Colonel Thorndyke's SecretHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
Colonel Thorndyke's Secret
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Detective and mystery stories; Hindus -- England -- Fiction; India -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“I went myself and found out that a vessel was sailing in two days to
Amsterdam. I took a passage for a man in the cheap cabin, and asked to
look at the list of passengers, as I believed that some friend would
be sailing by her; there were two men's names down together in one
handwriting among the first class passengers, and I guessed that these
were you and Mr. Chetwynd. I also saw the name of the big man, which I
had heard long before, down in the list of passengers, and another
name next to his in the same handwriting. I did not know his name, but
guessed that it was another of the fighting men, and that they were
going to look after you until you had got rid of the diamonds. On the
morning that she was to sail one of the Lascars was on board; I thought
it possible that in order to throw anyone who might be following you off
your scent you might at the last moment go ashore, and that Mr. Chetwynd
might take the diamonds over, so I watched, and saw you on the deck with
your friend.
“I and the other three Lascars then took passage that evening in a craft
for Rotterdam, and got to Amsterdam two days before your ship arrived;
we went to different houses, and going separately into the worst parts
of the town, soon found a man who kept a gambling den, and who was a
man who could be trusted. I offered him a thousand francs to collect
twenty-five men, who were to be paid a hundred francs each, and to be
ready, if your ship arrived after dark, to attack two passengers I would
point out to them. I did not want you to be hurt, so bargained that all
knives were to be left behind, and that he was to supply the men only
with clubs. If the ship came in in daylight you were to be attacked the
first time you went out after dark. You know how that was carried out.
You had two more men with you than I had expected; but I thought that
with a sudden rush you might all be separated. You know the rest. The
moment you were knocked down I and three others carried you to a boat.
It had been lying near the stairs, and we took you off to the barge in
which I had arranged you should be taken to Rotterdam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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