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06 - Dealings of Captain Sharkey and Other Stories of Pirates by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · Dealings of Captain Sharkey and Other Stories of Pirates

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: A pirate of the land one crowded hour. The place
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: was Eastbourne Tunbridge Road, not very far from the cross
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: in hand, a lonely stretch with a heath running upon
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: either side. The time was half past eleven on a
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Sunday night in the late summer. A motor was passing
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: slowly down the road. It was a long, lean rolls Royce,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: running smoothly with a gentle purring of an engine through
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: the two vivid circles cast by the electric headlights. The
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: waving grass, fringes and clumps of heather streamed swiftly like
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: some golden cineograph, leaving a blacker darkness behind and around them.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: One ruby red spot shown upon the road, but no
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: number plate was visible within the dim ruddy halo of
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: the tail lamp which cast it. The car was open
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: and of a tourist type, but even in that obscure light,
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: for the night was moonless, an observer could hardly fail
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: to have noticed a curious indefiniteness in its lines as
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: it slid into and across the broad stream of light
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: from an open cottage door. The reason could be seen.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: The body was hung with a singular, loose arrangement of
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: brown hollow. Even the long black bonnet was banded with
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: some close drawn drapery. The solitary man who drove this
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: curious car was broad and burly. He sat hunched up
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: over his steering wheel, with the brim of a Tyrolean
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: hat drawn over his eyes. The red end of a
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: cigarette smoldered under the black shadow thrown by the head gear.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: A dark ulster of some freeze dried material was turned
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: up in the collar until it covered his ears. His
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: neck was pushed forward with his rounded shoulders, and he
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: seemed as the car now slid noiselessly down the long
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: sloping road, with the clutch disengaged in the engine running free,
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: to be peering ahead of him through the darkness in
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: search of some eagerly expected object. The distant tuite of
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: a mortar horn came faintly from some point far to
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  Speaker 1: the south of him. On such a night, at such
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: a place, all traffic must be from south to north,
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: when the current of London weekenders sweeps back from the
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: watering place to the capitol, from pleasure to duty. The
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: man sat straight and listened intently. Yes, there was again,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: and certainly to the south of him. His face was
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: over the wheel with his eyes straight in through the darkness.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Then suddenly he spat out his cigarette and gave a
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: sharp intake of the breath. Far away down the road,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: two little yellow points had rounded a curve, shut upwards
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: once more, and then vanished again. The inert man in
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: the draped car woke suddenly into intense life. From his
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: pocket he pulled a mask of dark cloth, which he
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: fastened securely over his face, adjusting it carefully that his
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: sight muld be unimpeded. For an instant he uncovered inn
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: a catelene hand lantern, took a hasty glance at his
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: own preparations, and laid it beside a mouser pistol upon
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: the seat alongside him. Then, twitching his hat down lower
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: than ever, he released his clutch and slid downward his
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: giga lever. With a chuckle and the shudder. The long
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: black machine sprang forward and shot, with a soft sigh
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: from her powerful engines down the sloping radiant. The driver
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: stooped and switched off his electric headlights. Only a dim
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: gray swathe cut through the black heat, indicating the line
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: of his road. From in front there came presently a
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: confused puffing and rattling and clanging. As the oncoming car
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: breasted the slope, it coughed and sputtered on a powerful
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: old fashioned low gear, whilst engine throbbed at a weary heart.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: The yellow glaring lights dipped for the last time into
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: a switchback curve. When they reappeared over the crest, the
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: two cars were within thirty yards of each other. The
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: dark one darted across the road and barred the other's passage,
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: while the warning A Cddlene lamp was waving in the air.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: With a jarring of brakes, the noisy newcomer was brought
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: to a halt. I say, cried an aggrieved voice. Pon
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: my soul, you know you might have had an accident.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: Why the devil don't you keep your head lights on?
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: I never saw you till Milviyke burst my radiators on you.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: The a catelene lamp held forward discovered a very angry
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: young man, blue eyed, yellow mustached, and florid, sitting alone
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: at the wheel of an antiquated twelve horse Wolseley. Suddenly, the
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  Speaker 1: aggrieved look upon his flushed face changed to one of
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  Speaker 1: absolute bewilderment. The driver in a dark cart sprung out
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: of the seat. A black, long barreled, wicked looking pistol
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: was poked into the traveler's face. Behind the further sights
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: of it was a circle of a black cloth with
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  Speaker 1: two deadly eyes looking from his many slits. Hands up,
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  Speaker 1: said a quick stern voice. Hands up, or by the lord.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: The young man was as brave as his neighbors, but
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: his hands went up all the same. Get down, said
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: his assailant curtly. The young man stepped forth into the road,
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: followed closely by the covering lantern and pistol. Once he
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: made as if he would drop his hands, but a
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: short stern word jerked him up again. I say, look here,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: this is rather out of date, ain't it, said the traveler.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: I expect you're joking. What your watch? Said the man
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: behind the mouser pistol. You can't really mean it your watch?
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: I say, well, take it if you must. It's only
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: plaited anyhow. You're two sentries out in time or a
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: few thousand miles longitude. The bush is your mark or America.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: You don't seem in the picture of a sussage road purse,
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: said the man. There was something very compelling in his
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: voice and methods. The purse was handed over, then he rings,
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: don't wear em stand there, don't move. The highwayman passed
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: his victim and threw open the bonnet of the Wolvesly,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: his hand, with a pair of steel pliers, was thrust
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  Speaker 1: deep into the works. There was a snap of a
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: parting wire. Hang it all, don't crock my car, cried
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: the traveler. He turned, but quick as a flash, the
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: pistol was at his head once more. And even in
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: that flash, whilst the robber whisked round from the broken circuit,
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: something I caught you man's eye, which made him gasp
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: and start. He opened his mouth as if about to
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: shout some words. Then with an evident effort, he restrained himself.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: Get in, said the highwayman. The traveler climbed back to
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: his seat. What's your name, Ronald Barker? What's yours? The
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: mass man ignored the impertinence. Where do you live? He said?
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: My cards are in my purse. Take one. The highwayman
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: sprang into his car, the engine, which had hissed and
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: whispered in a gentle accompaniment to the interview. With a clash.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: He threw back his side break flung in his gears,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: twirled the wheel hard around and cleared the motionless Wolseley.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: A minute later he was gliding swiftly with all his
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: lights gleaming, some half miles southward of the road, while
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: mister Ronald Barker, a side lamp in his hand, was
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: rummaging furiously amongst the odds and ends at his repair
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: box for a strand of wire which would connect up
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: his electricity and set him on his way once more.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: When he had placed a safe distance between himself and
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: his victim, the adventure eased up, took his booty from
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: his pocket, replaced the watch, opened the purse, and counted
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: out the money seven shieldings constituted a miserable spoil. The
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: poor zel of his efforts seemed to amuse rather to
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: annoy him, for he chuckled as he held the two
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  Speaker 1: half crowns on a floorin in the glare of his lantern.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: Then suddenly his manner changed. He thrust the thin purse
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: back into his pocket, released his brake, and shot onwards
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: with the same tense bearing with which he had started
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: upon his adventure. The lights of another car were coming
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: down the road on this occasion, the methods of the
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: hiremen were less furtive. Experience had clearly given him confidence.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: With lights still blazing, he ran towards the newcomers, and,
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: halting in the middle of the road, summoned them to stop.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: From the point of view of the astonished traveler, as
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: the result was sufficiently impressive, they saw, in the glare
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: of their own headlights two glowing discs out of the
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: side of the long black muscle snout of a high
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  Speaker 1: powered car, and above the massed face and menacing figure
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: of its solitary drive. In the golden circle thrown by
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: the rover, there stood an elegant, open topped twenty horse
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  Speaker 1: humber with an undersized and very astonished chauffeur blinking from
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: under his peak cap. From behind the windscreen, the veil
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: bound hats and wondering faces of two very pretty women protruded.
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  Speaker 1: One upon either side. A little crescendo of frightened squeaks
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  Speaker 1: announced the acute emotion of war on him. The other
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: was cooler and more critical. Don't give it away, hild
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: Thus she whispered, do shut up until be such a
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  Speaker 1: silly it's Bertie or one of the boys playing it
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  Speaker 1: on us. No no, it's the real thing, Flossy, it's
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  Speaker 1: a robber, sure enough. Oh my goodness, whatever shall we do?
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: What an add? Cried the other. Oh what a glorious
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: add Too late now for the mornings, but they'll have
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: it in every paper. Sure, what's it going to cost?
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  Speaker 1: Groaned the other. Oh, flossy, flossy, I'm sure I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to think. Don't you think we both scring together we
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: could do some good. Isn't he too awful with that
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: black thing over his face? Oh dear, oh dear, he's
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: killing poor little elf. The proceedings of the robber were
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: indeed somewhat alarming. Springing down from his car, he had
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  Speaker 1: pulled the chauffeur out of his seat by the scruff
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: of his neck. The sight of the mausar had cut
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: short any remonstrance, and under its compulsion, the little man
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  Speaker 1: had pulled open the bonnet and extracted the sparkling bugs.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: Having thus secured the immobility of his capture, the mass
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: man walked forward, lantered in hand, to the side of
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  Speaker 1: the car. He had laid aside the gruffed sterness with
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: which he had treated mister Ronald Barker and his voice
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: and manner were gentle, though determined. He even raised his
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: hat as a prelude to his address. I'm sorry to
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: inconvenience you, ladies, said he and his voice. He had
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: got up several notes to the previous interview. May I
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: ask who you are? Miss Hilda was beyond coherent speech.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Miss Flossee was of a sterner mold. This is a
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: pretty business, she said, What right have you to stop
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  Speaker 1: us on a public road? I should like to know.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: My time is short, said the robber in a sterner voice.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: I must ask you to answer my question. Tell him FLOSSI,
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: for God's sakes, be nice to him, cried helda. Well,
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: we're from the Gayety Theater, London. If you want to know,
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: said the young lady, perhaps you've heard of miss Flossy
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: Thornton and miss Hilda Mannering. We've been playing a week
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: at the Royal at Eastbourne and took a Sunday off
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: to ourselves. So now you know I must ask for
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: your ladies purses and for your jewelry. Both ladies set
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: up a shrill expostulations, but they found, as mister Robert
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: Barker had done, that there was something quietly compelling in
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: the man's methods. In a very few minutes they had
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: handed over their purses, and a pile of glittering rings, bangles,
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: brooches and chains was lying upon the front seat of
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: the car. The diamonds glowed and shimmered like little electric
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: points in the light of the lantern. He picked up
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: the glittering tangle and weighed in his hand. Anything you
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: particularly value, he asked the ladies. But miss Flossi was
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: in no humor for concessions. Don't come the claud duval
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: over us, said she take the lot or leave the lot.
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: We don't want bits of our own. Give him back
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: to us, except just Billy's necklace, cried Hilda, and snatch
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: a little rope of pearls. The robber bowed and released
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: his hold of it. Anything else, The valiant Flossy began
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: suddenly to cry. Hilda did the same. The effect upon
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: the robber was surprising. He threw the whole heap of
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: jewelry into the nearest lap. There there, take it, he said,
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: it's trumpery stuff. Anyhow, it's worth something to you and
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: nothing to me. Tears changed in a moment to smiles.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: You're welcome to the purses. The ad is worth ten
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: times the money. But what a funny way of getting
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: a living nowadays. Aren't you afraid of being caught? It's
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: all so wonderful, like a scene from a comedy. It
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: must be a tragedy, said the robber. Oh I hope not.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: I'm sure, I hope not, cried the two ladies of
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: the drama. But the robber was in no move for
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: further conversation. Far away down the road, tiny points of
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: light had appeared. Fresh business was coming to him, and
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: he must not mix his cases. Disengaging his machine, he
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: raised his hat and slipped off to meet this new arrival,
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: while miss false mishelda lead out of their derelict car,
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: still palpitating from their adventure, and watching the red gleam
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: of the tail light till it merged into the darkness.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: This time there was every sign of a rich prize
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: behind its four grand lambs set in a broad framed,
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: glittering brasswork, the magnificent sixty horse Diamonler breasted the slope
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: with the low, deep, even snore, which proclaimed its enormous
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: latent strength. Like some rich laden, high pooped Spanish galleon.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: She kept her course until the prowling craft ahead of
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: her swept across her bows and brought her to a
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: sudden halt. An angry face, red blotched and evil, shot
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: out of the open window of the closed limousine. The
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: robber was aware of a high bald forehead, gross pendulous cheeks,
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: and two little crafty eyes which gleamed beneath the creases
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: of fat. Out of my way, sir, out of my way,
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: this instant, cried the rasping voice. Drive over him, herne
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: get down and pull him off of the seat. The
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: fellow's drunk. He's drunk. I say, up to this point
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: the proceedings of the modern highwayman might have passed as gentle.
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: Now they turned it in an instant to savagery. The chauffeur,
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: a burly capable fellow, incited by that raucous voice behind him,
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: sprang from the car and seized the advancing robber by
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: the throat. The latter hit out with the butt end
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: of his pistol, and the man dropped, groaning on the ground.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: Stepping over his prostrate body, the adventurer pulled open the
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: door seized the stout occupant savagely by the ear and
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: dragged him bellowing on the highway. Then very deliberately he
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: struck him twice across the face with his open hand.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: The blows rang out like pistol shots in the sounds
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: of the night. The fat traveler turned a ghastic color
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: and fell back, half senseless, against the side of the limousine.
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: The robber dragged open his coat, wrenched away the heavy
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: gold washed chain and all that it held, pucked out
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: the great diamond pin that sparkled in the black satin tie,
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: dragged off four rings, not one of which could have
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: cost less than three figures, and finally tore from his
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: inner pocket a bulk he lived notebook. All this property
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: transferred to his own black overcoat, to a demand's parcufflings,
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: and even the golden stud which held his collar. Having
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: made sure that there was nothing else to take, the
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: robber flashed his lantern upon the prostrate chauffeur and satisfied
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: himself that he was stunned and not dead. Then, returning
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: to the master, he proceeded very deliberately to tear all
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: his clothes from his body with a ferocious energy, which
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: set his victim whimpering and writhing an imminent expectation of murder.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: Whatever the tormentous intention may have been, it was very
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: effectually frustrated. The sound made him turn his head, and there,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: no very great distance off were the lights of a
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: car coming swiftly from the north. Such a car must
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: have already passed the wreckage with which his pirate had
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: left behind him, who was following his trap with a
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: deliberate purpose, and might be crammed with every country constable
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: of the district. The adventurer had no time to lose.
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: He darted from his bedraggled victim, sprang into his own seat,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: and with his foot on the accelerator, shut swiftly off
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: down the road. Some way down there was a narrow
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: side lane, and into this the fugitive turned, cracking on
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: his high speed, and leaving a good five miles between
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: him and any pursuer before he ventured to stop. Then,
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: in a quiet corner, he counted over his booty of
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: the evening, the paltry plunder of mister Donald Barker, the
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: rather better furnish purses of the actresses, which contained four
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: pounds between them, and finally, the gorgeous jewelry and well
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: filled notebook of the plutocrat upon the daimler. Five notes
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: of fifty pounds, four of ten, fifteen sovereigns, and a
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: number of valuable papers made up his most noble haul.
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: It was clearly enough for one night's work. The adventurer
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: replaced all's ill gotten gains in his pocket, and, letting
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: a cigarette, set forth upon his way with the air
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: of a man who has no further care upon his mind.
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: It was on a Monday morning, following upon this eventful evening,
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: that Sir Henry Hailworth of Walcott Old Place, having finished
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: his breakfast in the leisurely fashion, strolled down to his
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: study with the intention of writing a few letters before
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: setting forth to take his place upon the county bench.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: Sir Henry was a Deputy Lieutenant of the county. He
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: was a baronet of ancient blood. He was a magistrate
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: of ten years standing, and he was famous above all
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: as the breeder of many a good horse and the
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: most desperate rider in all of Whealed County. Upstanding man
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: with a strong, clean shaven face, heavy black eyebrows and
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: a square, resolute jaw, he was one whom it was
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: better to call friend than fee. Though nearly fifty years
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: of age. He bore no sign of having passed his youth,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: save that nature, in one of her freakish moods, had
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: planted one little feather of white hair above his right ear,
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: making the rest of his thick black curls the darker.
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: By contrast, he was in a thoughtful mood this morning,
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: for having lit his pipe. He sat at his desk
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: with his blank notepaper in front of him, lost in
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: a deep reverie. Suddenly his thoughts were brought back to
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: the present. From behind the laurels of the curving drive,
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: there came a low clanking sound which swelled into the
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: clatter and jingle of an ancient car. Then, from round
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: the corner the swe in old fashioned Wolseley with a
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: fresh complexion, yellow mustache young man at the wheel. Sir
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: Henry sprang to his feet at the sight, and then
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: sat down once more. He rose again as a minute
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: later the footman announced mister Ronald Barker. It was an
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: early visit, but Barker was Sir Henry's intimate friend. As
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: each was a fine shot horseman and billiard player. There
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: was much in common between the two men, and the
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: younger and poorer was in the habit of spending at
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: least two evenings a week at Walcott Old Place. Therefore,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: Sir Henry advanced cordially with outstretched hand to welcome him.
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: You're an early bird this morning, said he. What's up?
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: If you're going over to lose we could motor together.
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: But the younger man's demeanor was peculiar and ungracious. He
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: disregarded the hand which was held out to him, and
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: he stood, pulling on his own long mustache and staring
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: with trouble questioning eyes at the county magistrate. Well, what's
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: the matter, asked the latter. Still the young man did
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: not speak. He was clearly on the edge of an
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: interview which he found it most difficult to open. His
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: host grew impatient. You don't seem yourself this morning. What
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: on earth is the matter? Anything upset you? Yes, said
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: Ronald Barker, with emphasis. What has you have? Sir Henry smiled,
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: Sit down, my dear fellow. If you have any grievance
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: against me, let me hear it. Barker sat down. He
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: seemed to be gathering himself for a reproach. When it
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: did come, it was like a bullet from a gun.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: Why didn't you rob me last night? The magistrate was
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: a man of iron nerve. He showed neither surprise nor resentment,
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: not a muscle twisted upon his column set face. Why
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: do you say that I robbed you? Last night? A
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: big tall fellow in a motor car stopped me on
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: the Mayfield Road. He poked a pistol in my face,
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: took my purse in my watch. Sir Henry, that man
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: was you, The magistrate smiles. Am I the only big
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: tall man in the district? Am I the only man
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: with a motor car? Do you think I couldn't tell
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: a Rolls Royce when I see it? I who spent
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: half my life on a car and the other half
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: under it? Who has a Rolls Royce around here? Except you,
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: my dear barker. Don't you think that such a modern
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: highwayman as you describe would be more lucky to operate
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: outside his own district? How many hundred Rolls Royces are
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: there in the south of England? No, it won't do,
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: Sir Henry, it won't do. Even your voice, though you
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: sunk it a few notes, was familiar enough to me.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: But hang it, man, what did you do it. Four.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: That's what gets over me. That you should stick of me,
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: one of your closest friends, a man that worked himself
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: to the bone when you stood for the division and
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: all for the same of a brumigant watch and a
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: few shillings. Is simply incredible. Simply incredible, repeated the magistrate
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: with a smile. And then those poor actresses, poor little devils,
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: who have to earn all they get. I followed you
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: down the road. You see, that was a dirty trick
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: if I ever heard one. The city shark was different.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: If a chap must go a robbing, that sort of
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: fellow is fair game. Put your friend and then the girls. Well,
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: I say again, I couldn't have believed it. Then why
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: believe it? Because it is so well you seem to
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: have persuaded yourself to that effect. You don't seem to
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: have much evidence. Delay Before anyone else I could square
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: to you in a police court. What put the lid
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: on it was that when you were cutting my wire
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: and an infernile liberty. It was I saw the white
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: tuft of you were sticking out behind your mask for
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: the first time, and acute observer might have seen some
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: slight sign of emotion upon the face of the baronet.
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: You seem to have a fairly vivid imagination, said he,
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: His visitor flushed with anger. See here, Hailworthy, said, he
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: opening his hand and showing a small, jagged triangle black cloth.
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: Do you see that It was on the ground near
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: the car of the young women. You must have ripped
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: it off as you jumped from your seat. Now send
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: for that heavy black driving coat of yours. If you
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: don't ring the bell, I'll ring it myself and we
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: shall have it in. I'm going to see this thing through,
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: and don't you make any mistake about that. The baronet's
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: answer was a surprising one. He rose, passed Barker's chair
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: and walking over to the door. He locked it and
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: placed the key in his pocket. You are going to
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: see it through, said he. I'll lock you in until
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: you do. Now we must have a straight talk, Barker
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: as man to man, who whether it ends in tragedy
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: or not depends on you. He had half opened one
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: of the drawers in his desk as he spoke. His
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: visitor frowned in anger. You won't make matters any more
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: by threatening me, hil Worthy. I'm going to do my duty,
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: and you won't bluff me out of it. I have
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: no wish to bluff you. When I spoke of a tragedy,
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: I did not mean to you. What I meant was
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: there are some turns with which this affair cannot be
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: allowed to take. I have neither kith nor kin. But
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: there is the family honor, and some things are impossible.
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: It is late to talk like that. Well, perhaps as
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: it is, but not too late. And now I have
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: a great deal to say to you. First of all,
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: you are quite right it was I who held you
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: up last night on the Mayfield Road. But why on earth?
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: All right, let me tell it my own way. First,
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: I want you to look at these Hell knocked a
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: drawer and took out two small packages. These were to
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: be posted in London tonight. This one is addressed to you,
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: and I may as well hand it over to you
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: at once. It contains your watch and your purse. So
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: you see by your cut wire you have been none
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: the worse aware for your adventure. This other packet iss
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: dressed to the young ladies of the Gaiety Theater, and
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: their properties are unclosed. I hope I have convinced you
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: that I intended full reparation in each case before you
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: came to accuse me, well, asked Barker. Well, we will
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: now deal with Sir George Wilder, who is, as you
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: may not know, the senior partner of Wilde and Gubendorf,
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: the founders of the Ludgate Bank of infamous memory. This
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: chauffeur is a case apart. You may take it from
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: me upon my word of honor, that I had plans
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: for the chauffeur. But is the master I want to
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: speak of. You know that I am not a rich
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: man myself. I expect all the county knows that when
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: black tublat lost to Derby, I was hit hard, and
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: other things as well. Then I had a legacy of
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: a thousand. This infernal bank was paying seven percent on deposits.
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: I knew wild I saw him. I asked him if
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: it was safe. He said it was. I paid it
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: in and within forty eight hours the whole thing went
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: to bits. It came out before the official receiver that
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: Wilde hadn't known for three months, had nothing could save him.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: Yet he took all my cargo aboard his sinking vessel.
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: He was all right, confound him. He had plenty besides,
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: but I had lost all my money, and no law
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: can help me. Yet he had robbed me as clearly
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: as one man could rob another. I saw him, and
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: he laughed in my face, told me to stick to consoles,
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: and that the lesson was cheap at the price. So
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: I just swore that, by hook or by croak, I
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: would get level with him. I knew his habits, for
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: I had made it my business to do so. I
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: knew that he came back from Eastporst on Sunday nights.
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: I knew that he carried a good sum with him
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: in his pocketbook. Well it's my pocketbook. Now. Do you
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: mean to tell me that I'm not morally justified in
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: what I have done? By the Lord, I'd have left
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: the Devil's bear as he left many a widow at
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: orphan if I'd had the time. That's all very well,
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: But what about me? What about the girls? Have some
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: common sense? Barker? Do you suppose that I can go
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: and stick up this one personal enemy of mine in
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: escape detection? It was impossible. I was bound to make
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: myself out to be just a common robber who had
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: run up against him by accident. So I turned myself
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: loose on the high road and took my chance. As
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: the devil would have it. The first man I met
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: was yourself. I was a fool not to recognize the
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: old iron monterer's store of yours by the row it
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: made coming up the hill. When I saw you, I
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: could hardly speak for laughing, but I was bound to
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: carry it through. The same with the actresses. I'm afraid
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: I gave myself away, for I couldn't take their little flaw.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: But I had to keep up a show. Then came
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: the man himself. There was no bluff about that. I
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: was out to skin him and I did. Now, Barker,
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: what do you think of it all? I had a
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: pistol at your head last night, and by George, whether
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: you believe it or not, you have won at mine
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: this morning. A young man rose slowly with a broad smile.
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: He wrung the magistrate by the hand. Don't do it again.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: It's too risky, said he. The swine would score heavily
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: if you were taken. You're a good chap Parker sent
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: to master rate. No, I won't do it again. Who's
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: the fellow who talks of one crowded hour of glorious life?
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: By George. It's too fascinating. I had a time of
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: my life talk of fox. Honey. No, I'll never touch
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: it again, for I might get a grip of me.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: The telephone rang sharply upon the table, and the baronet
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: pulled the receiver to his ear. As he listened, he
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: smiled at his companion. I'm rather late this morning, said he,
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: and they are waiting for me to try some petty
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: larcenies on the county bench. End of Chapter six.