Limekiller!

and all these and any others which by inadvertancy may not be herein listed which are found in the same place and location I do hereby give and devise to one Elizabeth Mendoza also known as Betty' Mendoza a.k.a. Elizabeth Pike a.k.a. Betty Pike, an infant now resident in the aforesaid Mountains District, which Gift I make for good and sufficient reason and of my own mere whim and fancy.

Here the D.C. paused, raised his eyes, looked at Captain Sneed. Who nodded. Said, “His own sound and voice. Yes. How like him!”

. and fancy; the aforesaid collection of gold and silver coins being secured in this same District in a place which I do not herein designate or describe other than to say that it be situate on my own freehold lands in this same District. And if anyone attempt to resist or set aside this my Intention, I do herewith and hereafter declare that he, she or they shall not sleep well of nights.

After he had finished, there was a long pause. Then everybody began to talk at once. Then -

Sneed: Well, suppose we shall have to inform the lawyers, but don’t see what they can do about it. Deed was executed whilst the old fellow was alive and has nothing to do with any question of the estate.

D.C. Pike: I quite agree with you. Unnofficially, of course. Officially, all I am to do is to make my report. The child? Why, yes, of course I know her. She is an outside child of my brother Harrison, who died even before the late Mr. Pike died. The late Mr. Pike seemed rather fond of her. The late Mr. Pike did, I believe, always give something to the child’s old woman to keep her in clothes and find her food. As we ourselves have sometimes done, as best we could. But of course this will make a difference.

Sneed: As it should. As it should. He had put you big chaps to school and helped you make your own way in the world, but this was a mere babe. Do you suppose that he knew that such an estate was bound to be involved in litigation and that was why he tried to help the child with all this. this treasure business?

Marin: Mis-tah Pike, he ahlways give ah lahf ahn he say, nobody gweyn molest he treasure, seguro, no, becahs he di set such watchies roun ah-bote eet as no mahn adventure fi trifle wid day.

May: I can’t help feeling that it’s someone’s cue to say, “ This all seems highly irregular.”

Roberts, Chief Clerk (softly but firmly): Oh, no, Miss. The Stamp Tax was paid according to regulations, Miss. Everything seems in regular order, Miss.

Watchies. A “watchie” was a watchman, sometimes registered as a private constable, thus giving him. Jack was not sure exactly what it gave him: except a certain status. But it was obvious that this was not what “the late Mr. Pike” had had in mind.

Finally, the District Commissioner said, “Well, well. Tomorrow is another day. - Richardson’s Mahogany Lines! Who would have thought to look there? Nobody! It took eighty years after Richardson cut down all the mahogany before it was worthwhile for anybody to go that side again. And. how long since the late Mr. Pike cut down the last of the ‘new’ mahogany? Ten to fifteen years ago. So it would be sixty-five to seventy-five years before anybody would have gone that side again. Even to look. Whatever we may find there would not have been stumbled upon before then, we may be sure. Well, Well.

“Sergeant Bickerstaff, please take these gentleman’s and ladies’ statements. Meanwhile, perhaps we can have some further cups of tea. ”

Taking the statement, that action so dearly beloved of police officials wherever the Union Jack flies or has flown, went full smoothly. That is, until the moment (Limekiller later realized it was inevitable, but he had not been waiting for it, then), the moment when Sgt. Bickerstaff looked up, raised his pen, asked, “And what made you go and seek for this Indian jar, sir, which gave the clue to this alleged treasure, Mr. Limekiller? That is, in other words, how did you come to know that it was there?”

Limekiller started to speak. Fell silent beyond possibility of speech. But not Captain Sneed.

“He knew that it was there because Old Pike had dreamed it to him that it was there,” said Captain Sneed.

Bickerstaff gave a deep nod, raised his pen. Set it down. Lifted it up. Looked atjack. “This is the case, Mr. Limekiller, sir?”

Jack said, “Yes, it is.” He had, so suddenly, realized it to be so.

“Doubt” was not the word for the emotion on the police- sergeant’s face. “Perplexity,” it was. He looked at his superior, the District Commissioner, but the District Commissioner had nothing to advise. It has been said by scholars that the Byzantine Empire was kept alive by its bureaucracy. Chief Clerk Roberts cleared his throat. In the tones of one dictating a routine turn of phrase, he produced the magic words.