Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April,.IS50. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God':; and Truth's. THE TKCE SODTHKON, Established Jone, 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2, ISSI. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1895. New Series-Vol. XIV. Xo. 48. ? Clje ^attjracra at? Soiitkoit SPnTfllshad Every Wednesdays JXT. Gr. Osteenj SUMTER, S. C. TSRXS : Two Dollars per annum-in advance. ADVERTISEMENT: One Square first insertion.......SI 00 Every subs?quent insertion... 50 Contracts for three months, or looger will he made At reduced rates. AH communications which subserve private interests will becbarjted for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be char?ed for. The Sign of ^The Four. He stopped and held out his man? acled hands for the whisky and water which Holmes had brewed for him. For myself, I confess that I had now conceived the utmost horror of the man, not only for this cold-blooded business in which he had been con? cerned, but even more for the some? what flippant and careless way in which he narrated it. Whatever pun? ishment was in store for him. I felt that he might expect no sympathy from me. Sherlock Holmes and Jones sat with their hands upon their knees, deeply interested in the story, but with the same disgust written upon their faces. He may have observed it. for there was a touch of defiance in his voice and manner as he proceeded. "It was all very bad, no doubt." said he. "I should like to know how many fellows in my shoes would have re? fused a share of this loot when they knew that they would have their throats cut for their pains. Besides, it was my life or his when once fie was in the fort. If he had got out, the whole business would have come to light, and I should have been court-martialed and shot as likely as not; for people were not very lenient at a time like that-" '"Go on with your story," said Holmes, shortly. "Well, we carried him in. Abdullah, Akbar and ?. A fine weight he was, too, for all that he was so short. Ma? homet Singh was left to guard the door. We took him to a place which the Sikhs had already prepared. It was some distance off. where a winding pas? sage leads to a great empty hal:, the brick walls of which were all crumbling to pieces. The earth floor had sunk in at one place, making a natural grave, so we left Achmet the merchant there, having first covered hun over with loose bricks. This done, we all went back to the treasure. . "It lay where he had dropped it when he was first attacked. The box was the same which now lies open upon your table. A key was hung by a silken cord to that carved handle upon the top. We opened it, and the light of the lantern gleamed upon a collec? tion of gems such as I have read of *nd thought about when I was a little lad at Pershore. It was blinding to look upon them. When we had feasted our eyes we took them all out and made a list of them. There were one hundred and forty-three diamonds of the first water, including one which has been called, I believe, 'the Great MoguV and is said to be the second largest stone in existence. Then there were nin?ty-s?ven very fine emeralds, and one hundred and seventy rubies, some of which, however, were small. There were forty carbuncles, two hundred and ten sapphires, sixty-one agates and a great quantity of beryls, onyxes, cats eyes, turquoises and other stones, the very names of which I did not know at the time, though I have become more familiar with them since. Besides this, there were nearly three hundred very fine pearls, twelve of which were set in a gold coronet. By the way, these last had been taken out of thc chest and were not there when I re? covered it. "After we had counted our treasures we put them back into the chest and carried them to the gateway to show them to Mahomet Singh. Then we solemnly renewed our oath to stand by each other and be true to our secret. We agreed to conceal our loot in a safe place until the country should be at peace again, and then to divide it equally among ourselves. There was no use dividing it at present, for if gems of such value were found upon us it would eause suspicion, and there was no privac\- in the fort nor any place where we could keep them. We carried the box. therefore, into the same hall where we had buried the body, and there, under certain bricks in the best-preserved wall, we made a hollow and put our treasure. We :na<le careful note of the place, and next day I drew four plans, one for each of us, and put the sign of the four of us at the bottom, for we had sworn that we should each always act for all. so that none might take advantage. That is an oath that I can put my hand to my heart and swear that I have never broken. "Well, there's no use my telling you, gentlemen, what came of the Indian mutiny. After Wilson took Delhi and Sir Colvin relieved Lucknow the hack of the business was broken. Fresh troops came pouring in, and Nana Sahib made himself scarce over the frontier. _ A flying column under Col. Greathead came round to Agra ai cleared the Pandies away from i Peace seemed to be settling- upon tl country, and we four were beginnir to hope that thc time was at hai when we might safely go off with ot shares of the plunder. In a momen however, our hopes were shattered I our being- arrested as the murderers < Achmet. "It came about in this way: Whe the rajah put his jewels into the hanc of Achmet he did it because he kne that he was a trust}* man. They ai suspicious folk in thc east, however; ? what does this rajah do but take a se< ond even more trusty servant and sc him to play the spy upon the firsl This second man was ordered never t let Achmet out of his sight, and he fo lowed him like his shadow. He wee after him that night, and saw him pa? through the doorway. Of course h thought he had taken refuge in th fort, and applied for admission ther himself next day, but could fin no trace of Achmet. This seeme to him so strange that he spok about it to a sergeant of guide* who brought it to the ears o the commandant. A thorough searc was quickly made, and the bod}' wa discovered. Thus at the very momen that we thought that all was safe w were all four seized and brought, t trial on a charge of murder-Mir?e c us because we had held the gate tha night, and the fourth because he wa known to have been in company of th murdered man. Not a word about th jewels came out at the trial, for th rajah had been deposed and driven ou of India; so no one had any part?cula interest in them. The murder, hon ever, was clearly made out, and it wa certain that' we must all have bee: concerned in it. The three Sikhs go penal servitude for life, and I was cor demned to death, though my sentenc was afterward commuted into th same as the others. "It was rather a queer position tha we found ourselves in then. Ther we were, all four tied by the leg am with precious little chance of ever get ting ont again, while we each held ? secret which might have put each of u in a palace if we could only have mad? use of it. It was enough to make ? man eat his heart out to have to stanc the kick and the cuff of every petf jack m office, to hare rice to eat an< water to drink, when that gorgeou fortune was ready for him outside, jus waiting io be picked up. It might hav( driven me mad; but I was always ? pretty stubborn one, so I just held oi and bided my time. 4*At last it seemed to me to hav< come. I was changed from Agra U Madras, and from there to Blair islan< in the Andamans. There are very fev white convicts at this settlement, and as I had behaved well from the first, '. soon found myself a sort of privilegec person. I was given a hut in Hope town which is a small place on the slopes o Mount Harriet, and I was left prett} much to myself. It is a dreary, fever stricken place, and all beyond our lit?< clearings was infested with wild canni bal natives, who were ready enough U blow a poisoned dart at us if they sa^ a chance. There was digging, anc ditching, and yam-planting, and i dozen other things to be done, so w< were busy enough all day; though ii the evening we had a little time to otar selves. Among other things, LJ.earnec to dispense drugs for the surgeon, anc picked sip a smattering of his knowl edge. All the time I was on the look? out for a chance of escape; but it ii hundreds of miles from any other land, and. there is little or no wind in those seas; so it was a terribly difficult job tc get away. **The surgeon, Dr. Somerton, was a fast, sporting young chap, and the other young officers would meet in nis rooms of an evening and play cards. The surgery, where I used to make np my dings, was next to his sitting-room, with a small window between us. Often, if I felt lonesome. I used to turn out the lamp in the surgery, and then, standing there, I could hear their talk and watch their play. 1 am fond of a hand at cards myself, and it was al? most as good as having one to watch the others. There was Maj. >holto. Capt. Morstan and Lieut. Bromley Brown, who were in command of the native troops, and there was the sur? geon himself, and two or three prison officials, crafty old hands who played a nice sly sate game. A ve^y snug little party they used ?o make. .'Well, there was one thing which very soon struck me, and that was that soldiers used always to lose and j the civilians to win. Mind. I don't say I that there was anything unfair, but So j it was. These prison chaps had done little vise than play cards ever since they had been at thc Andamans, and they knew each other's game to a point, while the others just played to pass the time and threw their canis down anyhow. Night after night the soldiers got up poorer men. and the poorer they got the more keen they were to play. Maj. Sholto was the hardest hit. ile used to pay in notes and gold at iir.st. but soon it came to notes j of lui nd and gfor big sums. He some? times would win for a few deals, just to give him lu-art, and then thc luck would sot in against him w^rn- than ever. All day he would wander about as black as thunder, and lu- took t-> drinking a deal more than was good for him. "('nt.- night he lost even more heavily than usual. I was sitting in ruy hut when he and Capt. Morstan came stumbling along on the way to their quarters. They were bosom friends, ! those two. and never far apart. The j major was raving1 about his h.^se^. ."Ifs all up, Morstan." he was say? ing, as they passed my hut. 'I shall have to send in my papers. I am a ruined man.' _ | " 'Nonsense, ol? chap!' said the ' other, slapping him upon the shoulder. 'I've had a nasty facer myself, but That was all I could hear, but it was enough to set me thinking. "A couple of da\*s later Maj. Sholto was strolling on the beach: so I took the chance of speaking to him. " 'I wish to have your advice, major, said I. "'Well. Small, what is-it?" he said, taking his cheroot from his lips. " 'I wanted to ask you. sir." said I. 'who is the proper person to whom hid? den treasure should be handed over. I know where half a million worth lies, and. as I cannot usc it myself. I thought perhaps thc best thing that I could do would be to hand it over to the proper authorities, and then perhaps they would get my sentence shortened for me." " 'Half a million. Small?' he gasped, looking hard at me to see if I was in earnest. " 'Quite that, sir - in jewels and pearls. It lies there ready for anyone. And the queer thing about it is that the real owner is outlawed and cannot hold property, so that it belongs to the first comer.' " 'To government. Small." he stam? mered-'to government.' But he said it in a halting fashion, and I knew in my heart that I had got him. " 'You think then. sir. that I should give the information to the governor general?" .said I. quietly. " 'Well. well, you must not do any? thing rash, or that you might repent. Let me hear all about it. Small. Give me the facts." "I told him the vah?le story,with small changes so that he could not identify the places. When I had finished he stood stock still and full of thought. I I WISH TO HAVE YOUR ADVICE, MAJOR.n could see by the twitch of his lip that there was a struggle "cing cn within him. " 'This is a very important matter. Small.' he said, at last. 'You must not say a word to anyone about it. and I shall see you again soon." "Two nights later he and his friend Capt. Morstan came to my hut in the dead of the night with a lantern. " 'I want you just to let Capt. Mor? stan hear that story from your own lips. Small," said he. "I repeated it as I had told it before. " 'It rings true, eh?" said he. 'It's good enough to act upon?' "Capt. Morstan nodded. " *Look here, Small,' said the major. 'We have been talking it over, my friend here and I, and we have come to the conclusion that this secret of yours is hardly a government matter, after all, but is a private concern of your own, which of coarse you have the power of disposing of as you think best. Now, the question is, what price would you ask for it? We might be in? clined to take it up, and at least look into it. if we could agree as to terms.' He tried to speak in a cool, careless way. but his eyes were shining with excitement and greed. "'Why, as to that, gentlemen." I an? swered, trying also to be cool, but feel? ing as excited as he did, "there is only one bargain which a man in my posi- j tion can make. I shall want you to help me to my freedom, and to help my three companions to theirs. Wc shall then take you into partnership, and | give you a fifth share to divide be tween you.' " 'Hum!' said he. *A fifth snare: That is not very tempting.' " 'It would come to fifty thousand apiece.' said I. "?'But how can we ?rain your free? dom? You know very weil that \*ou ask an impossibility.' '* 'Nothing of the sort." I answered. "? have thought it nil oat to tho last de? tail. The only bar to our escape is that we can get no boat iii for the voy? age, and no provisions to last us for so long a time. There are plenty of little yachts and yawls at Calcutta or Madras which would serve o^r turn weil. Do you bring one over. We --hall engage to get aboard lier by night, and if yon will drop us on any part of the indian coast you will have d;?ne ymir part of thc bargain." .. "If there were only one.' lie said. '.'None or all." I answered. 'We have sworn it. Thc four <?f i:s must al? ways u'"t together.' .. 'You see. .Morstan." said he. """mall is a man <>f Ins word, iii <.<>rs not ilinch from his friends. I think wc i may very well trust him." ?. 'It's dirty business." ti..- ?>th<-r an- i swered 'Yet, as you say. the money I would save our commissions hand- j ".Well. Small." said the major, 'we must. I suppose; try and meet y??u. Wc | must first, bf cotrrse. t---t the truth of vourstory. Tell me where the box is j dd. and I shall ^ret leave of absence md go back to India in the monthly elief-boat to inquire into the affair.' "'Not so fast." said I. growing coluer s he got hot. '1 must have the con sent oT my three comrades. I tell you that it is four or none with us.* 'Nonsense!" he broke in. 'What have three black fellows to do with our agreement?* *: 'Black or blue." said I. 'they are in with me. and we all go together." "Well, thc matter ended by a second meeting, at which Mahomet Singh. Ab? dullah Khan and Dost Akbar were all present. We talked the matter over again, and at last we came to an ar? rangement. We were to provide both the officers with charts of thc part of the Agra fort and mark the place in the wall where the treasure was hid. Maj. Sholto was to go to India to test our story. If he found the box he was to leave it there, to send out a small yacht provisioned for a voyage, which was to lie off Rutland island, and to which we were to make our way. and finally to return to his duties. Capt. Morstan was then to apply for leave oi absence, to meet us at Agra, and there we were to have a final division of the treasure, he taking the major's share as well as his own. All this we sealed by the most solemn oaths that the mind could think or the lips utter. I sat up all night with paper and ink; and by morning I had the two charts all ready, signed with the sign of foul -that is. of Abdullah, Akbar. Mahomet and myself. "Well, gentlemen. I weary you with my long story, and I know that my friend Mr. Jones is impatient to get me safely stowed in chokey. Til make it as short as I can. The villain, Sholto. went off to India, but he never came back again. Capt. Morstan showed me his name among a list of ' passengers in one of the mail boats very shortly afterwards. His uncle had died, leaving him a fortune, and he had left the army, yet he could stoop i to treat five men as he had treated us. Morstan went over to Agra shortly afterwards, and found, as we expected, that thc treasure was*ndeed gone. The j scoundrel had stolen it all. without : carrying out one of the conditions on which we had sold him the seeret. From that dav I lived only for ven geance. I thought of it by day and I nursed it by night. It became an over? powering, absorbing passion with me. i I cared nothing for the law-nothing for the gallows. To escape, to track down Sholto. to have mv hand upon his throat-that was my one thought. Even the Agra treasure had come to be a smaller thing in my mind than the slaying of Sholto. "Well. I have set my mind on many things in this life, and never one which I did not carry out. But it was weary years before my time came. I have told you that I had picked up some? thing of medicine. One day when Dr. Somerton was down with a fever a lit? tle Andaman islander was picked up by a convict gang in the woods. He was .-.ick to death, and had gone to a lonely pince to die. I took him in hand, though he was as venomous as a snake, and after a couple of months I got him all right and able to walk. He took a kind of fancy to me then, and %vould hardly go back to his woods, but was always hanging about my hut. I learned a little of his lingo from him, and this made him all the fonder of me. "Tonga-for that was his name-was a fine boatman, and owned a big, roomy canoe of his own. When I found that he was devoted to me and would do anything to serve me, I saw my chance of escape. ? talked it over with him. He was to bring his boat on a certain night to an old wharf which was never guarded, and there he was to pick me up. I gave him di. ?tions to have sev? eral gourds of water and a lot of yams, cocoanuts and sweet potatoes. "He was staunch and true, was little Tonga. No man ever had a more faith? ful mate. At the night named he had his boat at the wharf. As it chanced, however, theare was one of the convict guard down there-a vile Pa than who had never missed a chance of in? sulting and injuring mc. I had always rowed vengeance, anti now I had my elia nee. I was as if fate had placed him in my wu}- that I might pay my debt before I left the island. He stood on the bank with his back to me and his carbine on his shoulder. I looked about for a stone to beat out his brains with, bm none could I sec. Then a queer thought cami- into my head and showed mc where 1 could lay my hand on a weap? on. I sat down in thc darkness and un? strapped my wooden leg. With three long hops 1 was on him. Ile put his carbine to his shoulder, but I struck him full and knocked thc whole front of his skull tn. You can see the >plit in tho wood now where I hit him. We both went down together, for 1 could not keen my balance, but when I got up I found him still lying quiet enough. I made for the boat and in an hour wc were well out at sea. Tonga had brought all his earthly possessions with hinij his arras and his gods. Among other things. lie "nau a "long ? bamboo spear and some Andaman | cocoanut matting, with which I made a sort of a sail. For ten days we were j beating about, trusting to luck, and on j the eleventh we were picked up by a trader which was going from Singa? pore io Jiddah with a crowd of Malay pilgrims. They were a ri:m crowd, and Tonga and I soon managed to settle down among them. They had one good quality-they let you alo^e and asked no questions. "Well, if I were to tell you all the adventures that my little chum and I went through, you would not thank me. for I would have you here until the sun was shining. Here and there we drifted about the world, something always turning up to keep us from Lon? don, All the time, however, I never lost sight of my purpose. I would dream of Sholto at night. A hundred times I have killed him in my sleep. At last, however, some three or four years ago, we found ourselves in Eng? land. I had no great difficulty in find? ing where Sholto lived, and I set to work to discover whether he had real? ized the treasure, or if he still had it. I made friends with some one who could help me-I name no names, for I don't want to get anyone else in a hole-and I soon found that he still had the jew- i els- Then 1 tried to fret at him in many ways; but he was pretty sly, and had always two prize-fighters, besides his sons and his khitmutgar, on guard over him. "One day, however, I got word that he was dying. 1 hurried at once to the ga: dem mad that he should slip out of my clutches like that. and. looking through the window, I s.aw him lying in his bed, with his sons on each side of him. I'd have come through and taken my chance with the three of them, only even as I looked at him his jaw dropped, and I knew that he was gone. I got into his room that same night, though, and I searched his papers to see if there was any record of where he had hidden our jewels. There was not a line, however, so I came away, bitter and savage asa man could be. Before I left I bethought me that if I ever met my Sikh friends again it would be a satisfaction to know that I had left some mark of our ha? tred; so I scrawled down the sign of the WE WERE PICKED UP BY A TRADER. four of us. as it had been on tfre chart, and I pinned it on his bosom. It was too much that he should bc taken to the grave without some token from the men whom he had robbed and befooled. "We earned a living at this time by my exhibiting poor Tonga at fairs and other places as the black cannibal. He would eat raw meat and dance his war dance; so we always had a hatful of pennies after a day's work. I still heard all the news from Pondicherry Lodge, and for some years there was no news to hear, except that they were hunting for the treasure. At last, how? ever, came what %ve had waited for so long. The treasure had been found. It was up at the top of the house, in Mr. Bartholomew Sholto's chemical laboratory. I came at once and had a look at the place, but I could not see how with my wooden leg I was to make my way up to it. I learned, however, about a trap-door in the roof, and also about Mr. Sholto's sup? per hour. It seemed to me that 1 could manage the thing easi? ly through Tonga. I brought him out witli me with a long rope wound round Ins waist. Ile could climb like a cat. and he soon made his way through the roof. but. as ill luck would have it. Bartholomew Sholto was still in the room, to his cost. Tonga thought he ! had done something very clever in kill? ing him. for when I carne up by the rope I found him strutting about as proud as a peacock. Very much sur? prised was he when I made at him with the rope's end and cursed him for a lit? tle bloodthirsty imp. I took thc treas? ure-box and let it down, and then slid down myself, having first left the sign of the four upon the table, to show that thc jewels had come back at last to those who had mo>t right to them. Tonga then pulled up thc rope, closed the window, and made off the way that lie had come. "I dont know that I have anything else to tell you. I had heard a water? man speak of the speed of Smith's launch, the Aurora, so I thought she would be a handy craft for our escape. 1 engaged with ?ld Smith, and was to give him a big sum if he got us safe to our ship. lie knew, no doubt, that Highest cf all in Leavening Pov * there was some sereu' loose, but he veas not in our secrets. All this is the truth, and if I tell it to you. gentlemen, it is not tc amuse you-for you have not donc me a very good turn-but it is because I believe thc best defense 1 can make is just to hold back nothing, but let all the world know how badly I have myself been served by Maj. Sholto, and how innocent I am of the death of his son. '" "A very remarkable account.'" said Sherlock Holmes. "A titting wind-up to an extremely interesting case. There is nothing at all new to me in the latter part of your narrative, ex? cept that you brought your own rope. That I did not know. By the way, I had hoped that Tonga had lost all his darts: yet he managed to shoot one at i us in the boat." .'tie had lost them all. sir, except the one which was in his blow pipe at the time." "Ah. of course." said Holmes. "I had not thought of that." "Is there any other point which you would like to ask about?" asked the convict, affably, j "I think not. thank you." my com? panion answered. "Well. Holmes." said Atheluey I Jones, "you are a man to be humored, ! and we all know that you are a con ? noisseur of crime, but duty is duty, and I have gone rather far in doing what ; you and your friend asked me. I .^hall i feel more at ease when we haye our j story-teller here under lock and key. j The cab still waits, and there are two I inspectors downstairs. I am much j obliged to you both for your assistance. I Of course, you will be wanted at the j trial- Good-night to you." "Good-night, gentlemen, both." said Jonathan Small. "Yoii first. Small.-" remarked the wary Jones as they left the room. "Ill take particular care that you don't jlub me with you wooden leg. whatever you ! may have done to the gentleman at the Andaman Isles." "Well, and there is the end of our j drama." I remarked, after we had sat ! sometime smoking hi silence. "I fear it shall bc the last investigation in which I shall have the chance ot stud} ing your methods. Miss Morstan has done me the honor to accept me as a husband in prospective." He gave a most dismal groan. "I feared as i mch," said he, "I really ean not congratulate you." I was a little hurt. "Have you any reason to be dissatisfied with my choice?" I asked. "Not at all. 1 think she is one of the most charming young ladies I ever met, and might have been most useful in such work as we have been doing. She had a decided genius that way: wit? ness the way in which she preserved that Agra plan from all the other pa? pers of her father. But love is an emo? tional thing, and whatever is emo? tional is opposed to that true cold rea? son which 1 place above all things. I should never marry myself, lest I bias my judgment." "I trust." said I. laughing, "that my judgment may survive the ordeal. But you look wear\*." "Yes. the reaction is already upon me. I shall be as limp as a rag for a week." "Strange,'* said I. "how terms of what in another man I should call laziness alternate with fits of splendid energy and vigor." "Yes," he answered, "there are in me the makings of a very fine loafer and also of a pretty spry sort of fellow. I often think of those lines of old. Goethe: "Schade (lass die Natur nur einen Mensch aus. dirschuf. Denn zum w?rdigen Mann war und zum Schel? men der Stoff." By the way, apropos of this Norwood business, you see that they had. as 1 surmised, a confederate in the house, who could be none other than Lal Rao, the butler; so Jones actually has the undivided honor of having caught one fish in his great haul.*' "The division seems rather unfair." I remarked. "You have done ali the work in this business. I get a wife out of it. Jones gets the credit, pray what I remains for you?" "For me." said Sherlock Holmes. j "there still remains the cocaine-bottle." And he stretehed his long white hand up for it. Blank books ei all kind?; drti?y, weekly ard monthly :i:i;e boi>k?. K G. Coleen & Co. vcr.-Latest U. S. Gov': Report 'EE.Y PURE