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 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 . 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 . 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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