Chapter IX: What is Learned in a Secret Tunnel
26. The next entry is mystifying:
"We are between the devil and the deep sea!... which gives me time to
write.... The beastly tunnel has caved in midway in our passage.... It seems, from the roar overhead, that we are somewhere beneath the railroad tracks. Yet there must be a vent somewhere, as there seems to be a draft of air through this passage.... The family are congregated off to the right, in a kind of stoping where the dirt has been removed, leaving a small room like one meets with in the Gogebic iron mines in Wisconsin and Michigan, back in the United States.... Our little electric bull's-eyes come in handy just now.... With my bull's-eye propped up on a sand-encrusted box I am noting down some things that must not be forgotten.... While trying to find a passageway out of this hole in the ground we gyrated back and forth for the last two or three hours until the women became exhausted.... Then my 'prisoner' and I returned to the mouth of the entrance. There we heard a horrible row between the unruly brute we left on the floor and his wild-eyed fellow conspirators.... They accused him of DOUBLE-CROSSING THEM and making away with the treasure that they insisted should be theirs!
"... He insisted that there was NO treasure EXCEPT the JEWEL he
apparently was exhibiting.... We could hear, quite distinctly, a
sullen voice saying: 'I do not believe you; you are trying to steal
the whole of it!... We'll give you ten minutes to produce ALL you have
hid away, and if you don't do it, we'll fill your body so full of lead
that your rotten carcass won't float in the Kolunda.'... The culprit
replied: 'Let me explain. You remember that I was suspecting that
interloper when I insisted on watching him; well, my suspicions were
correct,--he was a TRAITOR to our cause. He was planning to steal away
with his precious gang when I covered them with my pistol. Then when
I had the drop on them I made them open all of their trunks and boxes. Nothing was found. I felt sure they were holding out on me, so I took a shot at the kid. The interloper made a dive at me. I knocked him down with that chair there.... then in my rage I emptied my pistol into the hearts of the whole gang.... that's all there's to it.'... 'He's lying!' 'Traitor!' 'Betrayer!' 'Down with the thief!' flew back and forth from one to another above our heads.... Then in a more subdued voice we heard 'Hist! Silence! Some one is coming!' A moment later I heard distinctly the unmistakable growl of my hero of Gallipoli overhead demanding, 'WHAT HAVE YOU CUTTHROATS DONE WITH OUR PRISONERS?' ... There was a silence that could be felt.... None offered an explanation that I could hear.... 'Why don't you answer?' thundered Gallipoli.... There was an unmistakable murmur.... 'Don't YOU try to slide out of this, you COWARD! I'll hold every one of you responsible for this! Where's my lieutenant?'... He means ME....
"'Out in the yard,' I heard one of them reply.... 'Go and tell him
to report here AT ONCE!'... Poor devil! the humor of this whole
situation is displayed in the tragic possibilities of criminal greed
when crooks fall out!... Where are the others? my Gallipoli hero
demanded.... I heard no answer.... 'DO YOU HEAR ME?'... still no
audible answer.... Crack!.... the report of a revolver, then a
scuffling and stand back! Another move and I'll blow you ALL to
HELL,--line up there!.... Now I order you to explain the whereabouts
of the PRISONERS.
"... We could hear a voice boasting: 'Did you see that BLOOD
in yonder? Well, that is our answer. We were suspicious of that
Lieutenant of yours so we took the matter into our own hands.'... 'WHO DID THE KILLING?'... 'The Sergeant.'... 'And what did he DO with the bodies?'... 'Threw them into the well!'... 'The devil! you'll have to fish them out again!'... Then there was a long silence.... Finally we heard: 'Here, Sergeant!' from HE of Gallipoli; 'when will my lieutenant report?'... 'The Captain said to present his compliments and say that he is temporarily detained.'... My 'prisoner' poked me in the ribs impulsively and smiled.... 'Where are the BODIES?'... 'Burned!' said the Sergeant. 'WHAT?'... 'BURNED UP?... 'Who burned them?'... 'I did, Sir.'... 'Didn't throw them in the well?'... 'No, Sir.'... 'Well, I'll be damned!... FALL IN! Unless those prisoners are produced I'll court-martial every one of you!'