Hurriedly Huey walked to his lodgings, and packed up his most portable valuables in a small hand-bag. His money he put in a belt round his waist. Most of his money was, to his regret, in New South Wales bank-notes. What would be the good of them in a foreign country? He went down to the wharves and shipping offices, and inquired as carelessly as possible what ships were starting.
There was no boat going from Sydney to South America, but one would leave in about a week from Newcastle. There was a ship out in the stream that would sail that night for Batavia, and a schooner the following day for the South Sea Islands.
Huey did not half care for going to the Dutch Colony; the South Seas seemed to him a more inviting spot. Amidst those thousands of islands it would surely not be difficult for him to hide his trail, as good, or perhaps better, than South America.
He decided on the schooner, which he found was called the Southern Cross. This would also give him time in the morning to change his notes into gold.
* * * * *
Together with another officer, and armed with a warrant, Constable Hobbs proceeded the following morning to the residence of Huey Gosper, but he was not at home, had not slept there that night, the landlady said. Nevertheless, Hobbs entered his room, which was all turned over and littered about. There was every outward sign of a hasty departure—clothing, books, and toilet articles littered about in a disorder not even to be excused in a bachelor’s department.
“The bird has flown?” muttered Hobbs. “Just my luck!”
Hastily they proceeded to overhaul the various articles left behind. A small portmanteau attracted the constable’s attention, and on opening it, was found to contain a bundle of fine rope, which, being unfolded, revealed itself as a rope ladder with two claw hooks at one end.
“That’s the trick, was it?” said Mr. Hobbs, contemplatively; “but how the dickens did he fix it? Those hooks would hang nicely on the iron bars of the window, but how did he get them there, and getting them there, take them down?”
The answer was not long in coming. In the corner of the room stood, what looked like a Malacca walking-cane. On careful examination it was found to be an article that is sold at Japanese stores as a telescope fishing-rod. The last, or weakest, joint had been removed, and two implements were found in the pocket of an old coat hanging on the door that fitted in the hole intended for the last joint. One was simply a T-shaped piece of iron, with its upper points bent upwards. This Hobbs saw in a moment would readily hook on and unhook the ladder.