeal. But you look weary." "Yes. the reaction is already upon me. I shall be as limp as a rag for a week."' "Strange. said I. "how terms of what in another man I should call la.iness alternate with fits of splendid energy and vigor." "Yes." ie answered, "there are in' nie the makings of a very fine loafer and also of a pretty spry sort of fellow. I often think of those lines of old ("ofthe: Srharlc- i'rss die K:itur niir clncn Mensch dirschuf. Dcnn zum wurdiren ?'tann war un'l z'jrn Scht-1- nv.-n tier stutT." Hy the way. apropos of this Nonfood, business, you see that they had. as 1 sur-niscd. a confi derat" in the house, who could be none oth(r than Lai Kan. the butler; so .Tones actually has the undivided honor of having caught one fish in his great haul." "The division iM.-ems rather unfair." I remarked. "Yon have done all tin work in the. l-a-;?-,.-;.. I vvt a wife out of it. .lones gi ; ,. credit, pray wiia. remains for you?" '"'or me." said Sherlock Holmes, "'there still remains the cocaine-botllc." And he stretched his long white hand up for it. k? -f- .-'- on every rapper. Pitcher's Castoria. WORK. YARD, on hand. Large and small . . .