” ‘This is a very important matter, Small,’ he said at last. ‘You must not say a word to anyone about it, and I shall see you again soon.’
“Two nights later he and his friend, Captain Morstan, came to my hut in the dead of the night with a lantern.
” ‘I want you just to let Captain Morstan hear that story from your own lips, Small,’ said he.
“I repeated it as I had told it before.
” ‘It rings true, eh?’ said he. ‘It’s good enough to act upon?’
“Captain Morstan nodded.
” ‘Look here, Small,’ said the major. ‘We have been talking it over, my friend here and I, and we have come to the conclusion that this secret of yours is hardly a government matter, after all, but is a private concern of your own, which of course you have the power of disposing of as you think best. Now the question is, What price would you ask for it? We might be inclined to take it up, and at least look into it, if we could agree as to terms.’ He tried to speak in a cool, careless way, but his eyes were shining with excitement and greed.
” ‘Why, as to that, gentlemen,’ I answered, trying also to be cool but feeling as excited as he did, ‘there is only one bargain which a man in my position can make. I shall want you to help me to my freedom, and to help my three companions to theirs. We shall then take you into partnership and give you a fifth share to divide between you.’
” ‘Hum!’ said he. ‘A fifth share! That is not very tempting.’
” ‘It would come to fifty thousand apiece,’ said I.
” ‘But how can we gain your freedom? You know very well that you ask an impossibility.’
” ‘Nothing of the sort,’ I answered. ‘I have thought it all out to the last detail. The only bar to our escape is that we can get no boat fit for the voyage, and no provisions to last us for so long a time. There are plenty of little yachts and yawls at Calcutta or Madras which would serve our turn well. Do you bring one over. We shall engage to get aboard her by night, and if you will drop us on any part of the Indian coast you will have done your part of the bargain.’
” ‘If there were only one,’ he said.
” ‘None or all,’ I answered. ‘We have sworn it. The four of us must always act together.’
” ‘You see, Morstan,’ said he, ‘Small is a man of his word. He does not flinch from his friends. I think we may very well trust him.’
” ‘It’s a dirty business,’ the other answered. ‘Yet, as you say, the money will save our commissions handsomely.’
” ‘Well, Small,’ said the major, ‘we must, I suppose, try and meet you. We must first, of course, test the truth of your story. Tell me where the box is hid, and I shall get leave of absence and go back to India in the monthly relief-boat to inquire into the affair.’
” ‘Not so fast,’ said I, growing colder as he got hot. ‘I must have the consent of my three comrades. I tell you that it is four or none with us.’
” ‘Nonsense!’ he broke in. ‘What have three black fellows to do with our agreement?’
” ‘Black or blue,’ said I, ‘they are in with me, and we all go together.’
“Well, the matter ended by a second meeting, at which Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, and Dost Akbar were all present. We talked the matter over again, and at last we came to an arrangement. We were to provide both the officers with charts of the part of the Agra fort, and mark the place in the wall where the treasure was hid. Major Sholto was to go to India to test our story. If he found the box he was to leave it there, to send out a small yacht provisioned for a voyage, which was to lie off Rutland Island, and to which we were to make our way, and finally to return to his duties. Captain Morstan was then to apply for leave of absence, to meet us at Agra, and there we were to have a final division of the treasure, he taking the major’s share as well as his own. All this we sealed by the most solemn oaths that the mind could think or the lips utter. I sat up all night with paper and ink, and by the morning I had the two charts all ready, signed with the sign of four — that is, of Abdullah, Akbar, Mahomet, and myself.