“It is all clear now,” he said. “Their dirigible is at Barnegat Inlet. It is not the one you have been looking after at all, Brown. They start tomorrow night with the papers and jewels, and O’Brien here is supposed to follow in the other dirigible. This he will use as a decoy, if we follow him. (It is too bad, O’Brien; too bad to spoil your fun!) Then if he succeeds in shaking us, he will follow them and pick them up soon as possible. So he will be able to see the finish; be in at the death, as they say. You will be that all right, O’Brien!”
He laughed a chill laugh: the rattles again, and pulled out a cigarette which he lighted. O’Brien, watching, all at once recognized the brand and the monogram. But it was not an S.
“I am going now, to see that everything is ready for our flight. We will follow the dirigible straight out to sea, and——”
“He hears, Excellency,” said Brown. The word Excellency went unrebuked.
“Yes, he hears now, but it does not matter,” said Smith. He went on talking. “We will follow the dirigible straight out to sea, and when we get close enough to the other side, just there where the white cliffs show up, we will begin shooting. There will be a fishing boat below filled with our men. We will get the telling shots before they doubt that O’Brien follows. That will be about all, except the division of the treasure.”
“What are we going to do with O’Brien?” asked Brown.
“Oh, him,” said Smith as though he had forgotten. “Oh, yes, to be sure.” He opened the cigarette case, and from a slot in one side took out a hypodermic needle which he filled from a tiny vial.
“Shooting is too noisy,” he said as he bent over his infernal little contraption. “And knifing is very untidy. Even here in this hole it won’t do. Brown, you will come with me. Go at once to the hangar and see that the dirigible is in order, then keep out of sight. We have plenty of time. You three others, listen to me. All your safety and the jewels themselves hinge on your obedience.” He laid the hypodermic needle on the table, padding it round with his own handkerchief.
“Now listen. You will be interested too, O’Brien. I want plenty of time for an alibi, but not too much time. I want to start at dawn instead of tomorrow night, as dear Mr. O’Brien planned. It is now twelve o’clock. How the hours do fly when we are in pleasant company! At exactly three one of you will administer this little dose in the left forearm. Very soon the patient will show every sign of extreme intoxication, and you will then take off his bonds, hurry him downstairs and out into the street. Go around the block and into the alley. By that time you can ease him gently to the ground and leave him. Empty that bottle and put it in his pocket.”
“He will yell,” said one of the men.