CHAPTER VII.

THE GOLD LOCKET.
© LD Martha’s lodger,” repeated Frank, gazing O at us as though to note the effect of this wonderful discovery.
“Oh,” said Mycroft, after a pause during which we all sat staring at one another in silence. The presi- dent’s announcement, indeed, had fallen rather fiat. After his thrilling adventures and the breathless pitch of expectancy to which we had been worked up, we had expected something more sensational, and our looks must have expressed our disappoint- ment. Sherlock was quick to note and resent the fact.
“Oh, if that’s all you've got to say about it,” he exclaimed indignantly, “what's the use of me taking the trouble to get up the society and discover all sorts of things? It is beastly mean, and I won’t tell
Q ”? you anything more.
THE GOLD LOCKETT. lil
This made us feel uncomfortable, and I hastened to rectify our mistake.
“Martha’s lodger! Do you mean that little chap who nearly fell over you the last time we were in the village ?”
“He’s not so very little. He’s nearly as tall as father, and,” lowering his voice to a whisper, the speaker added, “I think he carries a revolver.”
“ A pistol!” exclaimed Mycroft, who was terrified at the thought of firearms; “he might have shot you.”
“T expected a shot every minute,” responded the president, nodding his head significantly. “He is evi- dently a desperate villain; but now we—J—have found him out, we can watch him and be on our guard.”
I could not imagine the quiet, inoffensive stranger we had spoken to as a desperate character, nor did it seem very plain what we were to guard against.
“Do you think he will try to murder us?” asked Nora, in an awed tone. “Don’t you think we ought to tell father, Frank ?”
“Murder us? Rubbish!” replied Frank, quite mollified at the effect he had produced; “he’s only dangerous when he’s—when he’s—well, when some
one tracks him as I did this afternoon.”
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“But don’t you think we ought to tell Bobby? Think of old Martha having such a lodger !”
“There’s no need to tell anybody,” asserted Frank. “Remember you promised to keep everything secret when you joined, and it’s an awful thing to break your oath to a society. You might be expelled. Besides, I mean to dog the fellow myself and find out all he’s up to, and then we'll tell Bobby to catch him, and everybody will thank us, and it will all appear in the papers.”
This blissful prospect evidently did not appeal much to Nora, but the thought of her promise weighed heavily on her, and to be expelled sounded dreadful. She made a half-hearted appeal to the president to speak out himself, but he was obdurate.
“ Oh, rot,” he said ; “ the society was founded to hunt ghosts and robbers and all that sort of thing, and now the fun is beginning. You want to go and spoil it. No, you promised. Hullo! There’s a telegram. Bet it’s from father.”
Without waiting to adjourn the meeting he dashed down into the road, seized the yellow envelope from the telegraph boy, and sped into the house. In a minute he reappeared waving his cap and shouting,
“Hurrah! It’s all right. He’s coming down to-
THE GOLD LOCKET. 113
night. Mother is going to drive to the station in the pony cart, and we can bicycle down with her. Hurrah !”
This prospect banished for a time all further thoughts of Martha’s “desperate” lodger, and a rush was made for the outhouse where the bicycles were stored. Our various “mounts” were overhauled and brought round to the porch ready for a start. Tea was hurried through in spite of Mrs. Naismith’s laugh- ing protests that there was plenty of time, and then Frank and I went to the stables to assist in harness- ing Donald. This proved rather a difficult task, as the pony was more expert at the business than we were; but at last everything was adjusted, and we all started down the avenue. As we turned into the village I noticed Nora suddenly swerve as if she were going to fall, and then pedal close up to the pony trap., Next moment I understood the reason, for looking down the street ahead I noticed Martha’s lodger standing at the door of the shop. He nodded pleasantly to Frank and me as we passed, and Mrs. Naismith asked us who he was, adding, “Take care, Nora dear; you will come against the wheel of the cart. Why are you riding so close?”
Nora moved farther off without a word, and Frank (1,471) 8
114 THE GOLD LOCKET.
answered with rather a conscious look, “That is old Martha’s new lodger.” Mrs. Naismith seemed in- terested. “Oh, is it?” she replied in a different tone, at the same time taking a quick glance at the stranger.
The station was reached in good time, and the train duly deposited Dr. Naismith on the platform. After the usual salutations he took his seat in the pony cart along with his wife, and his bag was handed in by the porter.
“There are some very precious parcels in here,” said Dr. Naismith significantly, tapping the bag and nodding at Nora; “I shouldn’t wonder if one or two appeared on your plate to-morrow at breakfast.” Tipping the porter, he gave Donald a touch with the whip, and away we all went dashing up the long hill. As we passed through the village Mrs. Naismith said something to her husband, and he looked across at old Martha’s shop. The stranger, however, had disap- peared. Coming up to the post-office I jumped off my machine and ran in to see if there were any letters for me. Some days before I had written to my aunt asking her to buy me a present for Nora’s birthday, and I fully expected to receive the parcel
by the afternoon mail. In this, however, I was dis-
THE GOLD LOCKET. 115
appointed. There was nothing for me. Win Kee was at the counter collecting Colonel Leighton’s letters, and he gave me a surly salute. Martha's lodger was there too, chatting gaily with the young woman who sorted the letters, and without any ap- pearance of curiosity, his quick eyes seemed to take in all that was going on.
There was still a chance that my present would come by the early morning post, so I said nothing of my disappointment to Frank, and resolved to hope for the best. The usual picnic along the coast had been arranged to celebrate Nora’s birthday, and as there was a long day’s outing before us we went early to bed that night, and I for one slept like a top.
The brilliant sunshine streaming through the blind wakened us betimes next morning, and Frank was early astir, rushing about in much excitement.
“Come on, Humphrey; let’s get dressed and go down and see all the presents,’ he exclaimed, jump- ing out of bed; “they are always put on our plates at breakfast, and we are not supposed to touch them till every one is down. What are you giving? Father got me a jolly picture post-card album in London.”
“My aunt was to send me a present, but it hasn't
come yet. I hope it will arrive this morning.”
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“Oh, of course it will. Hurry up, man, or Nora will bag the bath first. Come along.”
After a hasty splash and scrub we returned to dress, Frank banging Nora’s door as we passed.
“Many happy returns,” he yelled. “Get up, Lazy- bones.”
Jumping into our flannels we hurried downstairs, and to my intense disappointment discovered that no parcel had come for me.
“Never mind, old chap,” said Frank consolingly ; “it can’t be helped, and perhaps it will be here by the time we get back from the picnic. My eye! what a lot of presents she’s got.”
We spent some time looking at the various parcels and speculating on the donors, and while engaged in this occupation Nora came downstairs, and was re- ceived by Frank with boisterous effusion.
“Many happy returns,” he shouted, tugging her hair ; “one, two, three—look, what a pile of preserts ! —four, five—”
“Steady, Frank ; that’s enough,” said Dr. Naismith, entering with his wife-——‘“Well, Nora, do you feel dreadfully old ?”
“Oh no, not a bit,” she replied, jumping in his arms,
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“Many happy returns of the day, dear,” said Mrs. Naismith, kissing her tenderly. “Now, come and look at your presents, or we shall never get begun to breakfast.”
One by one the various parcels were taken out of their wrappings, amidst exclamations of surprise and astonishment. A neat little handbag from Colonel Leighton came in for much admiration, as did the post-card album from Frank; but when the last neat little packet was unrolled, disclosing a tiny gold watch in its velvet case, Nora’s delight knew no bounds.
“Oh, how lovely!” she cried, lifting it out care- fully. “This is what you brought from London yes- terday. How did you guess I wanted a dear little watch like this?”
“Golly,” said Frank, “what a ripper! It’s got a second hand, too!”
“ Oh, it’s just too delicious,” repeated Nora, “Thank you all so much for your presents.”’
“Tm awfully sorry mine has not come,” I said awkwardly; “my aunt was to send a collar for Bouncer.”
“Never mind, Humphrey,” said Mrs. Naismith
kindly ; “it was very nice of you to think of it—
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Come along now, children, and begin your break- fast.”
Nora and Frank were too excited to eat much, and whenever permission was given we rushed off to get ready for the picnic. Happening to return to the dining-room for something Nora had left there, I heard Dr. Naismith say something about “a very serious matter.’ He held a letter in his hand to which he was evidently referring ; but nothing more was said while I was present, and soon afterwards the pony cart came round to the door, and we all started in great spirits.
It was a glorious morning, and from the road which ran along the cliffs past Cliffden we had a splendid view of the sea lying blue and sparkling far below, with fishing boats and steamers dotted here and there. It was the first time I had been any distance in this direction, but Nora and Frank knew the road well, and tore along on their bicycles, with Donald trotting behind. Bouncer, too, was out for a holiday, and scampered backwards and forwards, en- joying himself thoroughly. From the rocks below Cliffden the point we were making for had seemed no distance, but the road wound in and out, following
the coast line, and we must have gone fifteen miles
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before reaching a small farmhouse where we all dis- mounted. Donald was unharnessed and put into the stables, and our bicycles were left in a shed. The farmer gave us a hearty welcome, and offered to carry the hamper down to the rocks, but Dr. Naismith would not hear of it.
“Not a bit of it, Tregellis,” he said. “I know you are busy cutting, and I’m not going to waste your time. The boys will help me to carry it down, and no doubt they will take care that it is light to bring up.—Now then, Frank, you take one end, and Hum- phrey will relieve you when you're tired.”
So saying, he lifted one end of the basket himself, and we started off, Mrs. Naismith and Nora leading the way. The path led zigzag down the face of the cliff, and it was not long before Frank owned himself beaten, and I took his place. Slipping and scram- bling, the hamper was at length safely deposited on the rocks, where Mrs. Naismith and Nora had already selected a spot convenient for laying out the eat- ables.
“Well done, boys!” exclaimed Dr. Naismith, sit- ting down and moping his brow; “you have fairly earned your dinner, and we may leave the rest to the
ladies. When we have cooled down a little we can
‘ 120 THE GOLD LOCKET.
go round the point and have a dip. Did you remem- ber the towels ?”’
“Here they are,” said Nora. “I brought them my- self. Frank always forgets.”
“Good girl,” said the doctor; “be sure and have everything ready for us when we get back. We shall be as hungry as hawks.—Come along, boys.”’
He led the way round the point to a place where there was a short stretch of clean, crisp sand, and in a few minutes we were disporting ourselves in the cool, refreshing sea. Frank and I were both quite at home in the water, and after giving us a few lessons in diving, Dr. Naismith, who was a splendid swimmer, took a turn out to sea, and on his return we came ashore again and jumped into our clothes. The ladies had been busy during our absence, and a tempting repast was set out in the shade under the cliff Our bathe had given us sharp appetites, and we set to with a will, and did justice to ourselves and the provisions. Nora’s health was enthusiastically drunk in ginger beer and lemonade, but she refused to respond to the cries of “Speech.”
“Quite right, my dear,’ said Mrs. Naismith, smil- ing; “ladies are not expected to reply when their
health is drunk. A gentleman usually does it for
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them. Perhaps Humphrey will respond, if you ask him.”
“Humphrey !’’ exclaimed Nora scornfully ; “why, he’s no use at talking. He hardly ever opens his mouth !”
“ Ha, ha! there’s one for you, Humphrey,” laughed Dr. Naismith; “but, upon my word, I don’t know that it isn’t a compliment. However, we’ll spare your blushes this time. When Frank has finished his fifth tart—”
“It’s only my fourth.”
“Dear me! is that all? Well, when you are done, I think we might show Humphrey the smuggler’s cave.—Did you bring candles, dear ?”’
“Yes; Jane remembered them at the last minute,” replied Mrs. Naismith.
“Come along, then,”’ said the doctor, rising. “ Not so long ago,” he explained to me as we followed him over the rocks, “this part of the coast was a favourite haunt of smugglers, and many were the encounters between them and the revenue officers. This is the largest cave hereabouts. There is a smaller one ten miles farther south, and there is a tradition that still another exists opposite Cliffden which connected Fare-
ham Castle with the sea. No trace of it, however,
122 THE GOLD LOCKET.
has ever been found, though there is no doubt that an ancestor of the present Lord Gresham was strongly suspected of harbouring smugglers and profiting by their trade. He certainly amassed a most amazing fortune, but nothing could be proved against him. Here we are. Now then, will you show us the way in?”
I gazed at him in astonishment to see if he was joking, and the others burst out laughing at my puzzled looks. In front of us the unbroken cliff
seemed to reach up for one hundred feet or so with-
out an opening.
“Do you see that ledge up there?”’’ went on Dr. Naismith, pointing to a small crack which appeared about ten feet from the ground; “that is the entrance From where we stand the opening is concealed by a sharp ridge of rock, but at high tide a man can step from a boat right into the cave. J’ll lift you up, and you will soon see for yourself.’
Grasping the sharp ledge I pulled myself up, and could not refrain from a cry of astonishment. It was indeed as he said: there was a hollow concealed by the jutting rock, and I dropped down into it before I knew where I was. Nora was hoisted up next,
then came Frank, and lastly Dr. Naismith himself,
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his wife preferring to wait for our return, with Bouncer for company. Frank led the way, crawling on his knees for a short distance; but the rock above us soon lifted, and we were able to stand upright. -The candles were produced, and after our eyes had become accustomed to the flickering light I perceived that we were in a large, roomy cave with rough-hewn shelves running round on either side. The further end sloped upwards, but if there had ever been an out- let in that direction, it had long ago been closed by a subsidence of soil. We explored the cave thoroughly, the shadows thrown by the light dancing weirdly on the damp walls, and Frank whispered to me that it was an ideal‘spot to hold meetings of “The Society.” His words echoing mysteriously round the rocks reached his father’s ears, and he laughed.
“The ‘society? who frequented this place were a rough lot,’ he said, “and would have given you short shrift if you had been caught spying. We'd better leave the cave now; there is nothing more to be seen. The candles are burning low, and your mother will be wondering what has become of us.”
We crawled back through the short tunnel and scrambled down the rock, our eyes blinking with the
sudden glare of the sun.
124 THE GOLD LOCKET.
“Well, what do you think of the smuggler’s cave, Humphrey?” asked Mrs. Naismith.
“Jt is splendid,” I said, gazing at the hidden en- trance. “What fun it would be to discover the one near Cliffden !”
“T’m afraid that is unlikely,” she replied, smiling ; “but we ought to be thankful that we have no trouble- some and dangerous smugglers nowadays. I must go back and start the fire for the tea. What are you children going to do?”
“T want to show Humphrey where I was found,” said Nora, colouring.
“Very well,’ said Dr. Naismith; “go and amuse yourselves as you like. The tide is still going out, and there is no fear of you being caught. Tl have a quiet pipe, and call you when tea is ready.”
Accordingly I followed Frank and Nora over the wet slippery rocks until we came to a pool far out from which the tide was just receding.
“There,” said Nora, pointing downwards; “ that is where I was washed ashore and found by the fisher- men. The spar I was lashed to was fixed between the rocks, and this had saved me from being dashed to pieces. It is so queer to think of it all, and that the baby was me.”
THE GOLD LOCKET. 125
“Yes, it must be,” I replied, in imagination calling up the wild scene, the wind howling and driving on the cruel waves to snatch the poor little baby from safety. “Were there no pieces of wreckage near by which would have given some clue to the ship ?”
“The whole coast was littered with wreckage,” said Frank; “the storm rose so suddenly that lots of little boats were caught and were never heard of again.”
“The broken gold chain is all that may lead to a clue, and where can one look for a clue in the sea ?”
“But perhaps something might be found on the shore, or even in this pool,” I suggested.
“Qh, rot,” said Frank, in his rude, cheery indiffer- ence; “it’s no use looking, after all this time. Be- sides, look what an Al brother Nora has at present.”
“I’m not objecting to my brother,’ said Nora “but surely the Sherlock Holmes Society ought to find out my clues as well as the stupid ghosts at Fareham Castle.”
“ Oh, that’s quite different,” explained the president ; “ you’re—eh—you’re—whew, what a thumping big crab!” he broke off, looking round for something to throw at it. The tide had now left the pool, and its
surface being smooth and unrippled we could see
126 THE GOLD LOCKET.
right to the bottom through the clear water. A great crab had crawled out of the fissure in which Nora’s spar had been caught, and was exciting Frank's sporting instincts. In a shallow pool near at hand he discovered several small pieces of rock, and it was the work of a moment to seize one and fling it at his quarry.
“© you wretch!” cried Nora, starting back as the water splashed up all around us. “You've wet all my new frock.”
“Never mind; I nearly got him,” cried Frank, picking up another stone; “ he will make a splendid crab pie. Watch.” The second missile was no better aimed than the first, and served merely to awaken the crab to a sense of danger. He retired sideways to a bunch of seaweed and disappeared from view.
“TI must have another go at him,” said Frank. “Keep an eye on him, Humphrey, in case he scuttles while I’m gathering ammunition.”
“Hurry up then, boys,” said Nora; “there’s father calling. I won’t wait for you.”
I felt inclined to follow her, not being interested in the crab hunt, when a movement in the pool attracted
my attention, The crab was evidently burrowing in
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his hiding-place, and owing to his exertions the sea- weed was violently agitated, and a curious-looking object which glinted was disclosed to view. I stooped to get a better look at it. “ Look out,” panted Frank ; “it’s slipping,” and before I could say a word the large rock he was carrying fell with a splash into the pool.
“Sorry,” he said, as the water, splashing up, drenched me pretty thoroughly ; “it slipped out of my hands.”
“Tf you had only waited a moment I would have got it.”
“Oh, never mind,” he replied indifferently; “it must have got away by this time. Come on to tea.”
“Tm not talking about the crab; there’s something else—” But Frank had already set off, and merely waved his hand in reply.
Waiting till the commotion caused by the rock had subsided, I looked eagerly down into the pool. Yes, there it was, something round and yellow, evidently entangled in the seaweed. My heart beat fast with excitement. Could it be the clue Nora was so anxious to discover? I looked round for a stick or piece of wood to help me, but there was none.
Lying down on the rock and leaning over, I next
128 THE GOLD LOCKET.
tried to reach the seaweed, but the water was too deep. Again and again I tried, but all to no pur- pose. There was only one thing for it, and I could hardly be wetter than I was. Kicking off my shoes I stepped quietly into the water until I stood over the object which had attracted my attention. Then stooping, I felt gently with my hand, and grasped something cold and round. My head was only just above the surface, and in that position it was impos- sible to exert much force; but at length a handful of seaweed gave way, and I scrambled on to the rocks with my prize. A locket—a small gold locket with a bit of gold chain attached! The seaweed clung — round it, and in the centre a limpet was fastened.
“Hullo, Humphrey; mother sent me— Why, what have you been doing? Did you fall in?”
In my excitement over the discovery I had not noticed Nora’s approach till she was beside me.
“No, I did not fall in. Here is a birthday present for you. I found it in the pool.”
“Seaweed,” said Nora, looking at what I held out in my hand. “Oh, a gold locket, and you found it in my pool! You are a dear, Humphrey,” and to my embarrassment, wet as I was, she flung her arms
round me in an affectionate and grateful embrace.
“‘Here is a birthday present for you.”