第57章 CHAPTER XVII(3)

"Oh, yes," he said easily and without hesitation. "I was walking about Pierside later, and, passing along that waterside alley near the Sailor's Rest, I saw a window on the ground floor open, and Bolton looking out across the river. I stopped and asked him when he proposed to take the mummy to Gartley, and if it was on shore. He admitted that it was in the hotel, but declined to say when he would send it on to you, Professor. When he closed the window, I afterwards went into the hotel and had a drink in order to ask casually when Mr. Bolton intended to leave. I gathered -not directly, of course, but in a roundabout way - that he had arranged to go next morning and to send on his luggage. Then Ileft and went to London. In the course of time I returned here and learned of the murder and the disappearance of the corpse of Inca Caxas. And now," Random stood up, "having admitted all this, perhaps you will believe me to be innocent.""You have no idea who murdered Bolton and placed his body in the packing case?" asked Braddock, manifestly disappointed.

"'No. No more than I have any idea of the person who placed the mummy case and its contents in Mrs. Jasher's garden.""Oh, you know that!" said Archie quickly.

"Yes. The news was all over the village this morning. I could hardly help knowing it. And I believe that the mummy has been taken to your house, Professor.""It has," admitted Braddock dryly. "I took it myself from Mrs.

Jasher's arbor in a hand-cart, with the assistance of Cockatoo.

But when I made an examination this morning in the presence of Hope and Don Pedro, I found that the swathings of the body had been ripped up, and that the emeralds mentioned in that manuscript had been stolen.""Strange!" said Random with a frown; "and by whom?""No doubt by the assassin of Sidney Bolton."

"Probably." Random kicked a mat straight with his foot. "At any rate the theft of the emeralds shows that it was not any Indian who killed Bolton. None of them would rifle so sacred a corpse.""Besides which - as you say - the Indians in Peru do not know that the mummy has reappeared after thirty years' seclusion,"chimed in Hope, rising. "Well, and what is to be done now?"For answer Sir Frank picked up the manuscript which still remained on the table.

"I shall see Don Pedro about this," he said quietly, "and ascertain if it is the original or a copy."Braddock rose slowly and stared at the paper.

"Do you know Latin?" he asked.

"No," rejoined Random, knowing what the savant meant. "I learned it, of course, but I have forgotten much. I might translate a word or two, but certainly not the hedge-priest Latin in which this is written." He looked carefully at the manuscript as he spoke.

"But who could have placed it in your room?" questioned Archie.

"We cannot learn that until we see Don Pedro. If this is the original manuscript which we saw the other night, we may learn how it passed from the possession of De Gayangos to my bookcase.

If it is a copy, then we must learn, if possible, who owned it.""Don Pedro said that a transcript or a translation had been made," mentioned Hope.

"Evidently a transcript," said Braddock, glaring at the paper in Random's hand. "But how could that find its way from Lima to this place?""It might have been packed up with the mummy," suggested Archie.

"No," contradicted Random decisively, "in that event, the man in Malta from whom the mummy was bought would have discovered the emeralds, and would have taken them.""Perhaps he did. We have nothing to show that Bolton's assassin committed the crime for the sake of the jewels.""He must have done so," cried the Professor, irritably, "else there is no motive for the commission of the crime. But I think myself that we must start at the other end to find a clue. When we discover who placed the mummy in Mrs. Jasher's garden - ""That will not be easy," murmured Hope thoughtfully, "though, of course, the same must have been brought by river. Let us go down to the embankment and see if there are any signs of a boat having been brought there last night," and he moved to the door.

"Random?"

"I cannot leave the Fort, as I am on duty," replied the officer, putting the manuscript away in a drawer and locking the same, "but this evening I shall see Don Pedro, and in the meanwhile Ishall endeavor to learn from my servant who visited me lately while I was absent. The manuscript must have been brought here by someone. But I trust," he added as he escorted his two visitors to the door, "that you now acquit me of - ""Yes! yes! yes!" cried Braddock, hastily cutting him short and shaking his hand. "I apologize for my suspicions. Now Imaintain that you are innocent."

"And I never believed you to be guilty," cried Hope heartily.

"Thank you both," said Random simply, and, having closed the door, he returned to a chair near the fire to smoke a pipe, and meditate over his future movements. "An enemy hath done this,"said Random, referring to the concealment of the manuscript, but he could think of no one who desired to harm him in any way.