I ran over my mind the rooms, and the furniture of the house. There
was no bureau, no secretaire. But I had to make up my mind. This last
slip had awakened my captor's suspicions. The faces about me menaced
me.
"Well, where is the plan?"
I thought over all that Glen had said to-night--was a clue to be got
there?
"I haven't it," said I, to gain time.
"But where are we to look for it?" again asked Roper, and he put his
hand in his coat-pocket.
"Speak up," said Tortue, and I read his meaning in the glance of his
eyes. He meant--"Name some spot, any spot!" But I knew! It had come
upon me like an inspiration, I had no shadow of doubt where that plan
was. I said:
"Where are you to look for the plan? Glen has told you. Adam Mayle
would rather have had the cross buried with him than that Cullen
should have it. He couldn't have the treasure buried with him, but he
could and did the plan. Look in Adam Mayle's grave. You will find a
stick with a brass handle to it--a sword stick, but the sword's broken
off short. In the hollow of that stick you'll find the plan." Tortue
nodded at me with approval. The rest jumped up from the ground.
"We have time to-night," said Roper, and stretching out a hand he
pulled my watch from my fob. "It is eleven o'clock," and he put the
watch in his own pocket. "Where's Adam Mayle buried?" asked another.
"In the Abbey Grounds," said I.
"But we want spades," objected Tortue, "we want a pick."
"They are here," said Glen, with an evil smile, "we had them ready,"
and he grinned at me. "Mr. Berkeley comes with us, I think," said he
smoothly, "untie his legs."
"Yes," said Roper with an oath. He was in a heat of excitement. "And
if he has told us wrong, good God, we'll bury him with Adam Mayle."
But I had no doubt that I was right. I remembered what Clutterbuck had
told me of Adam's vindictiveness. He would hide that plan if he could,
and he could have chosen no surer place. No doubt he would have
destroyed that plan when he knew that he was dying, but he was struck
down with paralysis, and could not stir a finger. He could only order
the stick to be buried with him.
They unfastened my legs. Roper blew out the lantern, and we went out
of the shed, on to the hillside. Glen despatched Blads upon some
errand, and the man hurried up the hill towards New Grimsby. Glen
leisurely walked along the slope of the hill. I followed him, and the
rest behind me. The moon had gone down, and the night, though clear
enough, was dark. We walked on for about five minutes, until some one
treading close upon my heels suddenly tripped me up. My hands were
still tied behind my back, so that I could not save myself from a
fall. But Tortue picked me up, and as he did so whispered in my ear:
"Is the plan there?"
I answered, "Yes."
I would have staked my life upon it; in fact, I was staking my life
upon it.
CHAPTER XIII
IN THE ABBEY GROUNDS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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