naudibly.

A week slipped by; time after time I had the man under observation;
often when I had charge of the deck I'd leave the captain to keep a look
out, and steal below and watch Major Hood in his cabin.

It was a Sunday, I remember. I was lying in my bunk half dozing--we were
then, I think, about a three-weeks' sail from Table Bay--when I heard
the Major go to his cabin. I was already sick of my aimless prying; and
whilst I now lay I thought to myself: "I'll sleep; what is the good of
this trouble? I know exactly what I shall see. He is either in his
chair, or his bunk, or overhauling his clothes, or standing, cigar in
mouth, at the open porthole." And then I said to myself: "If I don't
look now I shall miss the only opportunity of detection that may occur."
One is often urged by a sort of instinct in these matters.

I got up, almost as through an impulse of habit, noiselessly withdrew
the plug, and looked. The Major was at that instant standing with a
pistol-case in his hand: he opened it as my sight went to him, took out
one of a brace of very elegant pistols, put down the case, and on his
apparently touching a spring in the butt of the pistol, the silver plate
that ornamented the extremity sprang open as the lid of a snuff-box
would, and something small and bright dropped into his hand. This he
examined with the peculiar cunning smile I have before described; but
owing to the position of his hand, I could not see what he held, though
I had not the least doubt that it was the diamond.

[Illustration: "SOMETHING SMALL AND BRIGHT DROPPED INTO HIS HAND."]

I watched him breathlessly. After a few minutes he dropped the stone
into the hollow butt-end, shut the silver plate, shook the weapon
against his ear as though it pleased him to rattle the stone, then put
it in its case, and the case into a portmanteau.

I at once went on deck, where I found the captain, and reported to him
what I had seen. He viewed me in silence, with a stare of astonishment
and incredulity. What I had seen, he said, was not the diamond. I told
him the thing that had dropped into the Major's hand was bright, and, as
I thought, sparkled, but it was so held I could not see it.

I was talking to him on this extraordinary affair when the Major came on
deck. The captain said to me: "Hold him in chat. I'll judge for myself,"
and asked me to describe how he might quickly find the pistol-case. This
I did, and he went below.

I joined the Major,