“McEvoy returned to his rooms that night in an agony of shame andremorse. When he was with Jelland he borrowed strength from him; butalone he recognized the full danger of his position, and the vision ofhis old white-capped mother in England, who had been so proud when hehad received his appointment, rose up before him to fill him withloathing and madness. He was still tossing upon his sleepless couch whenhis Japanese servant entered the bedroom. For an instant McEvoy thoughtthat the long-expected outbreak had come, and plunged for his revolver.Then, with his heart in his mouth, he listened to the message which theservant had brought.
“Jelland was downstairs, and wanted to see him.
“What on earth could he want at that hour of night? McEvoy dressedhurriedly and rushed downstairs. His companion, with a set smile uponhis lips, which was belied by the ghastly pallor of his face, wassitting in the dim light of a solitary candle, with a slip of paper inhis hands.
“‘Sorry to knock you up, Willy,’ said he. ‘No eavesdroppers, I suppose?’
“McEvoy shook his head. He could not trust himself to speak.
“‘Well, then, our little game is played out. This note was waiting forme at home. It is from Moore, and says that he will be down on Mondaymorning for an examination of the books. It leaves us in a tight place.’
“‘Monday!’ gasped McEvoy; ‘to-day is Friday.’
“‘Saturday, my son, and 3 a.m. We have not much time to turn round in.’
“‘We are lost!’ screamed McEvoy.
“‘We soon will be, if you make such an infernal row,’ said Jellandharshly. ‘Now do what I tell you, Willy, and we’ll pull through yet.’
“‘I will do anything—anything.’
“‘That’s better. Where’s your whisky? It’s a beastly time of the day tohave to get your back stiff, but there must be no softness with us, orwe are gone. First of all, I think there is something due to ourrelations, don’t you?’
“McEvoy stared.
“‘We must stand or fall together, you know. Now I, for one, don’t intendto set my foot inside a felon’s dock under any circumstances. D’ye see?I’m ready to swear to that. Are you?’
“‘What d’you mean?’ asked McEvoy, shrinking back.
“‘Why, man, we all have to die, and it’s only the pressing of a trigger.I swear that I shall never be taken alive. Will you? If you don’t, Ileave you to your fate.’
“‘All right. I’ll do whatever you think best.’
“‘You swear it?’
“‘Yes.’
“‘Well, mind, you must be as good as your word. Now we have two cleardays to get off in. The yawl _Matilda_ is on sale, and she has all herfixings and plenty of tinned stuff aboard. We’ll buy the lot to-morrowmorning, and whatever we want, and get away in her. But, first, we’llclear all that is left in the office. There are 5,000 sovereigns in thesafe. Aft
er dark we’ll get them aboard the yawl, and take our chance ofreaching California. There’s no use hesitating, my son, for we have noghost of a look-in in any other direction. It’s that or nothing.’
“‘I’ll do what you advise.’
“‘All right; and mind you get a bright face on you to-morrow, for ifMoore gets the tip and comes before Monday, then——’ He tapped theside-pocket of his coat and looked across at his partner with eyes thatwere full of a sinister meaning.
“All went well with their plans next day. The _Matilda_ was boughtwithout difficulty; and, though she was a tiny craft for so long avoyage, had she been larger two men could not have hoped to manage her.She was stocked with water during the day, and after dark the two clerksbrought down the money from the office and stowed it in the hold. Beforemidnight they had collected all their own possessions without excitingsuspicion, and at two in the morning they left their moorings and stolequietly out from among the shipping. They were seen, of course, and wereset down as keen yachtsmen who were on for a good long Sunday cruise;but there was no one who dreamed that that cruise would only end eitheron the American coast or at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean.Straining and hauling, they got their mainsail up and set their foresailand jib. There was a slight breeze from the south-east, and the littlecraft went dipping along upon her way. Seven miles from land, however,the wind fell away and they lay becalmed, rising and falling on the longswell of a glassy sea. All Sunday they did not make a mile, and in theevening Yokohama still lay along the horizon.
“On Monday morning down came Randolph Moore from Jeddo, and madestraight for the offices. He had had the tip from some one that hisclerks had been spreading themselves a bit, and that had made him comedown out of his usual routine; but when he reached his place and foundthe three juniors waiting in the street with their hands in theirpockets he knew that the matter was serious.
“‘What’s this?’ he asked. He was a man of action, and a nasty chap todeal with when he had his topmasts lowered.
“‘We can’t get in,’ said the clerks.
“‘Where is Mr. Jelland?’
“‘He has not come to-day.’
“‘And Mr. McEvoy?’