The Green Mummy

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Archie twisted a chair round and straddled his long legs across
it, with his arms resting on its back. His quick brain had
rapidly comprehended the situation, and, being acquainted with
both sides of the question, it was not difficult to come to a
decision. If it was hard that Don Pedro should lose his
ancestor's mummy, it was equally hard that Braddock--or rather
himself--should lose the purchase money, seeing that it had been
paid in good faith to the seller in Malta for a presumably
righteously acquired object. On these premises the young Solon
proceeded to deliver judgment.

"I understand," said he judiciously, "that Don Pedro had the
mummy stolen from him thirty years ago, and that you, Professor,
bought it under the impression that the Maltese owner had a right
to possess it."

"Yes," snapped Braddock, "and I daresay the Maltese owner
thought so too, since he bought it from that collector in Paris."

Hope nodded.

"And if Vasa sold it to the man in Paris," said he calmly, "he
certainly would not tell the purchaser that he had looted the
mummy in Lima, and the poor man would not know that he was
receiving stolen goods. Is that right, Don Pedro?"

"Yes, sir," said the Peruvian, who had recovered his temper and
his gravity; "but I declare solemnly that the mummy was stolen
from my father and should belong to me."

"No one disputes that," said Archie cheerfully; "but it ought to
belong to the Professor also, since he has bought it. Now, as it
can't possibly belong to two people, we must split the
difference. You, Professor, must sell back the mummy to Don
Pedro for the price you paid for it, and then, Don Pedro, you
must recompense Professor Braddock for his loss."

"I have not much money," said Don Pedro gravely; "still, I am
willing to do as you say."

"I don't know that I am," protested Braddock noisily. "There are
the two emeralds which are of immense value, as Don Pedro says,
and they belong to me, since the mummy is my property."

"Professor," said Archie solemnly, "you must do right, even if
you lose by it. I believe the story of Senor De Gayangos; and
the mummy with its jewels belongs to him. Besides, you only wish
to see the way in which the Inca race embalmed their dead.
Well, then, unpack the mummy here in the presence of Don Pedro.
When you have satisfied your curiosity, and when Senor De
Gayangos signs a check for one thousand pounds, he can take away
the corpse. You have had so much trouble over it, that I wonder
your are not anxious to see the last of it."

"But the emeralds would sell for much money and would defray the
expenses of my expedition into Egypt to search for that Queen's
tomb."

"I understood from Lucy that Mrs. Jasher intended to finance that
expedition when she became your wife."

"Humph!" muttered Braddock, stroking his fat chin. "I said a few
foolish things to her last night when I was heated up. She may
not forgive me, Hope."

"A woman will forgive anything to the man she loves," said
Archie.

Braddock was no fool, and could not help casting a glance at his
tubby figure, which was reflected in a near mirror. It seemed
incredible that Mrs. Jasher could love him for his looks, and the
fact that he might some day be a baronet did not strike him at
the moment as a consideration. However, he foresaw trouble and
expense should Don Pedro go to law, as he seemed determined to
do. Taking all things into consideration, Braddock thought that
Archie's judgment was a good one, and yielded.

"Well," he said after reflection, "let us agree. I shall open
the case and examine the mummy, which after all is the reason why
I bought it. When I have satisfied myself as to the difference
between the modes of embalming, Don Pedro can give me a check and
take away the mummy. I only hope that he will have less trouble
with it than I have had," and, so speaking, Braddock, signing to
Cockatoo to bring all the necessary tools, laid hands on the
case.

"I am content," said Don Pedro briefly, and seated himself in a
chair beside the young Daniel who had delivered judgment.

Hope offered to assist the Professor to open the case, but was
dismissed with an abrupt refusal.

"Though I am glad you are present to see the mummy unpacked,"
said Braddock, laboring at the lid of the case, "for if the
emeralds are missing, Don Pedro might accuse me of stealing
them."

"Why should the emeralds be missing?" asked Hope quickly.

Braddock shrugged his shoulders.

"Sidney Bolton was killed," said he in a low voice, "and it was
not likely that any one would commit a murder for the sake of
this mummy, and then leave it stranded in Mrs. Jasher's garden.
I have my doubts about the safety of the emeralds, else I would
not have consented to sell the thing back again."

With this honest speech, the Professor vigorously attacked the
lid of the case, and inserted a steel instrument into the cracks
to prize up the covering. The lid was closed with wooden pegs in
an antique but perfectly safe manner, and apparently had not been
opened since the dead Inca had been laid to rest therein hundreds
of years ago among the Andean mountains. Don Pedro winced at
this desecration of the dead, but, as he had given his consent,
there was nothing left to do but to grin and bear it. In a
wonderfully short space of time, considering the neatness of the
workmanship and the holding power of the wooden pegs, the lid was
removed. Then the four on-lookers saw that the mummy had been
tampered with. Swathed in green-stained llama wool, it lay rigid
in its case. But the swathings had been cut; the hands protruded
and the emeralds were gone--torn rudely from the hard grip of
the dead.

CHAPTER XV

AN ACCUSATION

Both Don Pedro and Professor Braddock were amazed and angry at
the disappearance of the jewels, but Hope did not express much
surprise. Considering the facts of the murder, it was just what
he expected, although it must be confessed that he was wise after
the event.

"I refer you to your own words immediately before the case was
opened, Professor," he remarked, after the first surprise had
subsided.

"Words! words!" snapped Braddock, who was anything but pleased.
"What words of mine do you mean, Hope?"

"You said that it was not likely that any one would commit a
murder for the sake of the mummy only, and then leave it stranded
in Mrs. Jasher's garden. Also, you declared that you had your
doubts about the safety of the emeralds, else you would not have
consented to sell the mummy again to its rightful owner."

The Professor nodded.

"Quite so: quite so. And what I say I hold to," he retorted,
"especially as I have proved myself a true prophet. You can both
see for yourselves," he waved his hand towards the rifled case,
"that poor Sidney must have been killed for the sake of the
emeralds. The question is, who killed him?"

"The person who knew about the jewels," said Don Pedro promptly.

"Of course: but who did know? I was ignorant until you told me
about the manuscript. And you, Hope?" He searched Archie's
face.

"Do you intend to accuse me?" questioned the young man with a
slight laugh. "I assure you, Professor, that I was ignorant of
what had been buried with the corpse, until Don Pedro related his
story the other night to myself and Random, and the ladies."

Braddock turned impatiently to De Gayangos, as he did not approve
of Archie's apparent flippancy.

"Does any one else know of the contents of this manuscript?" he
demanded irritably.

Don Pedro nursed his chin and looked musingly on the ground.

"It is just possible that Vasa may."

"Vasa? Vasa? Oh yes, the sailor who stole the mummy thirty
years ago from your father in Lima. Pooh! pooh! pooh! You tell
me that this manuscript is written in Latin, and evidently in
monkish Latin at that, which is of the worst. Your sailor could
not read it, and would not know the value of the manuscript. If
he had, he would have carried it off."

"Senor," said the Peruvian politely, "I have an idea that my
father made a translation of this manuscript, or at all events a
copy."

"But I understood," put in Hope, still astride of his chair,
"that you did not find the original manuscript until your father
died."

"That is quite true, sir," assented the other readily, "but I
did not tell you everything the other night. My father it was
who found the manuscript at Cuzco, and although I cannot state
authoritatively, yet I believe I am correct in saying that he had
a copy made. But whether the copy was merely a transcript or
actually a translation, I cannot tell. I think it was the
former, as if Vasa, reading a translation, had learned of the
jewels, he undoubtedly would have stolen them before selling this
mummy to the Parisian collector."

"Perhaps he did," said Braddock, pointing to the rifled corpse.
"You see that the emeralds are missing."

"Your assistant's assassin stole them," insisted Don Pedro
coldly.

"We cannot be sure of that," retorted the Professor, "although I
admit that no man would jeopardize his neck for the sake of a
corpse."

Archie looked surprised.

"But an enthusiast such as you are, Professor, might risk so
much."

For once in his life Braddock made a good-humored reply.

"No, sir. Not even for this mummy would I place myself in the
power of the law. And I do not think that any other scientist
would either. We savants may not be worldly, but we are not
fools. However, the fact remains that the jewels are gone, and
whether they were stolen by Vasa thirty years ago, or by poor
Sidney's assassin the other day, I don't know, and, what is more,
I don't care. I shall examine the mummy further, and in a couple
of days Don Pedro can bring me a check for one thousand and
remove his ancestor."

"No! no!" cried the Peruvian hurriedly; "since the emeralds are
missing, I am not in a position to pay you one thousand English
pounds, sir. I want to take back the body of Inca Caxas to Lima;
as one must show respect to one's ancestors. But the fact is, I
cannot pay the money."

"You said that you could," shouted the exasperated Professor in
his bullying way.

"I admit it, senor, but I had hoped to do so when I sold the
emeralds, which--as you can see--are not available. Therefore
the body of my royal ancestor must remain here until I can
procure the money. And it may be that Sir Frank Random will help
me in this matter."

"He wouldn't help me," snapped Braddock, "so why should he help
you?"

Don Pedro, looking more dignified than ever, drew himself up to
his tall height.

"Sir Frank," he said, in a stately way, "has done me the honor
of seeking to be my son-in-law. As my daughter loves him, I am
willing to permit the marriage, but now that I have learned the
emeralds are lost, I shall not consent until Sir Frank buys the
mummy from you, Professor. It is only right that my daughter's
hand should redeem her regal forefather from purely scientific
surroundings and that she should take the mummy back to be buried
in Lima. At the same time, sir, I must say that I am the
rightful owner of the dead, and that you should surrender the
mummy to me free of charge."

"What, and lose a thousand pounds!" cried Braddock furiously.
"No, sir, I shall do nothing of the sort. You only wanted the
mummy for the sake of the jewels, and now that they are lost, you
do not care what becomes of your confounded ancestor, and you--"

The Professor would have gone on still more furiously, but that
Hope, seeing Don Pedro was growing angry at the insult, chimed
in.

"Let me throw oil on the troubled waters," he said, smoothly.
"Don Pedro is not able to redeem the mummy until the emeralds are
found. As such is the case, we must find the emeralds and enable
him to do what is necessary."

"And how are we to find the jewels?" asked Braddock crossly.

"By finding the assassin."

"How is that to be done?" asked De Gayangos gloomily. "I have
been doing my best at Pierside, but I cannot find a single clue.
Vasa is not to be found."

"Vasa!" exclaimed Archie and the Professor, both profoundly
astonished.

Don Pedro raised his eyebrows.

"Certainly. Vasa, if anyone, must have killed your assistant,
since he alone could have known that the jewels were buried with
Inca Caxas."

"But, my dear sir," argued Hope good-naturedly, "if Vasa stole
the manuscript, whether translated or not, he certainly must have
learned the truth long, long ago, since thirty years have
elapsed. In that event he must have stolen the jewels, as
Professor Braddock remarked lately, before he sold the mummy to
the Parisian collector."

"That may be so," said Don Pedro obstinately, while the Professor
muttered his approval, "but we cannot be certain on that point.
No one--I agree with the Professor in this--would have risked
his neck to steal a mere mummy, therefore the motive for the
committal of the crime must have been the emeralds. Only Vasa
knew of their existence outside myself and my dead father. He,
therefore, must be the assassin. I shall hunt for him, and, when
I find him, I shall have him arrested."

"But you can't possibly recognize the man after thirty years?"
argued Braddock disbelievingly.

"I have a royal memory for faces," said Don Pedro imperturbably,
"and in the past I saw much of Vasa. He was then a young sailor
of twenty."

"Humph!" muttered Braddock. "He is now fifty, and must have
changed in thirty years. You'll never recognize him."

"Oh, I think so," said the Peruvian smoothly. "His eyes were
peculiarly blue and full of light. Also, he had a scar on the
right temple from a blow which he received in a street riot in
which I also was concerned. Finally, gentlemen, Vasa loved a
peon girl on my father's estate, and she induced him to have the
sun encircled by a serpent--a Peruvian symbol--tattooed on his
left wrist. With all these marks, and with my memory for faces,
which never yet has failed me, I have no doubt but what I shall
recognize the man."

"And then?"

"And then I shall have him arrested"

Hope shrugged his square shoulders. He had not much belief in
Don Pedro's boasted royal memory, and did not think that he would
recognize a young sailor of twenty in what would certainly be a
grizzled old salt of fifty years. However, it was possible that
the man might be right in his surmise, since Vasa alone could
have known about the emeralds. The only doubt was whether he
would have waited for thirty years before looting the mummy.
Archie said nothing of these thoughts, as they would only serve
to prolong an unprofitable discussion. But he made one
suggestion.

"Your best plan," he said suggestively, "is to write a
description of Vasa--who, by the way, has probably changed his
name--and hand it to the police, with the promise of a reward if
he is found."

"I am very poor, senor. Surely the Professor here--"

"I can offer nothing," said Braddock quickly, "as I am quite as
poor as you are, if not more so, Sir Frank might help," he added
sarcastically.

"I shall not ask," said Don Pedro loftily. "If Sir Frank chooses
to become my son-in-law by purchasing back my royal ancestor, to
which you have no right, I am willing that it should be so. But,
poor as I am, I shall offer a reward myself, since the honor of
the De Gayangoses is involved in this matter. What reward do you
suggest, Mr. Hope?"

"Five hundred pounds," said the Professor quickly.

"Too much," said Hope sharply--"far too much. Make the reward
one hundred pounds, Don Pedro. That is enough to tempt many a
man."

The Peruvian bowed and noted down the amount.

"I shall go at once to Pierside and see Inspector Date, who had
to do with the inquest," he remarked. "Meanwhile, Professor,
please do not desecrate my royal ancestor's body more than you
can help."

"I shall certainly not search for any more emeralds," retorted
Braddock dryly. "Now, clear out, both of you, and leave me to
examine the mummy. Cockatoo, show these gentlemen out, and let
no one else in."

Don Pedro returned to the Warrior Hotel to inform his daughter of
what had taken place, with the intention of going in the
afternoon to Pierside. Meanwhile, he wrote out a full
description of Vasa, making an allowance for the lapse of years
and explaining the scar and the symbol on the left wrist. Hope
also sought Lucy and related the latest development of the case.
The girl was not surprised, as she likewise believed that the
assassin had desired more than the mummy when he murdered Sidney
Bolton.

"Mrs. Jasher did not know about the emeralds?" she asked
suddenly.

"No," replied Archie, much surprised. "Surely you do not suspect
her of having a hand in the devilment?"

"Certainly not," was the prompt answer. "Only I cannot
understand how the mummy came to be in her garden."

"It was brought up from the river, I expect."

"But why to Mrs. Jasher's garden?"

Hope shook his head.

"I cannot tell that. The whole thing is a mystery, and seems
likely to remain so."

"It seems to me," said the girl, after a pause, "that it would
be best for my father to return this mummy to Don Pedro, and have
done with it, since it seems to bring bad luck. Then he can
marry Mrs. Jasher, and go to Egypt on her fortune to seek for
this tomb."

"I doubt very much if Mrs. Jasher will marry the Professor now,
after what he said last night."

"Nonsense, my father was in a rage and said what first came into
his mind. I daresay she is angry. However, I shall see her this
afternoon, and put matters right."

"You are very anxious that the Professor should marry the lady."

"I am," replied Lucy seriously, "as I want to leave my father
comfortably settled when I marry you. The sooner he makes Mrs.
Jasher his wife, the readier will he be to let me go, and I want
to marry you as soon as I possibly can. I am tired of Gartley
and of this present life."

Of course to this speech Archie could make only one answer, and
as that took the form of kissing, it was entirely satisfactory to
Miss Kendal. Then they discussed the future and also the
proposed engagement of Sir Frank Random to the Peruvian lady.
But both left the subject of the mummy alone, as they were quite
weary of the matter, and neither could suggest a solution of the
mystery.

Meanwhile Professor Braddock had passed a very pleasant hour in
examining the swathings of the mummy. But his pleasure was
destined to be cut short sooner than he desired, as Captain Hiram
Hervey unexpectedly arrived. Although Cockatoo--as he had been
instructed--did his best to keep him out, the sailor forced his
way in, and heralded his appearance by throwing the Kanaka
head-foremost into the museum.

"What does this mean?" demanded the fiery Professor, while
Cockatoo, with an angry expression, struggled to his feet, and
Hervey, smoking his inevitable cheroot, stood on the threshold--
"how dare you treat my property in this careless way."

"Guess your property should behave itself then," said the captain
in careless tones, and sauntered into the room. "D'y think I'm
goin' to be chucked out by a measly nigger and--Great Scott!"--
this latter exclamation was extorted by the sight of the mummy.

Braddock motioned to the still angry Cockatoo to move aside, and
then nodded triumphantly.

"You didn't expect to see that, did you?" he asked.

Hervey came to anchor on a chair and turned the cheroot in his
mouth with an odd look at the mummy.

"When will he be hanged?"

Braddock stared.

"When will who be hanged?"

"The man as stole that thing."

"We haven't found him yet," Braddock informed him swiftly.

"Then how in creation did you annex the corpse."

The Professor sat down and explained. The lean, long mariner
listened quietly, only nodding at intervals. He did not seem to
be surprised when he heard that the corpse of the head Inca had
been found in Mrs. Jasher's garden, especially when Braddock
explained the whereabouts of the property.

"Wal," he drawled, "that don't make my hair stand on end. I
guess the garden was on his way and he used it for a cemetery."

"What are you talking about?" demanded the perplexed scientist.

"About the man who strangled your help and yanked away the
corpse."

"But I don't know who he is. Nobody knows."

"Go slow. I do."

"You!" Braddock started and flung himself across the room to
seize Hervey by the lapels of his reefer coat. "You know. Tell
me who he is, so that I can get the emeralds."

"Emeralds!" Hervey removed Braddock's plump hands and stared
greedily.

"Don't you know? No, of course you don't. But two emeralds were
buried with the mummy, and they have been stolen."

"Who by?"

"No doubt by the assassin who murdered poor Sidney."

Hervey spat on the floor, and his weather-beaten face took on an
expression of, profound regret.

"I guess I'm a fool of the best."

"Why?" asked Braddock, again puzzled.

"To think," said Hervey, addressing the mummy, "that you were on
board my boat, and I never looted you."

"What!" Braddock stamped. "Would you have committed theft?"

"Theft be hanged!" was the reply. "It ain't thieving to loot the
dead. I guess a corpse hasn't got any use for jewels. You bet
I'd have gummed straightways onto that mummy, when I brought it
from Malta in the old Diver, had I known it was a jeweler's shop
of sorts. Huh! Two emeralds, and I never knew. I could kick
myself."

"You are a blackguard," gasped the astonished Professor.

"Oh, shucks!" was the elegant retort, "give it a rest. I'm no
worse than that dandy gentleman who added murder to stealing,
anyhow."

"Ah!" Braddock bounded off his chair like an india-rubber ball,
"you said that you knew who had committed the murder."

"Wal," drawled Hervey again, "I do and I don't. That is I
suspect, but I can't swear to the business before a judge."

"Who killed Bolton?" asked the Professor furiously. "Tell me at
once."

"Not me, unless it's made worth my while."

"It will be, by Don Pedro."

"That yellow-stomach. What's he got to do with it?"

"I have just told you the mummy belongs to him; he came to Europe
to find it. He wants the emeralds, and intends to offer a reward
of one hundred pounds for the discovery of the assassin."

Hervey arose briskly.

"I'm right on the job," said he, sauntering to the door. "I'll
go to that old inn of yours, where you say the Don's stopping,
and look him up. Guess I'll trade."

"But who killed Bolton?" asked Braddock, running to the door and
gripping Hervey by his coat.

The mariner looked down on the anxious face of the plump little
man with a grim smile.

"I can tell you," said he, "as you can't figure out the
business, unless I'm on the racket. No, sir; I'm the white boy
in thin circus."

The Professor shook the lean sailor in his anxiety.

"Who is he?"

"That almighty aristocrat that came on board my ship, when I lay
in the Thames on the very afternoon I arrived with Bolton."

"Who do you mean?" demanded Braddock, more and more perplexed.

"Sir Frank Random."

"What! did he kill Bolton and steal my mummy?"

"And hide it in that garden on his way to the Fort? I guess he
did."

The Professor sat down and closed his eyes with horror. When he
opened them again, Hervey was gone.

CHAPTER XVI

THE MANUSCRIPT AGAIN

But the Professor was not going to let Captain Hervey escape
without giving him full information. Before the Yankee skipper
could reach the front door, Braddock was at his heels, gasping
and blowing like a grampus.

"Come back, come back. Tell me all."

"I reckon not," rejoined the mariner, removing Braddock's grip.
"You ain't the one to give the money. I'll go to the Don, or to
Inspector Date of Pierside."

"But Sir Frank must be innocent," insisted Braddock.

"He's got to prove it," was the dry response. "Let me go."

"No. You must tell me on what grounds--"

"Oh, the devil take you!" said Hervey hastily, and sat down on
one of the hall chairs. "It's this way, since you won't let me
skip until I tell you. This almighty aristocrat came to Pierside
on the same afternoon as I cast anchor. While Bolton was on
board, he looked in to have a yarn of sorts."

"What about?"

"Now, how in creation should I know?" snapped the skipper. "I
wasn't on hand, as I'd enough to do with unloading cargo. But
his lordship went with Bolton to the state-room, and they talked
for half an hour. When they came out, I saw that his lordship
had his hair riz, and heard him saying things to Bolton."

"What sort of things?"

"Well, for one, he said, `You'll repent of this,' and then again,
`Your life isn't safe while you keep it.'"

"Meaning the mummy?"

"I reckon that's so, unless I am mistaken," said Hervey serenely.

"Why didn't you go to the police with this information?"

"Me? Not much. Why, I saw no way of making dollars. And then,
again, I did not think of putting things together, until I found
that his lorship--"

"Meaning Sir Frank," interpolated the Professor, frowning.

"I'm talking Queen's, or King's, or Republican lingo, I guess,
and I do mean his lorship," said the skipper dryly--"until I
found that his lorship had been in the public-house where the
crime was committed."

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