THE three swung round and jerked their hands above their heads. A very tall man stood in the doorway. He had a spade-shaped beard and a coppery complexion. His hair of a glossy black was brushed smoothly back from a long, retreating forehead. His large nose was like the beak of a bird, and his black eyes glittered. In his outstretched hands he held two large automatic pistols. Hugh recognized to his amazement the supposed Brazilian diplomat, Doctor Bergius.
“Keep your hands up, gentlemen,” said Doctor Bergius warningly; and with a careless air he lowered his pistols and entered the room.
At his heels trooped three others. The first, no other than the dashing Italian Castelli, was in evening dress, but handling his revolver as if accustomed to its use. The other two were the most blood-thirsty pair of ruffians Hugh had ever seen. One was huge and hulking, hairy like a bear. A short beard almost covered his face, and his hair, bristly as that of a worn scrubbing-brush, came down to meet his bushy eyebrows. His companion was a very small man, spare, active and hairy as a monkey, with a lean and withered face and slit eyes that twinkled with malice.
“Come on, Golaz,” said Doctor Bergius to the tall ruffian. “You can look after the old fellow. Golaz, gentlemen, is my knife-man. In fact he used to be a pig-sticker. He is rather an enthusiastic specialist. He’d as lief cut your throat as look at you. Wouldn’t you, Golaz?”
The ursine man grunted in a pleased way. He took out a murderous-looking knife and going up to Bob Bender, who was standing very straight, with his arms in the air, made a playful pass with the knife across Bob’s scraggy throat. A little spot of blood appeared. Bob shuddered. Then Golaz gave him a little dig in the ribs with the needle point of the knife. Bob shivered.
“Golaz is really an artist,” said the doctor. “I have the greatest difficulty in restraining him. Now let me introduce another of my pets. Advance, Gamba.”
The simian man came forward grinning.
“Gamba’s specialty is strangling,” explained Doctor Bergius. “His work is slower but not less sure. Once let him get those hairy hands of his around your throat, and you’ll have to kill him to make him let go. You love to get your fingers round a windpipe, don’t you, Gamba?”
Gamba grinned broadly, clutching and gripping with his hands in a suggestive manner.
“All right, Gamba, you can account for the chauffeur. As for you, Castelli, I leave you the Englishman. Now that these preliminaries are all settled I can take a smoke.”
With a sigh of satisfaction Doctor Bergius sank down in the big arm-chair and lit a cigarette.
“Ah,” he sighed again, “what would life be without the soothing weed? You can have women and wine, Castelli; I would not exchange them both for nicotine. This is a comfortable den, Vulning; I feel quite at home already. Ha! I see you have the papers there. Castelli, hand them to me.”
The Italian took the system from Vulning’s hand and gave it to the doctor.
“Thank you. I imagine it’s all here. Also ...” he turned to Hugh, “it’s translator. Excellent. You know, Vulning, you’ve given me a lot of trouble. We were both on the same errand, only you went out by the door just as I came in by the window. What a pity you closed that safe. How was I to know it was empty? There I was struggling to open it, when the old man woke up. Golaz had to take his case in hand. The methods of Golaz are not refined but they are effective. Well, now to business.”
Doctor Bergius turned over the leaves of the system. “Here it is in my hands at last, the key that opens the golden gates of wealth. I say, Vulning, I’m sorry for you. You worked hard for this. I’m not such a bad chap after all. I’m going to take you in with us. You and Castelli can be on the same footing. The others can rank with Golaz and Gamba. Do you accept?”
Vulning nodded sullenly; the other two with alacrity.
“Good. You may lower your hands. And now let us come to this young man you have so beautifully bound, and I fear, so sadly maltreated. Your methods are primitive. I think I can show you a better way to make him listen to reason. Golaz, bring in the girl.”
Hugh started. He had fallen forward; but, by turning his head painfully, he could follow the movements of Golaz. He saw the big cut-throat disappear into the hallway. He heard a low moan and it seemed his heart forgot to beat. With straining eyes he watched the doorway. Yes, his worst fears were realized. Golaz entered with Margot in his arms. Her hands and feet were tied; her eyes closed, her hair streaming to the floor. She did not seem conscious of what was happening.
“Put her down,” said Doctor Bergius. “And now suppose we begin by trying this instrument of torture on those rosy little nails. It may be more effective with our obstinate friend here. Golaz and Gamba, hold her. Castelli, you can wield the pincers.”
But Castelli hung back. “No, Master,” he said with a shrug, “I have no stomach for that. A man, yes! A woman, well....”
“All right, Castelli. I know your softness of heart where the weaker sex is concerned. Vulning, to you will fall the honour.”
Again Paul Vulning took up the big pincers, and the points closed over the girl’s thumb-nail. With a piercing scream she opened her eyes.
“Hear that?” said Doctor Bergius to Hugh. “That’s only a beginning. If necessary we’ll crack her ten little nails like hazel nuts. Then if you don’t do what we want, I’ll hand her over to Golaz and Gamba to work their will on her. You know what that means. On the other hand if you consent, if you tell us the meaning of all this, you will both be well treated. You will perhaps be kept in close confinement for a few weeks, but after that you will be released. By then I hope we shall be ready to depart with the spoil. Shall we begin again on the girl?”
Hugh shook his head. His face was stamped with horror. “No, no,” he cried hoarsely. “I’ll do anything you want.”
“That’s a sensible lad. Seat him at the table and release his right arm. Vulning, have the goodness to fetch me pen, ink and paper.”
Vulning brought them from a little card table that stood in front of the bay window. Doctor Bergius rose and bent over Hugh.
“Now,” he said in his harsh metallic voice, “what we want you to do is quite simple. You will put on that paper all the symbols in those documents with their meanings. After that we will shut you up while I make the translation. If you forget anything and give me needless trouble, I shall have to deal severely with you. Also I will hold you responsible for the subsequent working of the system. So you see I want you to take your task very seriously. Now, go ahead.”
Hugh was placed facing the curtained window. He took up the pen and began to write. Doctor Bergius paced up and down. Every now and then he would look at the document in his hand and then at the symbols Hugh was writing. The page was soon covered with them. Hugh strained his memory. Had he forgotten anything? Were they complete?
As he paused for a moment, his brows pursed in thought, the eyes of all were fixed on him. The doctor stood with his back to the bay window, and as he struck a match to light a fresh cigarette, he laid the precious documents down on the little card table. Then in the tense silence the striking of the match startled Hugh, and he glanced up.... What was it he was seeing?... Behind the doctor a long sinewy hand was passing between the crimson curtains. It reached towards the little card table; it clutched the bundle of papers; it disappeared. But in that swift moment Hugh saw that the little finger of the hand was missing.
The silence was almost painful. Hugh wondered how long it would last. Suddenly Paul Vulning pointed to the empty table with a cry.
“The system! It has vanished.”
Swift as a flash Doctor Bergius looked down. Then he rushed to the window.
“Quick,” he shouted, “I saw some one leap from the terrace. All of you in pursuit. We must recover it at all cost.”
He dashed out, Vulning, Castelli and the three others following him. From the darkness Hugh heard shots and much shouting.
“Scatter. Search the garden. Fire only if you’re sure.”
They had all gone. He was alone with Margot. He tried to see her, to go to her. He twisted around and tumbled from his chair.
Could he believe his ears? As he lay face down he heard a voice address him.
“Quick, sir. I’m goin’ to cut the ropes.”
It was old Bob Bender. He cut and slashed to such good purpose that in a moment Hugh and Margot were both free.
“There’s not a moment to lose,” whispered Bob. “They’re hunting out in front but they may return any minute. You must escape by the back. Come, I’ll show you the way. Buck up, missy, you’ve got to make an effort.”
Hugh supported the girl, and Bob piloted them along the dark hallway. At the foot of a flight of stairs Bob opened a door. The pure air of the mountain caressed their faces.
“Take to the woods,” whispered Bob. “Climb high, make a wide circle. I’ll slip back and get that paper you wrote. Then I’ll join them in the hunt. Good luck to you. Krantz is a wonder. The Casino is saved.”
Taking the girl’s hand Hugh led her through the darkness, down a narrow flight of stone steps, and along a steep pathway amid the shrubbery. He heard sounds of the pursuit from the other side of the house and once the sharp crack of a revolver. Once too, some one came panting along the pathway towards them. He had scarcely time to pull Margot into the deep shadow of the bushes before a burly form pounded past. Trembling and terrified the girl clung to him until the footsteps were drowned in silence.
Once more he dragged her on. At the end of the pathway, they came to a small door set in the high wall, secured by a rusted bolt that at first resisted all his efforts. Suddenly it shot back, and they found themselves on the mountain side.
From the door a steep trail led to higher altitudes, and up this he hurried her. Rocks tripped them, and thorny bushes clutched at them, but spurred by fear they stumbled on. Even when the tiny donkey-path faded out and they found themselves on the raw and ragged flanks of the mountain, they continued to climb and climb.
Several times he thought Margot was going to give out, but a few words from him inspired her with a new courage. In the last of these pauses he listened acutely. The silence was absolute. They must be safe by now. They had been climbing for nearly an hour. He urged her to make one more effort, but she was unequal to it and entirely collapsed.
Lifting her in his arms he carried her to where a huge overhanging boulder formed a shallow shelter and laid her down. Resting her head on his knee, he covered her with his coat. Then with his back to the rock he waited for the daylight.
With the first brightening of the dove-grey sky he saw that they had climbed further than he had reckoned. They were on the slope beneath the Tete-du-Chien; above them towered the great bluff, its beetling front steel grey, stained with cinnamon, and around them, as if the greater gods had pelted it in sport, huge boulders heaped in fantastic confusion. Below them the olive groves were saturnine; the roofs of the Condamine a sullen crimson, and the sea’s immense tranquillity painted with a pale fire.
He looked down at the white face, pillowed on shining hair. Poor girl! How desperately exhausted she must be. Her sleep had been troubled by fits of trembling; and dry nervous sobs had awakened her half a dozen times. He had soothed her with assurances of safety. He aroused her gently and pointed to the brightening sky.
“Look!”
“But you are chilled through,” she said. “You are shivering. You should not have given me your coat.”
They rose stiffly, their faces haggard in the dawn. Slowly and painfully they descended the mountain.
“What happened,” he asked, “that night?...”
“I don’t know. I never understood. It was very late; I heard a noise in the professor’s room and tried his door; it opened. All was dark. There was a curious smell. Again I heard a noise. I was afraid he was ill. I hurried to his assistance. Some one caught me from behind, and a hand covered my mouth. I struggled, but I had no power. They bound and gagged me. Just as we were going away one of them flashed an electric torch on the floor. I saw the professor lying face downward. It was horrible....”
“Yes, I know. They killed the poor old man. But what after that?”
“A very strong man carried me in his arms; we descended from the window by a rope ladder. Below they had a closed-in car. We went up among the mountains, before we stopped at a lonely house. They lifted me down, and carried me to a room. I was locked in, a prisoner. Oh, they treated me well enough. There was a peasant woman who brought me my food and was kind to me. But the time was long, for I was terrified, and so anxious about you. I thought I should go mad. Then last night they put me in the car again, and brought me down. You know the rest.”
“What shall we do now? I suppose we had better go back to our room.”
She shook her head. “Nothing can make me spend another night there. The very idea horrifies me. No, I want to go far away from here, very far. If you don’t mind, I will get my things, stay at a hotel to-night, and to-morrow morning leave for Paris.”
“I quite understand. But ... how about that cottage at Villefranche? Won’t you come there with me?”
Again she shook her head. “No, not now....”
“Once you wanted to.”
“Once, yes. Once I had a dream.... That’s finished now. I’ve been a foolish girl. I did lots of thinking when I was alone up there, and I see my way clear. It’s a lonely way but perhaps I’ll have my share of happiness. Yes, I’d better go.”
He felt that she was right, and did not try to dissuade her.
“At any rate,” he said, “you’ll let me lend you that money, the two thousand we had such a fuss over?”
“Yes, I’ll borrow it gladly, and I’ll pay you back. I bless you for all you’ve done for me....”
Next morning he saw her off at the station. As she leaned from the window of a third class carriage she tried hard to keep back her tears. He remembered their arrival at this same station, and how he had followed her. He would miss her painfully. A last handclasp and the train bore her away. A loneliness came over him that was almost a heartache.
“That ends another chapter,” he said to himself. “Perhaps I’ll never see her again. Ah! little girl, may the gods bless you and make you happy.”
And with that he went sadly away.