Exercises

Two Boxes of Gold (II)

Levison put his head out of the window. "It's true," he said, drawing it in again. "Two hours' delay at least," the man says. "It's very annoying, but these things happen. We'll have some coffee and another game of cards. We must each look at our own luggage, or, if Mr. Blamyre will go and order supper, I will see to it all. But goodness me, what is that shining out there by the station lamps? Hey, you sir, guard, what is happening at the station?"

"Those are soldiers, sir," replied the guard. "They happened to be at the station on their way to Chalons. The station-master has sent them to watch the luggage-van, and to see to the changing over of the luggage. No passenger is to go near it, because there are special government stores in the train."

Levison spat on the ground, and said something under his breath. I supposed he was angry with the French railways.

    "I say, sir," said the Major, "have you ever seen such clumsy carts?" and he pointed out of the window. I looked and saw two country carts, each with four strong horses, that were standing under a hedge close to the station.

Levison and I tried to get near our luggage, but the soldiers refused to let us get too close. I watched my chests lifted into the new luggage van. I saw no sign of government stores, and I told the Major so.

"Oh, they're clever," he replied, "very clever. It may be the empress's jewels, only a tiny packet, perhaps, but still not difficult to steal on a night such as this."

Just then there was a loud, high whistle, as if a signal had been given. The horses in the two carts started off at a gallop and were soon out of sight.

Three hours later we reached Lyons and changed trains for Marseilles.

"I shall have a sleep, gentlemen," said the Major. "I suppose the next thing will be the boat breaking down."

"Major, do please be quiet," said his wife.

I fell asleep at last, but again my dreams were bad. I imagined I was in a city where there were narrow, dark streets. I was being watched from behind curtained windows. Four men on horses came riding down the street. They were waving swords, and were coming towards me. I dreamed I had only one hope of safety, and that was to repeat the words of my letter-locks. Already the horses were on top of me. I cried out with great difficulty, "Cotopaxo. Cotopaxo." A rough shake woke me. It was the Major.

"You're talking in your sleep," he said. "Why do you talk in your sleep? It's a dangerous habit."

"What was I talking about?" I asked.

"Some foreign nonsense," replied the Major.
    "Greek, I think," said Levison, "but I can't be sure."

We reached Marseilles. I was so happy to see the white houses and the almond trees. I should feel safer when I was on the ship, and my treasure with me. I had noticed that on that long journey from Lyons I had been watched. I had never fallen asleep without waking to find either the Major, or his wife, or Levison looking at me.

We agreed to keep together, and stood by our luggage trying to decide which hotel to stay at.

"Hotel Imperial is the best," said the Major. But the Hotel Imperial was full.

"Oh, no," said the Major. "The boat will be the next thing to fail."

And it was. There had been an accident with the boiler, and it would not leave until half an hour after midnight.

"Where shall we go?" I asked. "Our journey seems very unlucky so far. Let's have dinner together. I must send a message first, but then I'm free until half past eleven."

"I will take you to a small, but very good hotel down by the harbour,”" said Levison, "The Foreigners' Hotel."

"It's not a very good place," said the Major, who knew it well.

"Sir," said Mr. Levison, "it is under new management, or I would not have suggested it to you."

"I'm sorry," said the Major, "I did not know that."

We entered the hotel, and found it was rather bare and not too clean.

"I shall go and wash, and then take a walk while you go and send your messages," said the Major. "You go and see to the rooms, Julia."

"I am going to try and get to the shops before they shut," said Levison.

There were only two double-bedded rooms left.

"That will do," said Levison, quickly. "My friend is going on the boat tonight. He will not be sleeping here. His luggage can be put in my room, and he can take the key, in case he comes in first."

"Then now we are all right," said the Major. "So far, so good."

When I got to the telegraph office, I found a telegram waiting for me from London. To my surprise and horror it contained only these words.

"You are in great danger. Do not wait a moment on shore. There is a plot against you. Go to the police and ask for a guard."

It must be the Major. I was in his hands. That friendly manner of his was all a trick. Even now he might be carrying off the chests. I sent a message back.

"Safe at Marseilles. All right up to this."

   I ran back to the hotel, which was in a dirty street by the harbour. As I turned the corner into the street, a man came out of a doorway and took my arm. It was one of the men from the hotel. He said hurriedly in French, "Quick, quick, sir. Major Baxter wants to see you at once in the dining-room. There is no time to lose."

I ran to the hotel, and hurried into the dining-room. There was the Major, walking up and down in great excitement. His wife was looking out of the window. The Major ran up and took my hand.

"I am a police officer, and my name is Arnott," " he said. "That man Levison is a well-known thief. He is, at this moment, opening one of your chests. You must help me to catch him. I knew what he was going to do, but I wanted to catch him in the act. Have you got a gun, Mr. Blamyre, in case he puts up a fight? I have a strong stick."

"I have left my gun in the bedroom," I said.

"That's bad. Never mind, he may not think of it. You must rush at the door at the same moment as I do. These foreign locks are never any good. It's No. 15. Quietly now."

We came to the door. We listened a moment. We could hear the sound of money clinking in a bag. Then Levison laughed over the word he had heard me say in my sleep. "Cotopaxo, ha, ha."

The Major gave the word and we both rushed at the door. It shook, broke and opened. Levison, with a revolver in his hand, stood over the open box, ankle deep in gold. He had already filled a huge belt that was round his waist, and a bag that hung at his side. Another bag, half full, lay at his feet. He did not say one word. There were ropes at the window, as if he had been lowering, or preparing to lower bags into the side street. He gave a whistle, and some vehicle could be heard driving away fast.

"Give yourself up. I know you," cried the Major. "Give up, I've got you now."

Levison's only reply was to fire the gun. Luckily for us, nothing happened. I had forgotten to load it.

Levison threw it at the Major in anger, quickly opened the window and jumped out.

I went out after him, shouting for help. Arnott stayed to guard the money.

   A moment more and a wild crowd of soldiers, sailors and other men were following Levison. In the half dark (the lamps were just being lit) we raced after him. Hundreds of blows were aimed at him, hundreds of hands stretched out to catch him. He got away from one, knocked another down and jumped over a third. We had almost caught him, when suddenly his foot caught on something and he fell head first into the harbour. There was a shout as he splashed and disappeared into the dark water. I ran down the nearest steps and waited while the police took a boat and dragged with hooks for the body.

"They are clever, these old thieves. I remember this man here at Toulon. I knew his face in a moment. He has dived under the ships and got into some boat and hidden himself. You'll never see him again," said an old gray-haired policeman who had taken me into the boat.

"Yes, we shall, for here he is," cried a second, bending down and lifting a body out of the water by the hair.

"Oh, he was a clever one," said a man from a boat behind us. It was Arnott. "Just came to see how you were getting on, sir. Don't worry about the money. Julia's watching it. I often said that man would be caught some day. He nearly had you, Mr. Blamyre. He'd have cut your throat while you were asleep, rather than miss the money. But I was on his track. He didn't know me. Well, his name is off the books now. That's one good thing. Come, my friends, bring that body to land. We must strip him of the money he has upon him. It at least did one good thing while he had it. It sent him to the bottom of the harbour."

Arnott told me everything when we returned to the hotel. On the night I had started my journey, he had received orders from the London head office to follow me, and watch Levison. He had not had time to tell my partners. The driver of our train had been paid to make the engine break down at Fort Rouge, where Levison's men were waiting with the carts. They planned to carry off the luggage in the darkness . This plan failed, because Arnott had sent a message from Paris for soldiers to be sent to the station. The champagne he had spilt had been drugged. Levison, defeated the first time, had tried other ways. My unlucky talk in my sleep had given him the power of opening one of the chests. The breakdown of the boat, which was quite accidental (as far as we could tell), gave him a last chance.

That night, thanks to Arnott, I left Marseilles with not one single piece of money lost. The rest of my journey was good. Our bank has done well ever since, and so have Minnie and I.

(1,840 words)

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