Beside the gla.s.s a phial labelled laudanum.
Something possessed the intruder to empty the contents of the phial into the gla.s.s, and just as he had done so, the sufferer opened his eyes.
"Who"s there?"
"It"s me, Senor Velasquez," said the tiger. "You have been ill----"
"What do you do here?" demanded the notary, sharply.
"You called out. I thought I might be of a.s.sistance."
"No, no."
"Then I will go, senor," said Chivey, "for I am tired."
"Stay, give me my physic before you go."
Chivey handed him the gla.s.s.
The sick man gulped it down, and made a wry face.
"How bitter it tastes," he said, with a shudder.
"Good-night, senor."
"Good-night."
Chivey did not remain very long absent.
The heavy breathing of the notary soon told him that it was safe to return to the room.
The business of the morrow so filled the mind of the old Spaniard, that he was talking of it in his sleep.
"At an hour after daybreak, I tell you, Murray," he muttered. "The berth is paid for, paid for by my gold. You follow on the track of your enemy Harkaway, and once you are within reach, give a sharp, sure stroke, and you will be free from your only enemy, seeing that you have already taken good care of your traitor servant."
Chivey was amazed, electrified.
Did he hear aright?
"At daybreak!" he exclaimed, aloud.
"Yes; at daybreak," returned the notary in his sleep.
After a pause, the sleeper muttered--
"What say you? If Chivey were not quite dead? What of that? How could he follow you? He has no funds. The only money he possessed I have now in my strong box under my bed."
Chivey was staggered.
"Is Murray going to bolt, and leave me in the power of this old villain, I wonder," he muttered.
He broke off in his speculations, for the notary was babbling something again.
""The Mogador,"" muttered the old man, speaking more thickly than before as the opiate began to make itself felt; "the captain is called Gonzales. You have only to mention the name of Senor Velasquez, and he will treat you well. He knows me."
He muttered a few more words which grew more and more incoherent each instant.
Then he lay back motionless as a log.
The opium held him fast in its power.
"Now for the box," exclaimed the tiger, excitedly.
Chivey tore open the box, and lifting up some musty old deeds and parchments, he feasted his eyes upon a mine of wealth.
A pile of gold.
Bright glittering pieces of every size and country.
And beside it thick bundles of paper money.
"Gold is uncommonly pretty," said the tiger, "but the notes packs the closest."
Bundle after bundle he stowed away about his person, regularly padding his chest under his shirt.
"Now for a trifle of loose cash," he said, coolly.
So saying, he dropped about sixty or seventy gold pieces into his breeches pocket.
His waistcoat pockets he stuffed full also.
Then he pushed back the box into its place under the bed.
"The old man still sleeps," he said to himself, looking round at the bed.
He was in a rare good humour with himself.
"Ha, ha! I am rich now," said Chivey. "Thank you, old senor, you have done me a good turn. May you sleep long."
He gave a final glance about him and made off.
A distant church clock tolled the hour of midnight as he gained the seash.o.r.e.
He was in luck.