England -- Fiction; Magic -- Fiction; South Africa -- Fiction
“I shall certainly give myself up,” he said; “but I don’t see any
reason to hurry about it. I don’t think that they can do much to me
here. Poor Hugh! he can well afford to wait,” he added, with a sigh,
glancing down at the figure that lay so still, with a coat thrown over
the face. “I suppose that they will lock me up for six months—pleasant
prospect! But I say, Mr. Kershaw, you had better keep clear; it will be
more awkward for you. You see, he was your cousin, and by his death you
become, unless I am mistaken, next heir to the title.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” said Ernest, vaguely.
Here it may be stated that Captain Justice found himself sadly
mistaken. Instead of the six months he expected, he was arraigned for
murder, and finally sentenced to a term of penal servitude. He received
a pardon, however, after serving about a year of his time.
“Come, we must be off,” said Mr. Alston, “or we shall be late for the
boat;” and, bowing to Captain Justice, he left the hut.
Ernest followed his example, and, when he had gone a few yards, glanced
round at the hateful spot. There stood Captain Justice in the doorway
of the hut, looking much depressed, and there, a few yards to the left,
was the impress in the sand that marked where his cousin had fallen. He
never saw either the man or the place again.
“Kershaw,” said Mr. Alston, “what do you propose doing?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you must think; remember you are in an awkward fix. You know by
English law duelling is murder; and now I come to think of it, I expect
that this place is subject to the English law in criminal matters, or
at least that the law is identical.”
“I think I had better give myself up, like Captain Justice.”
“Nonsense. You must hide away somewhere for a year or two till the row
blows over.”
“Where am I to hide?”
“Have you any money, or can you get any?”
“Yes, I have nearly two hundred and fifty pounds on me now.”
“My word, that is fortunate! Well, now, what I have to suggest is, that
you should assume a false name, and sail for South Africa with me. I am
going up-country on a shooting expedition, outside British territory,
so there will be little fear of your being caught and extradited. Then,
in a year or so, when the affair is forgotten, you can come back to
England. What do you say to that?”
“I suppose I may as well go there as anywhere else. I shall be a marked
man all my life, anyhow. What does it matter where I go?”
“Ah, you are down on your luck now; by-and-by you will cheer up again.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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