"A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognizes them. You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling.
I"ve arrested more than one of these gentlemen in my time, and, if my thief is on board, I"ll answer for it. He"ll not slip through my fingers."
"I hope so, Mr. Fix, for it was a heavy robbery."
"A magnificent robbery, consul. Fifty-five thousand pounds! We don"t often have such windfalls. Burglars are getting to be so contemptible nowadays! A fellow gets hung for a handful of shillings!"
"Mr. Fix," said the consul, "I like your way of talking, and hope you"ll succeed; but I fear you will find it far from easy. Don"t you see, the description which you have there has a singular resemblance to an honest man?"
"Consul," remarked the detective, dogmatically, "great robbers always resemble honest folks. Fellows who have rascally faces have only one course to take, and that is to remain honest; otherwise they would be arrested offhand. The artistic thing is to unmask honest countenances. It"s no light task, I admit, but a real art."
Mr. Fix evidently was not wanting in a tinge of self-conceit.
Little by little the scene on the quay became more animated.
Sailors of various nations, merchants, ship-brokers, porters, fellahs, bustled to and fro as if the steamer were immediately expected. The weather was clear, and slightly chilly. The minarets of the town loomed above the houses in the pale rays of the sun. A jetty pier, some two thousand yards along, extended into the roadstead. A number of fishing smacks and coasting boats, some retaining the fantastic fashion of ancient galleys, were discernible on the Red Sea.
As he pa.s.sed among the busy crowd, Fix, according to habit, scrutinized the pa.s.sers-by with a keen, rapid glance.
It was now half-past ten.
"The steamer doesn"t come!" he exclaimed, as the port clock struck.
"She can"t be far off now," returned his companion.
"How long will she stop at Suez?"
"Four hours. Long enough to get in her coal. It is thirteen hundred and ten miles from Suez to Aden, at the other end of the Red Sea, and she has to take in a fresh coal supply."
"And does she go from Suez directly to Bombay?"
"Without putting in anywhere."
"Good!" said Fix. "If the robber is on board he will no doubt get off at Suez, so as to reach the Dutch or French colonies in Asia by some other route. He ought to know that he would not be safe an hour in India, which is English soil."
"Unless," objected the consul, "he is exceptionally shrewd. An English criminal, you know, is always better concealed in London than anywhere else."
This observation furnished the detective food for thought, and meanwhile the consul went away to his office. Fix, left alone, was more impatient than ever, having a presentiment that the robber was on board the Mongolia. If he had indeed left London intending to reach the New World, he would naturally take the route via India, which was less watched and more difficult to watch than that of the Atlantic. But Fix"s reflections were soon interrupted by a succession of sharp whistles, which announced the arrival of the Mongolia. The porters and fellahs rushed down the quay, and a dozen boats pushed off from the sh.o.r.e to go and meet the steamer. Soon her gigantic hull appeared pa.s.sing along between the banks, and eleven o"clock struck as she anch.o.r.ed in the road. She brought an unusual number of pa.s.sengers, some of whom remained on deck to scan the picturesque panorama of the town, while the greater part disembarked in the boats, and landed on the quay.
Fix took up a position, and carefully examined each face and figure which made its appearance. Presently one of the pa.s.sengers, after vigorously pushing his way through the importunate crowd of porters, came up to him and politely asked if he could point out the English consulate, at the same time showing a pa.s.sport which he wished to have visaed. Fix instinctively took the pa.s.sport, and with a rapid glance read the description of its bearer. An involuntary motion of surprise nearly escaped him, for the description in the pa.s.sport was identical with that of the hank robber which he had received from Scotland Yard.
"Is this your pa.s.sport?" he asked.
"No, it"s my master"s."
"And your master is--"
"He stayed on board."
"But he must go to the consul"s in person, so as to establish his ident.i.ty."
"Oh, is that necessary?"
"Quite indispensable."
"And where is the consulate?"
"There, on the corner of the square," said Fix, pointing to a house two hundred steps off.
"I"ll go and fetch my master, who won"t be much pleased, however, to be disturbed."
The pa.s.senger bowed to Fix, and returned to the steamer.
Chapter 7
Which Once More Demonstrates the Uselessness of Pa.s.sports as Aids to Detectives
The detective pa.s.sed down the quay, and rapidly made his way to the consul"s office, where he was at once admitted to the presence of that official.
"Consul," he said, without preamble, "I have strong reasons for believing that my man is a pa.s.senger on the Mongolia." And he narrated what had just pa.s.sed concerning the pa.s.sport.
"Well, Mr. Fix," replied the consul, "I shall not be sorry to see the rascal"s face, but perhaps he won"t come here--that is, if he is the person you suppose him to be. A robber doesn"t quite like to leave traces of his flight behind him; and, besides, he is not obliged to have his pa.s.sport countersigned."
"If he is as shrewd as I think he is, consul, he will come."
"To have his pa.s.sport visaed?"
"Yes. Pa.s.sports are only good for annoying honest folks, and aiding in the flight of rogues. I a.s.sure you it will be quite the thing for him to do; but I hope you will not visa the pa.s.sport."
"Why not? If the pa.s.sport is genuine I have no right to refuse."
"Still, I must keep this man here until I can get a warrant to arrest him from London."
"Ah, that"s your look-out. But I cannot--"
The consul did not finish his sentence, for as he spoke a knock was heard at the door, and two strangers entered, one of whom was the servant whom Fix had met on the quay. The other, who was his master, held out his pa.s.sport with the request that the consul would do him the favor to visa it. The consul took the doc.u.ment and carefully read it, while Fix observed, or rather devoured, the stranger with his eyes from a corner of the room.
"You are Mr. Phileas Fogg?" said the consul, after reading the pa.s.sport.
"I am."
"And this man is your servant?"
"He is, a Frenchman, named Pa.s.separtout."
"You are from London?"