FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   >>   >|  
eeded though; which was lucky." "Yes: I still stay at the Jean Auberge." "Do you know, Sieur Clubin, how I recognised you? It was from your having recognised me. I said to myself, there is nobody like Sieur Clubin for that." And he advanced a step. "Stand back where you were, Rantaine." Rantaine fell back, and said to himself: "A fellow becomes like a child before one of those weapons." Sieur Clubin continued: "The position of affairs is this: we have on our right, in the direction of St. Enogat, at about three hundred paces from here, another coast-guardman--his number is 618--who is still alive; and on our left, in the direction of St. Lunaire--a customs station. That makes seven armed men who could be here, if necessary, in five minutes. The rock would be surrounded; the way hither guarded. Impossible to elude them. There is a corpse at the foot of this rock." Rantaine took a side-way glance at the revolver. "As you say, Rantaine, it is a pretty tool. Perhaps it is only loaded with powder; but what does that matter? A report would be enough to bring an armed force--and I have six barrels here." The measured sound of the oars became very distinct. The boat was not far off. The tall man regarded the little man curiously. Sieur Clubin spoke in a voice more and more soft and subdued. "Rantaine, the men in the boat which is coming, knowing what you did here just now, would lend a hand and help to arrest you. You are to pay Captain Zuela ten thousand francs for your passage. You would have made a better bargain, by the way, with the smugglers of Pleinmont; but they would only have taken you to England; and besides, you cannot risk going to Guernsey, where they have the pleasure of knowing you. To return, then, to the position of affairs--if I fire, you are arrested. You are to pay Zuela for your passage ten thousand francs. You have already paid him five thousand in advance. Zuela would keep the five thousand and be gone. These are the facts. Rantaine, you have managed your masquerading very well. That hat--that queer coat--and those gaiters make a wonderful change. You forgot the spectacles; but did right to let your whiskers grow." Rantaine smiled spasmodically. Clubin continued: "Rantaine, you have on a pair of American breeches, with a double fob. In one side you keep your watch. Take care of it." "Thank you, Sieur Clubin." "In the other is a little box made of wrought iron, which
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Rantaine
 

Clubin

 

thousand

 

continued

 

francs

 
passage
 
affairs
 

direction

 
position
 

recognised


knowing

 

Pleinmont

 
smugglers
 

England

 
arrest
 

subdued

 
regarded
 
curiously
 

coming

 

Captain


bargain

 

whiskers

 

smiled

 

spasmodically

 

spectacles

 

wonderful

 

change

 

forgot

 

American

 

breeches


wrought

 
double
 

gaiters

 

return

 

arrested

 
pleasure
 

Guernsey

 
masquerading
 

managed

 
advance

weapons
 

Enogat

 
fellow
 
number
 

guardman

 

hundred

 
Auberge
 

advanced

 
Lunaire
 

matter