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Show .:g?f treasure moments, and Hugh gently quieted her. "See here, Mrs. Hilyer," he said. "We don't enjoy this any more than you do. For what happened to your husbaDd perhaps anything I say will be in bad taste. Cut the fact remains that we had nothing against him. It was he who went after us. And I notice that although that demon La-fitte La-fitte tortured and attempted to abuse several of us, including a woman, you never raised your hand to restrain him. "But, I'm not appealing to you on grounds of decency, but of self-interest. If nothing comes out about Hll-yer's Hll-yer's end, you can go home and hold up your head. On the other hand, If you want to air what happened, I shall see to It that the whole story of my uncle's death becomes known. Do you think that then you will be received anywhere at home? I leave it to you." The queer social vanity that was the mainspring of the woman's life responded re-sponded to the argument. She dried her tears and restrained her tongue; and for a moment I felt sorry for her. But she showed her character at the last, even as she rose to go. "It's all very well what you say, Lord Chesby," she whimpered. "But what am I going to do now? Hilyer's dead, Little Depping Is loaded with mortgages. His cousin George will inherit in-herit what's left of It, anyway. And I " She hesitated artistically. "I am not going to pay you blackmail," black-mail," returned Hugh coldly, "but you "But how can we find such a boat and captain?" asked Hugh. "Leave that to me," answered Was so Mikall promptly. "I know certain men of my race in this city who can furnish me with information about the vessels that come to the Golden Horn. And in the meantime, you must make boxes to hold the treasure." treas-ure." We heard no more from him for a week. He went and came, sometimes by day and sometimes by night; and we in the house in Sokaki Masyeri, prisoners as well as captors, labored with saw and hatchet, hammer and nails. As fast ns we shaped the boxes, we carried them down to the drain and packed them, wrapping gold and gems in whatever fabrics we could find around the house, and in this way we used up all the loose lumber, cloth and bedding in Tokalji's storerooms. Then, one night as we sat in the atrium, very sore as to hands and fingers fin-gers from the unaccustomed carpentry, carpen-try, there was a knock on the courtyard court-yard door, and Wasso Mikali ushered in a tall, lean man in a blue sea-officer's cap. He left this man in the courtyard, and came down to us. "I have brought you a sea captain who does not fear to dodge the law," said the old gypsy without preface. "He loves a Circassian girl who lives in a street near the Khan of the Georgians, Geor-gians, and I have made it plain to him that if we do business with him the girl stays in my custody for surety of his honesty. He is a Russian, and his ship is his own or so he says." "You did not tell him what we wanted want-ed him for?" questioned Hugh. "Tell him only what you must," counseled Wasso Mikali. '1 think I have a hold on this man, but I would not trust him more than I could help." "Why can't we tell him that we have made a remarkable find of ancient statuary, mosaics and that sort of thing?" I suggested. "He will look ns up, and the story will sound credible for King. We'll let him know that the government wouldn't like to see such a valuable collection go to foreigners, and so we have to smuggle It." "That will do," Nikka approved. "And that will explain why we must send the boxes aboard secretly." We made the deal with the Russian captain that night. He was not a bad chap, but a bit put to It to earn the keep of himself, his crew and his vessel ves-sel by reason of the anomalous situation situa-tion in which they found themselves, the Slava still running under the old imperial registry. She was a tidy tramp of 5,000 tons odd, and Captain Malakovich made no objection to turning turn-ing over the necessary cabins for our use. The transfer of the treasure occupied occu-pied a week, for we could only work at night, carrying the heavy boxes down the drain and utilizing the limited limit-ed stowage room of the Curlew. We set Watkins aboard the Slava to watch the boxes, and the rest of us either mounted guard on our prisoners or else made more boxes and packed. It was a hectic time. The only real excitement ex-citement that marked it, however, was a visit we received from two of Tokalji's To-kalji's men from the camp of the tribe in the forest of Belgrade. Kara took care of them, sending them back with Imaginary instructions from her father. fa-ther. The last day, after the treasure boxes, now duly stenciled "Antiques, Statuary, Chgs. Pd., With Care," were stowed away in a secret compartment of the Slava's hold, we all found time to go to the British embassy to see nugh and Betty married. Kara, strangely subdued In a costume furnished fur-nished by Betty, hung to Nikka's arm and watched the ceremony with amazement. amaze-ment. "Do the Franks have to do all that to be married?" she commented. "I am more than ever glad I am a Tzigane." - "What are you going to do with her, Nikka?" asked Betty. "Send her to school Or let me look after her? I'd love to." Nikka laughed. "You wouldn't very long. No, I'm not going to curb my. wild hawk so drastically. dras-tically. She shall taste of civilization sip by elp, until It savors sweetly on her tongue." "And you?" cried Hugh. "Aren't you coming with us?" "No. I must tame her. And in taming her I shall Indulge the craving that has grown in me to sample again the joys of the open road that I have not known since I was a lad. We are going to wander, Kara and I. We will go up Into the Rhodopes with Wasso Mikall for a while, and then we will lake the Tzigane's train through the Balkans and over the Danube and the Carpathians, on, on, wherever we choose," So, when the Slava steamed out of the Golden Horn that afternoon, nugh and Betty, Vernon King, Wat-kins Wat-kins nd I waved good-by to our comrade. com-rade. Nikka and Kara stood on the pier end as long as we could see them; and after they had dwindled out of sight we turned our gnze on the matchless skyline of Stamboul, with Its lofty domes and slender minarets and close-packed buildings tumbling down the hillsides to tho great cordon of the old Byzantine sea wall. And on the very edge of the wall was poised the squat bulk of Tokalji's weird establishment. We could see 11 clearly, the fine lines of the House of the Married, the plumpy tip of a cedar waving from its mysterious hidden courtyard, and the L-shnped mass of the bachelor's quarters opposite. They bulked smaller at this distance than when seen from the bobbing cockpit of the Curlew. Alitady It began t. seem difficult to believe that within their walls we had witnessed so mud: ol tragedy and devotion. THE END. i CHAPTER XIV Antiques, Statuary, Chgs. Pd., With Care Reluctantly and with many a backward back-ward look, we retired from that glimmering glim-mering vault of wealth, and climbed to the atrium. We were all soaked to the waist and suddenly conscious of the fatigue of the last two crowded iws Personally, I felt that I had reached the limit. I didn't care what happened. I thought that we were in a hopeless fix. Vernon King was equally morose. Betty was ready to weep. Nikka was sardonically amused at our ill-lack. Kara was indifferent, so long as Nikka refused to embark trpon a scheme of wholesale murder in order to Impound the treasure for themselves alone. Watty was tiredly hopeless. Only Hugh squared his jaw and said nothing. 'Til have the precious pair fetched In If you like," volunteered Nikka as we sat about the room. "But I don't see the use. I've talked to them, and I can assure you they aren't In a mood to be agreeable. Mrs. Hilyer Is consumed with revenge. She isn't thinking of anything else. She just wants to get back at us. Mahkouf Is politely threatening. He figures that he has us on the hip because of the killings last night murder of his im-iperial im-iperial majesty's subjects and all that. He talked about international complications, compli-cations, and lawlessness." : "Could we, perhaps, detain them sufficiently suf-ficiently long to permit us to get away?" inquired my uncle. "With the treasure? Hardly! I say, ,do you realize the sheer physical job In removing that stuff? Why, there ;must be tons of it! It would have to ;be boxed and crated. And where would you take it to? How would you take it anywhere? To arrange for Its removal would require oh, I'd hate to say how long! In the meantime, mean-time, we might hold Mrs. Hilyer without with-out causing any comment, but Mahkouf Mah-kouf is a well-known person. He isn't called the 'Grand Vizier's Jackal' for nothing." Wasso Mikall appeared in the doorway door-way at the foot of the stairs that led up to the large chamber on the courtyard court-yard level. His face was grim and the tone in which he addressed Nikka so savage as to attract the attention of all of us. Kara eyed him with approval, ap-proval, and ventured a confirmatory nod. "lie says," Nikka translated, "that the only thing for us to do is to kill Tokalji and the rest of the prisoners, stow their bodies in the drain that I have told him about, and then deiry to Malikoff that there ever was a fight or that there is any treasure here. Ue Insists it was a great mistake for us to take any prisoners, but that we can yet remedy it In time." "lie's dead wrong," said Hugh abruptly. "I think I can use Tokalji to work out of this mess." "llow?" nsked Nikka. "By making It worth his while. He'd do anything for money, wouldn't he?" "Yes." "Well, we hays tha money In limitless limit-less quantities. I want to say a word lo you IndB nd Professor King that has been on my chest ever since I saw that treasure vault. I never thought of thii before, because I didn't take ue story nny too sorlously. But now It's beyond cavlL My point Is this: there's toe much wealth down there fl,r any one man. Professor King says there may be $125,000,000. Nobody "will (hat much Just to lead his own 'fe In nlilnence. "I'm going to divide It equally be-en be-en yon, Nikka, Jack, Professor Klng. Watty and myself, subject to whatever disbursement! Nikka thinks "nsso Mikall should have and a price "wessnrj to attach Tokalji's allcgl-n,1e allcgl-n,1e to ns." "i'our Idea of purchasing Tokalji's opposing be can aid us, la a good BmtC S;iki mj uncl8- "Cut I have Ct n!"f-T now thRQ 1 caQ se- 1 far ,ol"te,7 refuse your oCTer so ' "s it concerns myself, Hugh." Walk6' t0' your ludshP." 8I,0ka nP Hon, , "Wnut W0UJ I do with mll-Mt, mll-Mt, f1? All the other serr-newsi, serr-newsi, be Jcfllous f me. and tho tfceir f r gontIom(;a would be 'aving X0i '"".Ith me every day most like. all ri ' Slr I m an 01(1 mRn nn(J witu rather rcs'lect- I'm sure I'd much yor hn?- 00 with J"ou nt Chesby, It aitiV n' and vnlet y" Coperly. now.,,,. S0 e;isy t0 ""J a g.Md valet Bot. Js' slr- Really, sir. Id rather aWutetwSaid llugn- "we worj,t nSht me V01 lLv,Watty- If you sta-y with of , ""J. 'ang It all, you're one must stn friends I've gotl You split,! 'y' But 1 m solnS to insist on Jack ci Whth Jack and Kikka- Tnen "id Ni'n nouses to suit himself, i!vacan.piay his fiddle to poor boys and girTsT" - - "I knew you'd make an offer like that, Hugh," said Nikka simply. "It's like you. And don't you worry about Wasso Mikali. I'll take care of him and his tribe with my share. It wouldn't do them any good to make them grossly rich. They'd leave their old ways of life, contract tuberculosis or dissipate themselves to death. Let them be. They live an idyllic life, a life good enough for me, anyway. But I'm not going to protest against the corruption of Tokalji, if you believe you can make anything out of it What is your idea?" "Have him in," answered Hugh. "I'll show you." Wasso Mikall brought in the brigand bri-gand chief, his broken arm in a sling, a sour glint of hatred in his eye. "Now," said Hugh, "ask him, Nikka, if he'd like to be so rich he wouldn't need to steal again, except to indulge his sportin' tastes?" Tokalji evidently considered he was being spoofed, and he drew himself haughtily erect. "He says any man would answer that one way," replied Nikka. "But that you seek to annoy him." "Tell him," returned Hugh, "that I'll give him 100,000 Turkish if he'll come over to our side, and back us up against Mahkouf Pasha. Explain to him about Mahkouf Pasha." The change in Tokalji's manner was ridiculous. "He says," translated Nikka, "that he will kill the sultan for you for 100,000 Turkish. But he wants to see the money." "Watty," said Hugh, "go down into the sewer-treasury and collect a sack of jewels anything will do. Tell Tokalji To-kalji I'm sending for an earnest of our good faith, Nikka." Avarice glowed in the brigand's face. Wasso Mikall looked disgusted. He nursed some secret grudge of his own against Tokalji, and had wanted to cut his throat from the minute he discovered the scoundrel was our prisoner. pris-oner. But Hugh's hunch was a good one. None could doubt that, as Tokalji To-kalji gradually thawed under the Influence In-fluence of his stimulated acquisitive instincts. And when Watty tramped In fifteen minutes afterward and plumped a bulging sack Into the old thief's lap, a miraclo was wrought. Sweat beaded bead-ed on his forehead; his hands clawed the lovely stones; his eyes shone; he cackled to himself and crooned like a mother over her baby. "Tell him they are his, and that we will add gold to them, if he plays fair with us," continued Hugh when he judged he had made his effect. "But he will have to remain our prisoner until we leave." "He awaits your orders," Nikka translated the reply, as Tokalji regretfully regret-fully tore his attention from the treasure treas-ure on his knees. "Wait a minute." This last as Tokalji burst into a tumult of excited speech. "He says for you not to worry about Mahkouf Pasha. He knows all about the pasha. He, the pasha, has beon smuggling arms from Rumania to Kemal Pasha at Angora, and Tokalji has played a part in the business." Hugh just grinned, and the rest of us grinned back at him. "We are indeed fortunate," remarked re-marked King. "Fortunate your eye 1" returned Hugh with Jubilant disrespect. "I knew such precious scoundrels would sell each other out Now, Nikka, you tell Tokalji he 1b to inform Mahkouf Fasha that he regards us as his friends, inasmuch ns we relieved him last night from the oppression of a band of thieves. And we'll have Mahkouf Mah-kouf In here, and give him an earful. I suppose we'll have to drag in that poor Hilyer woman, too. I hate that But she'll have to be made to understand under-stand her position." The interview that followed was absurd and sordid. Mahkouf Pa3ha, after an attempt at hectoring defiance, collapsed completely and begged to be let alone. Nikka, who handled him, squelched him to putty, and told Wasso Was-so Milali to see him to the street "And remember," Nikka concluded, "if you dare to breathe a word against us, yon Levantine dog, we will show you up for what you are to tha Allied High Commissioners, to your master the Grand Vizier and to the Nationalists National-ists at Angora. Sou have played all three of these, one against the others, and all three will be glad to bang you. Go, before I kick you 1" Wasso Mikall positively chuckled as he jerked the nshenfaced mongrel to his feet and steered him up the stairs. Maude Hilyer was not so easy. She began by a wailing tirade that degenerated degen-erated into a filthy harangue. I earned afterward that she had risen In life from a position which had made her engagement for the Gayety theater chorus an epochal event for her. We sent Betty from the room for a few "I Am Not Going to Pay You Blackmail," Black-mail," Returned Hugh Coldly. may call on my solicitors this day two months. What we do for you will depend upon your conduct." And that was the last any of us saw of Maude Hilyer. But I may as well say here that she did call on Mr. Bellowes in London, and that by Hugh's direction he arranged to pay her a small Income conditioned on good behavior. Hugh, with his usual generosity, Insisted, too, upon making substantial presents booby prizes, he called them to our two Russian prisoners. pris-oners. They were not released, however, how-ever, until we left Constantinople, as their vindictive attitude assured us of their desire to wreck our fortunes, If they could discover an opportunity. What happened to the strange pair after Wasso Mikali freed them I do not know. But I should hazard a guess that while Mrs. Hilyer will be content to live respectably in a cheap Brighton hotel, eking out her means with the practice of bridge of an uncommonly un-commonly sharp variety, Serge Vas-silievich Vas-silievich and Sandra Vassllievna whether brother and sister, In truth, I never found out will fleece their way through the smart watoring places and resorts of the continent so ! long as tha police permit them at large. "Are we downhearted?" demanded ' Hugh, as the door closed behind Mrs. Hilyer. "We are not," returned King, "It is amazing to reflect upon the apparent appar-ent hopelessness of our position a couple of hours ago, while now we seem to have no reason to anticipate any insurmountable difficulties." "We'll Qnd a way," Nikka declared. "I feel more hopeful than I did. Hugh has given us a lesson in practical strategy. It was a master stroke to buy In Tokalji. Now we have some time to spare." "And with submission, sir, Mister Nikka," said Watkins, gently closing the door behind him. "Miss Betty Ls dead asleep on some rugs upstairs. 'Ave you gentlemen forgot It's past eight o'clock? Come, now, a bite of supper, and you'd best sleep a while." "He's right" assented Hu&h. "We're overdoing It A night's sleep will sot 'us all up." We slept royally, leaving the guard duty to Wasso Mikali's men; and the next day we awoke with confidence In our united ability to overcome all remaining re-maining obstacles. At Nikka's suggestion sug-gestion we called upon Wasso Mikali for his advice. He pondered for five minutes or so. then spoka like a Judge on the bench. "A great treasure like this cannot be trusted in many men's hands," he said. "Otherwise I would offer to transport It by mule trains to the dwelling place of my tribe. Jakka knows how secure that is. But even If we succeeded In carrying It there, what should we do wiih it? To make use of it, you must carry it to the lands where you live. "So, friends of my sister's son, I say that you must put the treasure on a boat and you must go on that bnat yourselves, and you must be ?ure you can trust the captain." |