OFF AT LAST
"Dang it, but it be a mortal 'ot day!"
Solomon, with his mild observation, paused to mop his brow with a
flaming red handkerchief. Instantly offended, Smith snapped out a
curt question.
"Your business with me, sir?"
Solomon looked up, his blue eyes widening in surprise.
"Why, dang it, if it ain't the new commissioner as I 'aven't met yet!
Werry pleased I am to meet you, sir, and 'ere's 'oping as 'ow we'll
get on well in future, as the old gent said to the new 'ousemaid. Me
name's Solomon, sir, John Solomon."
"So I understand. Your business?"
Solomon once more seemed surprised, then looked around and nodded to
Hammer.
"Why, sir, I 'eard as 'ow me friend, Mr. 'Ammer, was 'ere, so I says
to meself: 'John,' says I, 'don't refuse a 'elping 'and to a friend!
'Elping 'ands is cheap,' I says; 'but friends is werry 'ard to find.'
So 'ere I be, sir, 'oping as 'ow you'll see fit to let Mr. 'Ammer go
with me."
"You're a very innocent person," came the brusque reply. "Mr. Hammer
is accused of murder, and does not go _with_ you."
"Lud! Murder! And who's 'e been and murdered, if I may make so
bold, sir?"
Hammer grinned to himself, though inwardly worried over Jenson. Had
the man seen Solomon coming?
"He's accused of murdering Mr. Harcourt, who died at your house not
long ago."
"Lud! To think o' that!" Solomon fixed the commissioner with his
wide blue stare, seemingly as harmless as a baby's, then shifted it
to the officer. "Your servant, lieutenant, sir! Mr. Smith, might I
'ave bit o' speech with you in the other room, sir?"
"You may not. By the way, lieutenant, better make sure of getting
Mr. Solomon as witness in this case I----"
"Beggin' your pardon, sir; but if so be as you 'as the time, I'd like
a bit o' speech with you in the other room."
Smith looked up, raging at Solomon's calm persistency.
"Confound your deuced insolence, sir!" he began. "Do you think----"
"Did you ever 'appen to 'ear, sir," and the wide blue eyes narrowed a
trifle, "as 'ow this station come wacant? Werry unforchnit it was,
sir, for the gentleman as was 'ere before you. Lieutenant, your
servant; if so be as you'd say a word to Mr. Smith----"
"I really think, sir," said the police officer dryly, "that it would
be wise to grant Mr. Solomon's request."
Smith glared from one to the other, while Hammer chuckled. Then, as
Solomon very calmly drew out clay pipe and plug, the commissioner
sprang to his feet and whirled into the other room.
"Very well, Solomon."
"Thank you, sir," and as Solomon passed the lieutenant of police,
Hammer caught an almost imperceptible wink.
What transpired in the other room Hammer never knew. For a long ten
minutes those in the outer room listened to the hum of voices; then
the commissioner reappeared, his face very red indeed.
"Lieutenant, put those two Dutchmen in cells and keep them there," he
ordered succinctly, and sat down at his table while Solomon came out.
For another few moments he wrote rapidly, then passed the paper to
Solomon, who scrutinized it carefully and signed.
"I'm sorry this mistake occurred, Mr. Hammer," and the commissioner
turned to him with extended hand, which the American grasped.
"You'll have to go to Nairobi, of course; but I've accepted Mr.
Solomon's bond for your appearance there. By Jove! Sergeant, take
two men and get down to the wharfs; stop that fellow Jenson and bring
him up here. We'll land him for perjury, Solomon!"
"Werry good, sir; and if so be as all's well, Mr. 'Ammer and I will
bid you good day. We'll be back werry shortly, I 'opes, sir."
Once more in the free air, Hammer's first thought was for Jenson. As
he started after the sergeant Solomon stopped him with a quiet
chuckle and pointed out to a dot at the river-mouth.
"Too late, sir. But there ain't no 'urry, Mr. 'Ammer. There's a
mortal lot in what the Arabs say about fate, sir; and if so be as a
man's turned to evil ways, sir, then 'e's got to run 'is course, I
says. Don't you fret, Mr. 'Ammer, we're a-going to send that 'ound
to 'ell, sir."
To his surprise, the pudgy man led the way to the river, with Omar
trailing after them, and, as they went, Solomon explained matters
somewhat.
When he had left with Omar, the day before, he had missed the trail
of Jenson and the _askaris_, owing to the fact that Jenson had been
fetched back to Melindi by the police.
The _askaris_ had perforce come with him, but had been sent on to the
camp by launch, with a native for guide. Solomon had left no word of
his whereabouts because he wanted Hammer at the plantation house
where he could find him at a moment's notice.
No such restrictions had been placed on the two Afghans, however,
since he was anxious to see them. Accordingly, having found out from
the servants the direction in which Solomon had started, they had
slipped out during the night and come to meet him.
Not until after sending Omar to bring Hammer did Solomon find out
from a party of natives that he was on the wrong scent, so he had
promptly turned back, to be joined by Omar and brought to the
commissioner's office in the nick of time.
"No such thing," returned Solomon to a remark by Hammer--"no such
thing as coincidence, Mr. 'Ammer. Just the way things work out, I
say. When the time comes to get that 'ound Jenson, why, we'll get
'im, sir, and not till then."
"Where's Sara Helmuth?" asked the American.
"Right 'ere, sir," and Solomon pointed to the wharf ahead. Then
Hammer saw that his own _Daphne_ launch and another were lying ready,
filled with Arabs; in the first was seated Sara Helmuth, who left the
shade of the awning to meet them as they came down the wharf.
"A fair jewel, the missus is," but Solomon lowered his tone as he
went on. "I came to get you off, sir, while she took charge o' this
'ere. And werry well done it is, sir! Off we goes after Jenson."
Few words passed between Hammer and the girl, to whom the story was
told as they chugged out into the lines of surf and headed to the
north. Quiet and self-contained as always, she had brought down the
men and provisioned the launches while Solomon had gone on to the
commissioner's.
With the three of them beneath the awning sat the two Afghans, who
greeted Hammer with grave dignity, while Omar had taken command of
the other launch.
In all, there were some fifteen Arabs in both craft--and after
leaving Melindi behind, fifteen very excellent Winchester rifles
mysteriously appeared, with all the appurtenances belonging thereto.
Hammer suddenly appreciated the fact that these men were very
different from the chattering natives, and were apt to be dangerous.
When Solomon explained that his plan was to land Sara Helmuth and
five men a mile this side of the ruins that they might join the Arabs
behind the doctor's party, while he and Hammer would go straight for
the camp with the other ten, the American voiced his thoughts.
"All very well, John; but wait a minute. Those two Germans back
there at Melindi were the same two I kicked off the yacht. Jenson
found them and didn't have much trouble persuading them to swear to
his lies, evidently. But that only goes to show what a hold he and
Krausz have on their men. There are eight _askaris_ and six seamen
up at the ruins now--fourteen in all, with Krausz and Jenson.
"I'm not afraid of being outnumbered, since we've got it all over
them there; but I am afraid of a general row, and no mistake. If we
get into a shooting scrape and half a dozen men get laid out, these
Britishers will give it to us hot and heavy for going after Jenson on
our own hook, to say nothing of the danger to Sara----"
"One minute, Mr. 'Ammer, sir. I'm werry strong wi' the governor,
sir, and the government generally, so to speak, so I wouldn't worry
none about a-shooting of all fourteen o' them 'ere men, wi' the
doctor into the bargain, sir."
"Mind, I don't say to 'unt any such mess, Mr. 'Ammer; but if it
comes--why, I says to meet it half-way. This 'ere's a partnership
deal, sir--you for Jenson and me for the doctor; but so be as 'e gets
out peaceable, why, let 'im go. What be you a-going to do wi' this
Jenson?"
"Take him back to the _Daphne_ and string him up, and explain to the
authorities afterward," announced Hammer. "I'd have brought the
engine-room crew if I'd known we were to go after Krausz hammer and
tongs, like this. If Jenson resists, I'll shoot him."
To which intention Sara Helmuth made no objection whatsoever.
Now for the first time Solomon had a chance to interview his Afghans,
for they had all been too worn out the night before to have any talk.
The result of their mission, which Yar Hussein announced with no
little pride, was embodied in the little sheepskin packet he had
carried.
This, being opened, proved to contain some very well-copied plans
which Akhbar Khan had located among the archives--though he did not
say where or how. He was the locater and Yar Hussein the draftsman,
it seemed, and the work had been copied line for line and word for
word, even to the early seventeenth-century Portuguese text.
Solomon held them in his lap, Sara Helmuth and Hammer leaning over
his shoulders as they inspected the plans and he explained them. The
first was a rude map of the coast, which clearly showed the location
of the fort and storehouses and barracoons; when erected, the latter
buildings had been well defended by the position of the fort itself,
though the coast seemed to have changed greatly.
There were three others showing the Melindi--spelled
"Maleenda"--buildings, which Solomon tossed aside, but at the fifth
and last he uttered a grunt of satisfaction. This, to Hammer's
surprise, was labelled Fort San Joao.
"That 'ere was its first name," explained Solomon knowingly.
"Accordin' to them papers o' Professor 'Elmuth's, it was changed to
Fort St. Thomas after its destruction. You see, sir and miss, some
o' them 'ere relics belonged to Saint Thomas--Didymus, I doubt it
was--and as they was never dug up again the name just stuck to the
place, so to speak. This 'ere'd be the place for Jenson, Mr.
'Ammer," and he chuckled again as he laid his finger on one of the
squares in the corner of the plan.
As Solomon had told them before, the fort was merely a group of
buildings with a wall around, much as were the barracoons and
warehouses for less valuable goods. The corner to which he pointed
was that farthest away from shore, and seemed to be separated from
the fort proper by the angle of the corner bastion.
"Why?" asked the girl. "What was that, John?"
"This 'ere, miss, was a little room set above the ground, according
to the plan. It was a prison--them Portuguese were main cruel, which
was why they didn't last--and under this 'ere room was a stone pit
full o' puff-adders."
Solomon went on to say that he had not seen this room when there
before, as there was too much jungle to inspect the place closely;
but the text, with the plans, explained its purpose fully.
In fact, it was not until a native king had perished in this
snake-pit that the place was finally attacked and razed, with the
help of the fleet from Muscat which had already taken Port Jesus, or
Mombasa.
Suddenly, Hammer recollected Omar's wild tales about monkeys throwing
skulls at him and pits full of snakes, and related what he could of
the man's story.
Solomon nodded gravely, saying that there might still be snakes
there, though the monkeys were probably imagination, and fully
reassured Sara Helmuth that she would be in no danger through joining
his Arabs and making camp in the ruins; and, in any case, puff-adders
would hardly be encountered outside the pit.
Upon which, with the air of a man who has played his part exceeding
well, Solomon stated that he was in need of rest and would take a nap
until the run was finished.
Hammer had seen no sign of Jenson's launch ahead, for he had no
glasses, and the secretary had obtained a good start. When Solomon
had curled up on the bottom beneath the thwarts the American sat
beside Sara Helmuth in the stern, as they had sat on that eventful
night that seemed ages ago, when Baumgardner had paid for treachery
with his life.
"Talk about Arabian Nights," laughed Hammer grimly, glancing back at
Omar's launch in their wake, "I guess this is the limit, Sara! I've
half a notion to use that snake-pit on Jenson after----"
"Don't, please!" She shivered despite the heat, then met his gaze
and smiled. "I know you didn't mean it, Hammer, but it sounded
anything but nice. Now tell me--I have been thinking about something
during the past few days, and I wonder if--if this man Jenson could
have had anything to do with my father's death?"
Hammer stared at her, trouble in his eyes.
"I don't know. The man is a regular viper; but though it has
occurred to me, also, I rather fancy that he's not guilty of that,
Sara. You see, he's hardly the sort of man who commits murder except
when he's panic-stricken--a cornered rat, exactly, even to his face.
He murdered Mohammed Bari in the hope of getting away from me, and he
murdered Harcourt in blind panic, thinking he was discovered."
The girl looked pensive, and said:
"I'm glad you think that, Hammer; because, while I'm afraid I hate
the man as much as you do, if I thought he had injured father in any
way, I don't know just what I would do. No, I think you're right.
He started out by lying about that horrible murder on board your
yacht, didn't he? And he just got in deeper and deeper through his
desperate efforts to get out until----"
"Until he's in too deep to ever get out now," concluded Hammer.
"Shouldn't wonder if John's right in his doctrine of Kismet.
Jenson's whole life, little and mean and full of lies, has been
leading him up to this very point, it would seem. He hasn't met his
punishment yet, but it's mighty close, seems to me."
"Yes. But isn't that always the way, Hammer? Isn't a man's life,
and a woman's, always slowly leading up to some great moment? It has
always seemed to me like a mosaic, in which every little action fits
like a stone--insignificant in itself, and yet giving its tiny detail
to the making of the whole, until the great moment of highest power
or highest failure comes.
"It may not be very high, but I think it comes to everyone, banker or
grocer's clerk, and whether it is power or failure depends largely on
the structure of the mosaic. How do you like my philosophy?"
"I'm afraid it's very true," returned Hammer slowly, his voice low,
his eyes gazing straight over the bow of the launch. Something in
his tone struck the girl, for the underlying earnestness in her own
voice crept into her eyes as she watched him.
The American's thoughts were not pleasant. It came to him that this
argument of hers was indeed very sound, and he quailed before it.
Jenson's whole life had been leading up to his greatest villainy; his
own entire life had been leading up to--what? So with other men he
knew, and women.
So with his own wife--her life a tissue of trifles, of petty vanities
and unworthy ambitions, until it had culminated in finding a man
after her own stamp, and her preferment of him to her husband.
Little things, all of them, yet when united all led irrevocably to
some great valley of decision. Why, this serious-eyed girl had hit
to the very heart of things!
So, never looking at her, he told her his story.
She listened, half-fascinated by the virility of him, half-awed by
the fact that she had pierced to his soul unthinkingly. She watched
the fine-lined face, whose rare smiles swept away its harshness; the
clear eyes that frowned into the blaze of afternoon sun; the firm,
almost too firm, mouth and chin and nose.
And as she watched, harkening to his low words, the faintest trace of
a smile touched her lips, though in her eyes there was only a great
compassion.
"So, you see, you hit near home, Sara," he concluded. "What my great
moment will be there is no telling; but if it were to come soon I
would be afraid--yes, afraid to meet it, I think. Harcourt met his
great moment with a clean heart, like the splendid man he was; but my
little moments have not been so good, so open to all the world, so
fearless and honest as his."
She was silent an instant; then, "But they have been strong, Hammer!
And better a devil than a fool! No; when that great moment of yours
arrives I think it will be one of power, not of failure; I would like
to see what happens when it does come."
A sudden blaze outbroke in the man, and he turned; but the words on
his lips were interrupted.
"'Ere! 'Ere! Dang it, you've been and passed the place!"
Startled, he looked around to see Solomon awakened and hastily
gaining his feet. It seemed that Hammer had passed the intended
landing-place of Sara Helmuth by a good half-mile, very nearly
reaching that of himself and Solomon, in fact; for, looking ahead, he
could see a launch anchored and rocking lazily to the swells, while
on the shore was the deserted boat.
He swept his launch around, bidding Omar shut oft power and wait
where he was. As they had no boat, Solomon went into the bow and
conned the shoal-water until, at his cry, Hammer shut off the engine.
A swift order sent five of the men over the side, up to their knees
in water; and these took up Sara Helmuth and carried her to shore,
where all vanished amid the trees a moment later, after a last wave
of the hand.
"All right, Mr. 'Ammer!" cried Solomon, relaxing. "They'll be in
camp in an hour, God willing."
"And in less than that time we'll either have our friend Jenson ready
for the rope, or else we'll have a sweet scrap on our hands," added
the American. But he was now thankful to John Solomon, for that
sudden awakening had saved him from words which he might have sorely
regretted.
Five minutes later the launch was at anchor, and Hammer, lowering
himself from the arms of his bearers, saw the path to the ruins
directly ahead of him.