With this honest speech, the Professor vigorously attacked the lid of the case, and inserted a steel instrument into the cracks to prize up the covering. The lid was closed with wooden pegs in an antique but perfectly safe manner, and apparently had not been opened since the dead Inca had been laid to rest therein hundreds of years ago among the Andean mountains. Don Pedro winced at this desecration of the dead, but, as he had given his consent, there was nothing left to do but to grin and bear it. In a wonderfully short space of time, considering the neatness of the workmanship and the holding power of the wooden pegs, the lid was removed. Then the four on-lookers saw that the mummy had been tampered with. Swathed in green-stained llama wool, it lay rigid in its case. But the swathings had been cut; the hands protruded and the emeralds were gone--torn rudely from the hard grip of the dead. CHAPTER XV. AN ACCUSATION Both Don Pedro and Professor Braddock were amazed and angry at the disappearance of the jewels, but Hope did not express much surprise. Considering the facts of the murder, it was just what he expected, although it must be confessed that he was wise after the event. “I refer you to your own words immediately before the case was opened, Professor,” he remarked, after the first surprise had subsided. “Words! words!” snapped Braddock, who was anything but pleased. “What words of mine do you mean, Hope?” “You said that it was not likely that any one would commit a murder for the sake of the mummy only, and then leave it stranded in Mrs. Jasher's garden. Also, you declared that you had your doubts about the safety of the emeralds, else you would not have consented to sell the mummy again to its rightful owner.” The Professor nodded. “Quite so: quite so. And what I say I hold to,” he retorted, “especially as I have proved myself a true prophet. You can both see for yourselves,” he waved his hand towards the rifled case, “that poor Sidney must have been killed for the sake of the emeralds. The question is, who killed him?” “The person who knew about the jewels,” said Don Pedro promptly. “Of course: but who did know? I was ignorant until you told me about the manuscript. And you, Hope?” He searched Archie's face. “Do you intend to accuse me?” questioned the young man with a slight laugh. “I assure you, Professor, that I was ignorant of what had been buried with the corpse, until Don Pedro related his story the other night to myself and Random, and the ladies.” Braddock turned impatiently to De Gayangos, as he did not approve of Archie's apparent flippancy. “Does any one else know of the contents of this manuscript?” he demanded irritably. Don Pedro nursed his chin and looked musingly on the ground. “It is just possible that Vasa may.”