| 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 |
| 1 | 41 | 81 | 122 | 162 |
|
www.freeclassicebooks.com
battery of two dry cells. A wire ran from the clockwork to one of the poles of the
battery, and from the other pole through the partition into the other
compartment, a second wire returning directly to the clockwork.
Whatever lay within the second compartment was not visible, for a cover lay over
it and appeared to be sealed in place by asphaltum. In the bottom of the box,
beside the clockwork, lay a key, and this Paulvitch now withdrew and fitted to the
winding stem.
Gently he turned the key, muffling the noise of the winding operation by throwing
a couple of articles of clothing over the box. All the time he listened intently for
any sound which might indicate that the sailor or another were approaching his
cabin; but none came to interrupt his work.
When the winding was completed the Russian set a pointer upon a small dial at
the side of the clockwork, then he replaced the cover upon the black box, and
returned the entire machine to its hiding-place in the table.
A sinister smile curled the man's bearded lips as he gathered up his valuables,
blew out the lamp, and stepped from his cabin to the side of the waiting sailor.
"Here are my things," said the Russian; "now let me go."
"I'll first take a look in your pockets," replied the sailor. "You might have
overlooked some trifling thing that won't be of no use to you in the jungle, but
that'll come in mighty handy to a poor sailorman in London. Ah! just as I feared,"
he ejaculated an instant later as he withdrew a roll of bank-notes from
Paulvitch's inside coat pocket.
The Russian scowled, muttering an imprecation; but nothing could be gained by
argument, and so he did his best to reconcile himself to his loss in the knowledge
that the sailor would never reach London to enjoy the fruits of his thievery.
It was with difficulty that Paulvitch restrained a consuming desire to taunt the
man with a suggestion of the fate that would presently overtake him and the
other members of the Kincaid's company; but fearing to arouse the fellow's
suspicions, he crossed the deck and lowered himself in silence into his canoe.
A minute or two later he was paddling toward the shore to be swallowed up in the
darkness of the jungle night, and the terrors of a hideous existence from which,
could he have had even a slight foreknowledge of what awaited him in the long
years to come, he would have fled to the certain death of the open sea rather than
endure it.
139
Page
Quick Jump
|