Mr. Stogumber, running his eye over the chests, said reverently: “All on ’em! All six on ’em! Lord, I thank’ee! There don’t look to be nothing gone from this one. Quite certain sure it wasn’t you as broke the lock, big ’un.”
“Well, may I be snitched!” exclaimed Chirk. “So now you’ve took it into that cod’s head o’ yours that the Soldier’s a prig, have you? If that don’t beat all to shivers! P’raps you’d like to have me turn out my pockets?”
“I ain’t accusing neither of you of no such thing,” said Stogumber, carefully closing the chest. “All I says is that if the Capting did break the lock, for to see what was in the chest, it’s what anyone might ha’ done, even though he mightn’t like to mention it. And the only thing as I’ve a fancy to see out of your pockets, queer-cull, is that long nosed pop of yours!” He began to rope the chest again, adding frankly: “And I don’t know as I’ve so very much of a fancy to see that neither—things being the way they are! If you didn’t break this lock, big ’un, who did?”
The Captain, who had seated himself on one of the chests, said, rather wearily: “I suspect, the gatekeeper. I told you we had not yet come to the end.”
“The gatekeeper!” said Stogumber, turning it over in his mind. “By Hooky, you’ve very likely hit it! Came up here to help himself to the rhino, and—We got to search this place!”
“What a peevy cove you are, Redbreast!” said Chirk admiringly. “No one wouldn’t think so, to look at you, neither!”
“You pick up your glim, Jack-Sauce, and come and help me look around this hole in the ground!” said Stogumber.
The Captain rose to his feet again, and followed them, limping a little. The passage leading to the river was soon discovered, and in another few minutes Stogumber, having stared in amazement at the stream, swept his lantern along the chamber, and saw the body of the murdered gatekeeper. It had been partially disinterred, and its appearance was so ghastly that Chirk, who had not expected to see it exposed, gave a sharp gasp, and involuntarily recoiled. Mr. Stogumber did not recoil. He walked solidly forward, and in phlegmatic silence surveyed it. “Knifed!” he said, and looked over his shoulder. “Does either of you coves know if the corp’ is Brean?”
“Ay, that’s him,” said Chirk shortly. “And if it’s all the same to you, Redbreast, I’d take it very kind in you if you was to stop shining your glim on him!”
“I’m agreeable,” responded the Runner. He came back to where John was standing, leaning his shoulder against the wall. “If, big ’un,” he said, “you seen that poor cove like we see him now afore this—mind, I ain’t asking no questions!—all I says is, if you did, I don’t blame you for breaking Coate’s neck, and dang me, I’d like to shake that great famble of yours! Though it goes against the shins with me that I can’t bring him to the nubbing-cheat!” he added regretfully, his square hand lost in the Captain’s. “The best thing we can do now is to brush. I got to send for my patrol, and it looks like you’re a trifle fagged, Capting Staple.”