avesdhroppin', so I does, but
whin iufarrumation av that kind comes free to yer ears, ye're bound
to I get the good av it. An' so I'm goin' to instichoot an
invistigation over yer clothes, an' over yer room, an' over yer
thrunks, an' over everythin' ye've got, an' I'm not goin' to rist
till I've got thim bonds. Oh, ye needn't say anythin'--I can see it
all in yer face. There's nothin' to say. I don't expect ye to own up
an' hand over the money. I'm contint to hunt it up meself--that is,
for the prisint. Ye see, it's mine, for it belongs to His R'yal
Majesty Carlos, King av Spain. The bonds are issued by Spain, an' as
he is King av Spain he owns thim bonds. If ye was a native Spaniard
ye'd give thim up out av pure loyalty, but as ye're a farr'ner, why,
av coorse ye can't be ixpicted to deny yerself to such an ixtint."

At this astounding disclosure Russell was struck dumb. So, then, his
secret was betrayed, and in the most dangerous quarter, and, worst of
all, by his own folly! Once or twice he was about to speak, but the
chief checked him, and he himself was only too well aware of the
utter futility of any denial or of any attempt to explain away what
the chief had overheard. Only one consolation now remained, and that
was the hope that the chief might not find it. The place in which he
had hidden the bonds seemed to him to be very much out of the way of
an ordinary search, and not at all likely to be explored by any one.

[Illustration: "His Unfortunate Companion Sat There, The Picture Of
Terror, Despondency, And Misery."]

[Illustration: "An' So, I Say, Ye'll Have To Look On Thim Gin'ral's
Clothes As Yer Own."]

At length Russell had finished his task, and had divested himself of
everything, his remorseless captor insisting on his leaving nothing;
and so he stood shivering and crouching on the stone floor.

"Now," said the chief, "walk in there. I'll follow."

He pointed to a passage-way on the left, which led to an apartment
beyond. At his gesture Russell slunk away in that direction, while
the chief, gathering all the clothes up in a bundle, followed. On
reaching the apartment, Russell saw some garments lying spread out on
a bench. They were quite new, and consisted of a military uniform
profusely decorated with gold-lace. Everything was there complete.

"There," said the chief, "thim clothes belonged to a frind av mine
whose acquaintince I made a month ago. He left these here an' wint
away in anothe