Jack Haydon's Quest
him upon Rushmere Heath and demanded that he should produce his father's letter. An instant conviction had darted
ives way before the wind. Then he bent slightly and laid one small, sinewy hand on Jack's knee, and, in some mysterious fashion or another, the lad felt that his hold was torn away, and that he was flying through the air over
Jack gathered himself together, and sprang to his feet, and rushed after his companion. He soon found Buck, who was hurrying through the groups, looking about on every hand, and they searched
lost in the crowd. He may
er and surprise was
n's arm. "How in thunder do you come to know Saya Chone, a
k?" cried Jack. "Y
home? What brings Saya Chone in Brindisi? The last time I set eyes on him he was coming i
Burmah, where
half-caste. Says his father was a British officer
as we do," said Jack, "but wi
eturned Buck. "But where did you run
, and Risley listened with
ck, "but where it fits in beats me at the moment. We don
the lad, "and we'll make a bee-line for London
tform. The interpreter readily told them that the half-caste had offered him a liberal sum in order to learn what Jack was doing, and what route he intended to follow o
on the search for this fellow, I wonder?" said Ja
Besides, it would take time, and if there's some queer game in the wind, we've lost a good deal now. If you could learn, Jack, how matters stand betwee
we'll get the bagga
or one instant on the way. It was a little before noon on a Thursday mor
her moment, jumped into a cab and drove straight to the offices of Messrs Lane & Baumann in Old Broad Street. H
u have, I hope, come to give u
ve been able to gather no information whatever as to his whereabouts. I have come here in hopes that you m
er he was writing, and Jack looked about him. The office was large and splendidly fitted up. Jack knew nothing of Lane & Baumann, but it was plain on every h
ann was much younger, a fat, heavy German with clean-shaven face and
ckly. "What does he say?" His accent at once
y, "he has brought no news
slowly; "and what is it you wis
tected an enemy. Mr. Lane had been gravely polite and non-
discovering the reason for the mysterious disa
words. "Ach Gott! it is no mystery to me when a man with such a gombanion as th
ou. My father had no companion except Buck Risley,
ose gombanion, one who might easily lead him astray. Himm
ain to him what you mean. He clearly does not understand you, and I do not think it is rig
ng to survey some concession
the place, and I said to myself, Himmel, here is the for ru
xcited partner and tur
arefully over the ground on our behalf, and a short time ago we received some very startling news from him. He cabled to us that in a fissure of the rock, where, as everyone knows, the finest rubies are found, h
d Baumann. His meaning was very plain, and Jack l
o hint that the ruby is the cau
iled, and Jac
nd honour. And do you think he would be tempted by a mere stone, what
seen or handled!' He says that. He, Haydon, the first living expert on rubies, the man who knows everything of every big specimen in existence. Him
know very well that I do not a
tner. He felt that the whining German
had in his charge a stone so immensely p
Lane. "Had he mentioned any
and narrated at once what h
it was the possession of the gre
colour and without flaw, remember, he said its like did not exist, is of all stones
on Mr. Lane, "is it not almost certain that someone has learned o
unlikely that he should mention it to anyone; and you sa
ncher, "he cabled home to you about it, and word of
d wrote down for us before he started. The paper has been safely locked up in our strong-room, and it was
and Jack was silent. In a mome
appeared with my father," he said; "i
ikely. Your father would be certain to carry a thing so small and s
uddenly broke the grumbling roar of Baumann's great voice. The German had been
him. Me, I do not, I tell you plainly he is a thief. He is to-day perhaps in Amsterdam, cutting that
a thief. How dare you take such words on
and clenched his fists. M
eep the peace. Baumann is speaking very wildly. I
ly have liked to plant his fist on the German's foaming mouth, but h
against any such monstrous idea. If my father had wished to steal the stone, would he have cabled to you f
utiful jewel itself corrupted him. He looked at it, and looked at it, till the love of it filled his heart and he could
ur unjust suspicions." The lad turned to Mr. Lane with flushed face and shining eyes. "I thank you, sir," he said, "for the trust you still retain in my father. I will do my very utmost to
s hand and Mr. Lane shook it, and the
Werewolf
Romance
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Billionaires
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