by W. W. Jacobs
money?Where's your hoard, you miser?"
Mullet closed his eyes. He opened them again slowly and strove to think,while Gunn watched him narrowly. When he spoke, his utterance was thickand labored.
"Come to-night," he muttered, slowly. "Give me--time--I will make your--your fortune. But the nurse-watches."
"I'll see to her," said Gunn, with a grin. "But tell me now, lest youdie first."
"You will--let Joan--have a share?" panted the innkeeper.
"Yes, yes," said Gunn, hastily.
The innkeeper strove to raise himself in the bed, and then fell backagain exhausted as Joan's step was heard on the stairs. Gunn gavea savage glance of warning at him, and barring the progress of the girlat the door, attempted to salute her. Joan came in pale and trembling,and falling on her knees by the bedside, took her father's hand in hersand wept over it. The innkeeper gave a faint groan and a shiver ranthrough his body.
It was nearly an hour after midnight that Nick Gunn, kicking off hisshoes, went stealthily out onto the landing. A little light came fromthe partly open door of the sick-room, but all else was in blackness. Hemoved along and peered in.
The nurse was siting in a high-backed oak chair by the fire. She hadslipped down in the seat, and her untidy head hung on her bosom. A glassstood on the small oak table by her side, and a solitary candle on thehigh mantel-piece diffused a sickly light. Gunn entered the room, andfinding that the sick man was dozing, shook him roughly.
The innkeeper opened his eyes and gazed at him blankly.
"Wake, you fool," said Gunn, shaking him again.
The other roused and muttered something incoherently. Then he stirredslightly.
"The nurse," he whispered.
"She's safe enow," said Gunn. "I've seen to that."
He crossed the room lightly, and standing before the unconscious woman,inspected her closely and raised her in the chair. Her head fell limplyover the arm.
"Dead?" inquired Mullet, in a fearful whisper.
"Drugged," said Gunn, shortly. "Now speak up, and be lively."
The innkeeper's eyes again travelled in the direction of the nurse.
"The men," he whispered; "the servants."
"Dead drunk and asleep," said Gunn, biting the words. "The last daywould hardly rouse them. Now will you speak, damn you!"
"I must--take care--of Joan," said the father.
Gunn shook his clenched hand at him.
"My money--is--is--" said the other. "Promise me on--your oath--Joan."
"Ay, ay," growled Gunn; "how many more times? I'll marry her, and sheshall have what I choose to give her. Speak up, you fool! It's not foryou to make terms. Where is it?"
He bent over, but Mullet, exhausted with his efforts, had closed his eyesagain, and half turned his head.
"Where is it, damn you?" said Gunn, from between his teeth.
Mullet opened his eyes again, glanced fearfully round the room, andwhispered. Gunn, with a stifled oath, bent his ear almost to his mouth,and the next moment his neck was in the grip of the strongest man inRiverstone, and an arm like a bar of iron over his back pinned him downacross the bed.
"You dog!" hissed a fierce voice in his ear. "I've got you--CaptainRogers at your service, and now you may tell his name to all you can.Shout it, you spawn of hell. Shout it!"
He rose in bed, and with a sudden movement flung the other over on hisback. Gunn's eyes were starting from his head, and he writhedconvulsively.
"I thought you were a sharper man, Gunn," said Rogers, still in the samehot whisper, as he relaxed his grip a little; "you are too simple, youhound! When you first threatened me I resolved to kill you. Then youthreatened my daughter. I wish that you had nine lives, that I mighttake them all. Keep still!"
He gave a half-glance over his shoulder at the silent figure of thenurse, and put his weight on the twisting figure on the bed.
"You drugged the hag, good Gunn," he continued. "To-morrow morning,Gunn, they will find you in your room dead, and if one of the scum youbrought into my house be charged with the murder, so much the better.When I am well they will go. I am already feeling a little bit stronger,Gunn, as you see, and in a month I hope to be about again."
He averted his face, and for a time gazed sternly and watchfully at thedoor. Then he rose slowly to his feet, and taking the dead man in hisarms, bore him slowly and carefully to his room, and laid him a huddledheap on the floor. Swiftly and noiselessly he put the dead man's shoeson and turned his pockets inside out, kicked a rug out of place, and puta guinea on the floor. Then he stole cautiously down stairs and set asmall door at the back open. A dog barked frantically, and he hurriedback to his room. The nurse still slumbered by the fire.
She awoke in the morning shivering with the cold, and being jealous ofher reputation, rekindled the fire, and measuring out the dose which theinvalid should have taken, threw it away. On these unconsciouspreparations for an alibi Captain Rogers gazed through half-closed lids,and then turning his grim face to the wall, waited for the inevitablealarm.
