As I reached the hotel again after my interview with that crafty old
rascal, Maalthaas, I saw Mr. Leversidge entering it by another gate. I
hurried after him and just managed to catch him as he was crossing the
verandah to pass into his own sitting-room. He turned sharply round on
hearing my step behind him, and one glance at my face must have told him
that there was something the matter. His face turned pale, and I noticed
that his mouth twitched nervously.
"What is it?" he asked breathlessly. "What is it you have to tell me? I
can see there is something wrong by your face."
"There is indeed something wrong," I answered. "Come inside and let me
tell you. I hurried back on purpose to let you know at once."
"I am obliged to you," he said. "Now come inside. Your face frightens
me. I fear bad news."
"It is not good news I have to tell you, I'm afraid," I replied. "But
still, if we're sharp, we may be able to remedy the mischief before it's
too late. First and foremost you must understand that this morning I
called upon an old friend who lives here, one of the sharpest men in the
East, if not the very sharpest. He's a man who knows everything; who
would in all probability be able to tell you why that Russian cruiser,
which was due in Hong Kong last Friday, at the last moment put back to
Vladivostock, though she did not require coal, and had nothing whatever
the matter with her. Or he will tell you, as he did me, the reasons
which induced a certain English jewel merchant to hasten to Colombo from
Madras, and then come on to Java in company with a man named Christopher
Collon."
"Do you mean to say that our business here is known to people?" he cried
in alarm. "In that case we are ruined."
"Not quite, I think," I answered; and then with a little boastfulness
which I could not help displaying, I added, "In the first place it is
not known to _people_. Only to one person. In the second, Maalthaas may
play fast and loose with a good many folk, but he dares not do so with
me. I carry too many guns for him, and we are too useful to each other
to endeavour in any way to spoil each other's games. But for him I
should never have known what has happened now until it would have been
too late to remedy it."
"But you have not yet told me what _has_ happened," said Mr. Leversidge
in an aggrieved tone.
"Well, the fact of the matter is," I said, "while we have been
congratulating ourselves on our sharpness, we have very nearly been
forestalled in what we intended doing. In other words, we are not so
early in the field as we thought we were."
"What do you mean? Not so early in the field. Do you mean to tell me
there is some one else trying to do what we are going to do? That some
one else is setting off for the wreck?"
"I do," I answered, with a nod of the head. "You have just hit it. A
schooner left Tanjong Priok yesterday with a diver aboard, and as far as
I can gather--and there seems to be no doubt about the matter--she was
bound for the wreck."
"Do you mean a Government vessel? Surely she must have been sent by the
authorities?"
"I don't mean anything of the sort," I said. "The only authority she is
sent by is Jim Peach, one of the sharpest men in these waters. And when
I tell you that he is aboard her, and that he has Yokohama Joe, the
diver, with him, I guess you'll see there's real cause for alarm. At any
rate, Mr. Leversidge, it's my opinion that if we're not there first we
may as well give up all thought of the pearls, for they'll get them as
sure as you're born--don't you make any mistake about that. I've never
known Jimmy Peach fail in what he undertook but once. He's a bad 'un to
beat is Jimmy. He knows these waters as well as you know Oxford Street,
and if, as I expect, it's his own schooner he's gone in, then we shall
have all our time taken up trying to catch her."
As I said this the old gentleman's face was a study. Expressions of
bewilderment, anxiety, greed, and vindictiveness seemed to struggle in
it for the mastery. It was evident that, brought up as he had been with
a profound respect for the sacred rights of property, it was impossible
for him to believe that the man could live who would have the audacity
to behave towards him, John Leversidge, of Hatton Garden, as Peach and
his gang were now said to be doing. He clenched his fists as he realized
that the success of the enterprise depended entirely upon our being able
to beat the others at their own game, and from the gleam I saw in his
eye I guessed that there was not much the old boy would not do and dare
to get possession of what had been bought and paid for by his firm, and
what he therefore considered to be his own lawful property.
"If it is as you say, Mr. Collon," he said, at length, "there can be no
possible doubt as to what sort of action we should take. Come what may
we must be on the spot first. I believe I am doing as my firm would wish
when I say that those other rascals must be outwitted at all costs. If
this man you speak of, this Peach, is a bad one to beat, let me tell you
so am I. We'll make a match of it and see who comes out best. I can
assure you I have no fear for the result."
"Bravely spoken," I said. "I like your spirit, Mr. Leversidge, and I'm
with you hand and glove. I've beaten Jimmy before, and on this occasion
I'll do so again."
"I only hope and trust you may," he answered. "And now what do you
advise? What steps should we take first? Give me your assistance, I beg,
for you must of necessity be better versed in these sort of matters than
I. It seems to me, however, that one thing is very certain: if these men
sailed yesterday in their schooner, and they have a day's start of us,
we shall find it difficult to catch them. We might do so, of course; but
it would be safer to act as if we think we might not. For my own part I
do not feel inclined to run the risk. I want to make it certain that we
_do_ get there before them."
"The only way to do that is, of course, to charter a steamer," I
replied, "and that will run into a lot of money. But it will make it
_certain_ that we get the better of them."
"In such a case money is no object. We must keep our word to the
Emperor, and to do that my firm would spend twice the sum this is likely
to cost. But the question is, where are we to find the steamer we want?
I found it difficult, nay, almost impossible, to get even a schooner
this morning. And for the only one I could hear of the owner asked such
a preposterous price that I did not feel disposed to give in to his
demands until I had consulted you upon the subject, and made certain
that we could not find another. What do you recommend?"
I considered the matter for a moment. I had had experience of Java
shipowners before, and I knew something of their pleasant little ways.
Then an idea occurred to me.
"I think if you will let me negotiate the matter, Mr. Leversidge," I
said, "I may be able to obtain what you want. The man of whom I spoke to
you just now, the same who gave me the information regarding Peach and
his party, is the person to apply to. For a consideration I have no
doubt he would find us a vessel, and though we may have to pay him for
his trouble, he will take very good care that we are not swindled by any
other party. There is one more suggestion I should like to make, and
that is that you should let me telegraph to a person of my acquaintance
in Thursday Island to send a schooner down to a certain part of the New
Guinea coast, in charge of men he can trust. We could then on arrival
tranship to her, and send the steamer back without letting those on
board know anything of our errand. What do you think of that
arrangement? In my opinion it would be the best course to pursue."
"And I agree with you," he answered. "It is an admirable idea, and I am
obliged to you for it. We will put it into execution without loss of
time. As soon as you have seen this man Maalthaas we will send the
message you speak of to Thursday Island."
"I will see him at once," I replied. "There is no time to be lost. While
we are talking here that schooner is making her way to the scene of the
catastrophe as fast as she can go."
I accordingly departed, and in something less than a quarter of an hour
was once more seated in the venerable Maalthaas' room. It did not take
long to let him know the favour we wanted of him, nor did it take long
for him to let me understand upon what terms he was prepared to grant
it. "You won't come down in your price at all, I suppose?" I said, when
he had finished. "What you ask is a trifle stiff for such a simple
service."
"Not a guelder," he answered briefly.
"Provided we agree, when can we sail?"
"To-morrow morning at daylight, if you like. There will be no difficulty
about that."
"And you guarantee that the men you send with her can be trusted?"
"Nobody in this world is to be trusted," he answered grimly. "I've never
yet met the man who could not be bought at a price. And what's more if I
did meet him I would be the last to trust him. What I will say is that
the men who work the boat are as nearly trustworthy as I can get them.
That's all."
"All right. That will do. I will go back to my principal now and let him
know what you say. If I don't return here within an hour you can reckon
we agree to your terms, and you can go ahead."
"No, thank you, Mynheer," said Maalthaas; "that won't do at all. If I
receive the money within an hour, I shall take it that you agree, not
otherwise. Half the money down and the remainder to be paid to the
captain when you reach your destination. If you want him to wait for you
and bring you back, you must pay half the return fare when you get
aboard, and the balance when you return here. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly. I will let you have an answer within an hour."
Fifteen hours later the money had been paid, the cablegram to Thursday
Island despatched, and we were standing on the deck of the Dutch steamer
_Koenig Ludwig_, making our way along the Java coast at the rate of a
good fifteen knots an hour.
"If Master Peach doesn't take care we shall be in a position to throw
him a towline by this time on Saturday morning," I said to Mr.
Leversidge, who was standing beside me.
"I devoutly hope so," he answered. "At any rate, you may be sure we'll
make a good race of it. What shall we call the stakes?"
"The Race for a Dead Man's Pearls," said I. "How would that do?"