"Here you are, Jimmy," I said, "you cut back and give the old lady my
message. Just say that I've received the letter, and that I'll do
exactly what Miss de Roda wishes."
I conducted him to the door, stammering his thanks, and assuring me
that my errand should be faithfully discharged, and having watched
him hurry across the lawn and disappear into the shrubbery, I once
more turned the key and shot home the bolts.
I felt that if ever I had cast my bread successfully upon the waters,
it was in picking out Jimmy as a trustworthy confederate. Except for
him, Christine would have had no chance of sending her letter across
to the island, while the news he had brought with regard to de Roda
was perhaps of even greater significance than anything she had dared
to write.
There was only one explanation which would account for this sudden
purchase of a sea-going motor-boat. Manning and de Roda must have
made up their minds that the time had arrived for their final effort.
Believing that I should be alone in the house that night, they had
evidently decided to seize the diamonds by force and to make a bolt
for the continent, where their plans were no doubt already arranged.
Having become suspicious of Christine, they had apparently taken the
simple course of locking her in her own room, so that she should have
no possible opportunity of communicating their designs to me.
The one weak point in their otherwise excellent scheme had been the
old French servant. Her affection for Christine had manifestly
over-ridden her fear of the others; and, while pretending to carry
out their orders, she had secretly consented to assist her young
mistress.
If only the suggested plan worked successfully, nothing would fit in
better with my own arrangements. To get Christine and de Roda into
our hands was, as Campbell had said, the first and most essential
step in our future proceedings. By eight-thirty, or soon after, he
and Bobby ought to be back from Martlesea, and matters would be
enormously simplified if they were to find half of the opening task
already accomplished.
I was under no delusion, however, with regard to the dangerous nature
of the undertaking. Should Christine's attempt fail, she would be in
greater peril than ever, while even if she succeeded it was more than
probable that her escape would be immediately discovered. In that
event the house might be attacked before Campbell and Bobby returned.
It was impossible to foretell to an exact certainty what time they
would arrive, and, with everything at stake, Manning was not the sort
of gentleman to allow the grass to grow under his feet.
I took out my revolver, and, having emptied the contents, carefully
tested its mechanism. There was a comforting efficiency about the
ensuing click, click, click, which left nothing to be desired, and,
picking up the cartridges one by one, I reloaded it in every chamber.
After all, if it came to a fight, the odds would be in my favour. I
am a pretty safe shot, and, unless they blew the whole place to
pieces, I ought to be able to hold the house against half a dozen
assailants. No one could force an entrance without exposing himself
to a bullet, and I was cheerfully prepared to shoot both Craill and
Manning at the very first opportunity that presented itself.
A glance at the clock showed me that it was close on half-past six.
There were still two hours to spin out before the appointed time--a
prospect which certainly demanded all the patience that I possessed.
I took the precaution of going upstairs again and fastening my
bedroom window, and then, having filled a fresh pipe, I settled down
grimly to my long vigil.
With exasperating slowness the minute hand crept up to seven, and
began to drag round again on its interminable circle. By the time it
had reached eight the strain of sitting there and doing nothing had
become unbearable--so much so, indeed, that if it had not been for
the very emphatic warning contained in Christine's letter I could
hardly have resisted the temptation of starting out for the
landing-stage. Her instructions had been too definite, however, to
admit of any doubt as to their importance, and I felt that it would
be madness to run the risk of endangering the whole plan for the lack
of a little extra self-control.
At last the half hour struck, and with a sigh of relief I got up from
my seat. Being careful to avoid any unnecessary noise, I unlocked
the front door, and for a moment I stood on the step, revolver in
hand, taking a rapid survey of the garden. Viewed from there in the
gathering dusk, it presented a singularly peaceful and deserted
appearance. A faint rustic in the tree-tops was the only sound which
disturbed the silence, and, closing the door quietly behind me, I set
off across the lawn in the direction of the iron gate.
On reaching that point I came to a temporary halt. The path
beyond--always a sombre and depressing place even in broad
daylight--was now so dark as to be hardly distinguishable from the
rest of the shrubbery.
I peered ahead into the blackness, listening intently, but except for
the occasional creak of a branch everything was as still as the
grave. It was about as uninviting a route as one could very well
imagine, but there was no other method of getting to the boat-house
unless I disobeyed Christine's instructions, and I had been along it
too often to be in much fear of losing my way.
Opening the gate, I passed through. For another second I again
paused to listen; then with my revolver ready for immediate use I
stepped boldly forward into the gloom.
As I did so my foot struck against a piece of wire, which was
stretched across the path a few inches above the ground. So sudden
was the shock that I had no chance of recovering my balance. The
revolver escaped from my hand, and almost before I realised what had
happened I had pitched forward full length on the point of my
shoulder.
At the same instant there was a crash amongst the bushes and two men
hurled themselves on top of me. One of them fell across my legs,
clutching me by the knees; the other landed with his full weight
right in the middle of my back.
Half dazed, and almost entirely winded, I still had strength to make
one desperate effort. Twisting myself sideways, I jabbed back my
elbow into the face of the man above me, and a smothered oath told me
that the blow had gone home. Before I could repeat it, however, his
fingers sank into my throat, and I felt a cold ring of steel pressed
against my forehead:
"If you move again, I'll blow your brains out."
It was Manning's voice, and, low as the whisper was, there was no
mistaking its savage sincerity.
I ceased struggling, for beneath that suffocating hold it was
impossible to do otherwise.
"Hurry up, de Roda," came the sharp command. "Tie his arms and legs
and be quick about it, we've no time to spare."
I felt my ankles being lashed together, and then a thrill of pain
darted through my shoulder, as somebody jerked my arms roughly behind
my back. A minute later I was as helpless as a trussed fowl.