Then he took the rouble, and declared that no one had been near the island for years.
This was very satisfactory, and we added a second rouble in the joy of our hearts; at which evidence of our generosity Alexander, the elder, crossed himself and prayed aloud for the welfare of our souls. Then he said he had some articles for sale which might be useful to us if we intended to try a little sport on the island, and produced—to our surprise—an English-looking revolver. I was about to take it from his hand, when Jack snatched the weapon from me.
"Why, great skittles! Peter," he cried. "Look at it! Look at it, man; look at it! What do you see?" Jack burst out laughing, and then suddenly grew grave. I took the weapon from him to examine it, surprised at his excitement.
"It's loaded," I said, "in four chambers."
"Yes; but look at it well!" he cried. "Don't you know it, man?"
I looked again, and the weapon almost dropped from my hand. It was my own revolver, not a doubt of it—my own name was scratched along the lower side of the barrel. It was the same that Strong had choked with lead, that I had afterwards presented to Clutterbuck, that Strong had stolen from that unfortunate fellow, and with which he had murdered his companion; the same with which he had attacked ourselves on the road to Vryburg, at our last encounter with the rascal, and a bullet from which had taken a bit out of my shin-bone.
For a moment or two I was too bewildered to collect my thoughts. Jack brought me to my senses.
"Well," he said, "what do you make of it?"
"I make of it that we are too late," I groaned. "The rogue has been too quick for us, confound him!"
"Yes," said Jack, "that's what I'm thinking too. But how did this fellow get hold of the pistol?"