I
flung his body, his clothes, and my own old boots into the pool; but I
kept his blanket, some things he used for cooking, and some strange stuff
that looks like dried leaves, as well as a small bag of something which I
believe is gold. I thought I could sell the lot to some dealer in
curiosities who would ask no questions."
"And what, pray, have you done with all these things?"
"They are here, sir." And as he spoke he dived into the wood, returning
with the blanket, billy, pannikin, tea, and the little bag of nuggets,
which he had kept accessible.
"This is very strange," said Hanky, who was beginning to be afraid of my
father when he learned that he sometimes killed people.
Here the Professors talked hurriedly to one another in a tongue which my
father could not understand, but which he felt sure was the hypothetical
language of which he has spoken in his book.
Presently Hanky said to my father quite civilly, "And what, my good man,
do you propose to do with all these things? I should tell you at once
that what you take to be gold is nothing of the kind; it is a base metal,
hardly, if at all, worth more than copper."
"I have had enough of them; to-morrow morning I shall take them with me
to the Blue Pool, and drop them into it."
"It is a pity you should do that," said Hanky musingly: "the things are
interesting as curiosities, and--and--and--what will you take for them?"
"I could not do it, sir," answered my father.
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