University of Virginia Library

25. CHAPTER XXV.
THE TREASURE.

Jack Bim distanced all other pursuers. But Cardini
sprang into a boat and pushed out from shore, just when
Bim had arrived in hailing and pistol-shot distance. Bim,
abandoning his horse, plunged into the water, firing at
every step, until his pistols were empty. Then he was
under the necessity of retracing his steps, for he could not
swim. He soon found another skiff, however, and without
demanding permission of the owner, took possession and
rowed after the fugitive. It was too late. But still the Sergeant
rowed on, resolved to overtake the dastardly assassin.

When Jack landed, he proceeded to the head-quarters of
General Ruffleton. Bold as a lion, he disdained any disguise,
notwithstanding his recent exploit in Sixth street
must have constituted him a marked man. He recharged
his revolvers under a tree in Independence Square and
escaped the observation of General Balatrum's brigade, then
dispersed in groups in the grounds of the Square.

Watching an opportunity, he crossed over, and obtained
easy access, for the lock had not been repaired. Closing
the door behind him, he had recourse to his match and
candle, implements always in his possession. But he had
not proceeded many steps before it struck him that instead
of finding the object of his search with a lighted candle in
his hand, he might be exposed to discovery himself.

“Out you go!” said he, blowing out the candle. “I
know every foot of the way by heart. Gad, this is a lucky
affair! I'm out of money!”

He turned to the left and felt for the orifice in the wall.

Having passed it, stepping cautiously, he pursued his way
through several others, until he came to the apartment
where he had found the imprisoned Mary. Here there was
a dim light burning, and, sitting in a great chair near the
centre table, he beheld the murderer panting from the
effects of his recent exertions. Mrs. Punt was moving
about the room.

Three times the Sergeant raised his pistol and aimed it
steadily at the assassin's breast; but finally replaced it in
his belt, unable to reconcile his conscience to the idea of
taking life without giving his victim a chance to defend
himself. And besides, he did not like to make a disturbance
with the report of fire-arms. So he remained perfectly
still in his place of concealment, to reconnoitre and await a
more favorable opportunity of securing an equal combat
with the assassin.

“Where is the General?” asked Cardini.

“At the State House,” said Mrs. Punt. “If you want
to see the General, why not go to Independence Hall?”

“I have reasons, Mrs. Punt.”

“And you know my name. I never saw you before.
But it must be all right. You got the card of admission
from Signor Popoli?”

“Yes.”

“You know I must be careful in admitting strangers.
They threatened to confine me in the General's underground
chamber because a great desperado and vagabond, named
Jack Bim, once got in and carried off a crying girl.”

“Has no one inquired for me?”

“Yes. General Balatrum asked if any one had come
from the camp of General Hudson.”

“How long since?”

“Not two minutes before you scratched at the front door.”

“He will return soon. Give me some wine.”

“What sort?”

“Let it be brandy. That's stronger.”

“La's a mercy!” said Mrs. Punt, seeing blood on the
hand and garments of the Italian, when placing the brandy
on the table.

“What's the matter?” cried Cardini, springing up, and
placing his hand on his dagger.

“The blood! You're covered with blood!”

“Is that all! A little water will wash it off. Show me
to a basin, and then give me one of the General's shirts.”

“La! How you order! But you do it in such a commanding
way, I'm afraid to refuse. I hope, sir, the blood
ain't—”

“Yes, it is. Ask no questions.”

“The water's in the next house, in the hall, to the left of
that opening. Shall I light the gas?”

“No; I can wash in the dark. Have the shirt ready.”
Saying this, he rose from the chair and passed through the
aperture in the wall.

“Be easy, and don't make a fuss,” said Bim, encircling
the slight form of the Italian with one of his gigantic arms,
and gagging him with the other. Not the slightest noise
ensued. Cardini trembled in submission when Bim whispered
his name in his ear.

The Sergeant lifted up his victim, and bore him to a room
at the northern end of the row. Here he paused, and stood
the little man on his feet.

“Now, Signor,” said he, “I'm going to strike a light;
but while I'm doing it, you might stab me in the dark. So,
I'll just hold both your hands in one of mine, and with the
other take your pistols and dagger.” This accomplished,
Jack drew his match and ignited his candle.

“Sergeant, what are you going to do with me?” asked
Cardini.

“Signor, the first thing I must do is to take an oath that
I won't kill you—at this time. If I don't, I can't answer
for the consequences. Before this looking-glass, I do solemnly
swear that I will not kill Signor Cardini this night, unless
I'm compelled, to save my own life, or to prevent his escape
—so help me —! Signor, now you're safe. One of the
Blue Caps to be a traitor! D— you! it's well I took
that oath. But I'll forget you ever were a Blue Cap;” he
continued, snatching the cap from the Italian's head and
throwing it into a corner. “Let it be a bed for rats! And
you have the devilish impudence to look me in the face and
ask what I intend to do with you!—you, who have been
pretending to serve two masters!”

“Sergeant,” said the Italian, “you did the same thing.
You served both Ruffleton and the President.”

“But not at the same time, Signor. That makes all the

difference in the world. But why did Ruffleton hire you to
kill General Hudson?”

“I haven't said he did, Sergeant.”

“But you will say so, because it is so.”

“I will say nothing about it.”

“But you shall! Confess the whole truth in a minute,
or I'll strangle you.”

“Remember your oath, Sergeant.”

“I ought not to have sworn aloud! Very well; I can
put you where nobody will find you till this night is past.
Can you tell me whether anybody's down there?” pointing
at the hearth.

“Down where?”

“Oh, you don't know anything about it. Luckily, I am
one who helped to dig the dungeon, and know all about its
twistings and turnings.” Saying this, Bim touched a spring
in the fireplace and the hearth-stone flew up in front, turning
on hidden hinges, and disclosed a dark and dismal vault,
in which there was a ladder. “Go down first,” said Bim.
“Obey me, or I'll pitch you down, and that won't be breaking
my oath; if you die it will be killing yourself.”

Cardini descended very reluctantly. When they reached
the bottom, Bim, with the candle in his hand, led the way
until they entered a dry chamber, supposed to be under the
centre of the street. This room was walled round with
massive stone, to which there was an iron door that could
only be fastened and unfastened on the outside. It was
perforated at the top for the admission of air, but no particle
of the light of heaven penetrated it. Bim ignited the
wick of an iron lamp suspended from the ceiling, and
pointed to a barrel of crackers and a keg of smoked
herrings.

“There, Cardini,” said he, “is provision for two months.
In the corner you will find a leaden pipe that will supply
water. Here are some old clothes. There is a stool to sit
on and meditate. Think of your crimes and repent.”

“Sergeant,” said Cardini, “have you not taken the lives
of many men?”

“In fair fight, I grant you; but never one in any
other way. I confess I killed Major Trapp without giving
him a chance to shoot me. But he had a revolver in his
hand, and had just scaled the temple of my friend. And

now, good night, Cardini. You will not need a jailor.
There is some straw in one of the corners, and there would
have been a bible if the general had permitted.” Saying
this, Bim fastened the door and departed.

“And now,” said he, as he closed the trap-stone at the
hearth, “I must replenish my finances. I have only three
cents remaining.” He proceeded without delay to the attic
room where he had left Solomon Mouser to watch his gold.
And having some curiosity to see how the old Jew passed
his time, he endeavored to make his appearance before him
without any premonition of his approach. It was in vain,
for when he burst into the room he saw the closet door
close quickly after the retreating Jew.

“Come out, old Tuppenny!” said he—“it's nobody but
me. I thought I'd just slip up softly to see how my affairs
were attended to in my absence. Come out, I say—it's me
—Jack Bim.”

“As I am a mortal man,” said the Jew, coming forth.
“I feared it was a burglar!”

“I suppose the Bank is all right?”

“No—no—no! We made an error.”

“What? See here—Tuppenny! If any of my money
is gone—”

“Gone? All that is gone you took away yourself, except
a few cents—I mean dimes—I bought bread and cheese
with, and a pitchfork to fight off the rats.”

“Oh d— the dimes! I don't care for even a few dollars.
But what did you mean by `no! no! no!' and `an
error?”' demanded Bim, imitating the Jew's voice.

“I'll show you,” said the Jew, exhibiting several scraps
of paper covered with figures. “If you will sit down and
go through these calculations, you will see that we failed to
carry one, and that it made a difference of one hundred
dollars. So you have my receipt for that amount over and
above the actual sum in my custody.”

“Figures and calculations! Why, it would take me a whole
day. I won't look at them. But I'll correct the error.”

“I thought you would! I knew you would give me back
ten eagles.”

“You didn't know any such thing. But I will do this:
I'll credit you on the receipt with a hundred dollars more
than I take this time.”

“Mercy on me! And is all that gold gone?”

“Shell out!” said Bim.

“It stabs me to the heart—but you must have your
will.”

“Of course I'll have my will, and it's my will to have
my money. But what difference does it make to you?”

“What difference? I'll tell you. I charge the slightest
commission for the safe custody of the treasure, and the
more the sum is diminished the less will be my compensation.
Don't you understand?”

“Not very clearly. But was that in the bargain?”

“It was the same thing.”

“I don't remember it. But what do you call the slightest
commission?”

“Only the one-tenth of one per cent., per diem.”

“One-tenth of one per cent! That's only ten cents on
the hundred dollars.”

“Exactly.”

“How many hundred years would it take, at that rate,
to eat up the whole?”

“Thrifty Jacob! Would you wait till I made the calculation?”

“No—and I've no time to spare—so shell out! I'll take
care that you don't get it all.”

“How much will you take from me?”

“Take from you. I don't like the word, old Tuppenny.
It's too soon to talk that way. Wait till my capital is consumed,
and when I come to borrow your money—”

“I'll lend you as much as you want! I'll accommodate
you now! You shall have thousands! And without
usury!”

“Well, there is warm blood in a Jew, after all!”

“We are a persecuted race! Borrow of me, sir, and
then your deposit won't be diminished at all—and you won't
have to alter the receipt you hold. You will just sign me a
little note, and that will be all. No security will be demanded—”

“That sounds like nonsense to me, Tuppenny—security,
when you have my gold! But no matter—I'll try it for a
thousand. Shell out, for, I repeat, I'm in a hurry!”

This was done with alacrity, very much apparently to
their mutual satisfaction. But Bim, pausing suddenly when

departing, as if struck by a new idea, asked the Jew if the
thousand dollars were not taken from the gold deposited in
the coffee bag. The Jew confessed they were, but reminded
the Sergeant that the receipt in his possession was for the
whole sum, and not minus the amount subtracted. He
said he would replace the thousand dollars immediately from
his funds deposited with Moses Abrahams. This, although
it puzzled the rather obtuse Bim, seemed to satisfy him, and
he strode away with a grave physiognomy.