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"'I will tell you how Morstan died,' he continued. 'He had
suffered for years from a weak heart, but he concealed it from
every one. I alone knew it. When in India, he and I, through a
remarkable chain of circumstances, came into possession of a
considerable treasure. I brought it over to England, and on the
night of Morstan's arrival he came straight over here to claim
his share. He walked over from the station, and was admitted by
my faithful Lal Chowdar, who is now dead. Morstan and I had a
difference of opinion as to the division of the treasure, and we
came to heated words. Morstan had sprung out of his chair in a
paroxysm of anger, when he suddenly pressed his hand to his side,
his face turned a dusky hue, and he fell backwards, cutting his
head against the corner of the treasure-chest. When I stooped
over him I found, to my horror, that he was dead.
"'For a long time I sat half distracted, wondering what I should
do. My first impulse was, of course, to call for assistance; but
I could not but recognize that there was every chance that I
would be accused of his murder. His death at the moment of a
quarrel, and the gash in his head, would be black against me.
Again, an official inquiry could not be made without bringing out
some facts about the treasure, which I was particularly anxious
to keep secret. He had told me that no soul upon earth knew where
he had gone. There seemed to be no necessity why any soul ever
should know.
"'I was still pondering over the matter, when, looking up, I saw
my servant, Lal Chowdar, in the doorway. He stole in and bolted
the door behind him. "Do not fear, Sahib," he said. "No one
need know that you have killed him. Let us hide him away, and
who is the wiser?" "I did not kill him," said I. Lal Chowdar
shook his head and smiled. "I heard it all, Sahib," said he. "I
heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow. But my lips are sealed.
All are asleep in the house. Let us put him away together."
That was enough to decide met. If my own servant could not
believe my innocence, how could I hope to make it good before
twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury-box? Lal Chowdar and I
disposed of the body that night, and within a few days the London
papers were full of the mysterious disappearance of Captain
Morstan. You will see from what I say that I can hardly be
blamed in the matter. My fault lies in the fact that we
concealed not only the body, but also the treasure, and that I
have clung to Morstan's share as well as to my own. I wish you,
therefore, to make restitution. Put your ears down to my mouth.
The treasure is hidden in--' At this instant a horrible change
came over his expression; his eyes stared wildly, his jaw
dropped, and he yelled, in a voice which I can never forget,
'Keep him out! For Christ's sake keep him out!' We both stared
round at the window behind us upon which his gaze was fixed. A
face was looking in at us out of the darkness. We could see the
whitening of the nose where it was pressed against the glass. It
was a bearded, hairy face, with wild cruel eyes and an expression
of concentrated malevolence. My brother and I rushed towards the
window, but the man was gone. When we returned to my father his
head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat.
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