CHAPTER XCII.
THE HARKAWAY'S GUIDE--LENOIR'S MUSEUM--THE CAVEAUX, AND WHAT THEY SAWTHERE--THE MEDALS--THE TRUTH AT LAST--A COINER'S TRADE--AN ALARM--ADESPERATE FELLOW.
"Here we are again, sir," said Harry Girdwood, stepping up to PierreLenoir; "but I fear we are taking a great liberty in asking you to_cicerone_ such a large party as we muster here."
Lenoir smiled.
It was not a free, frank smile.
To tell the truth, he was a bit annoyed, for besides the two youthsthere was Mole, and the attendant darkeys with them, Tinker and Bogey.
Lenoir was a cautious man, and he did not care to run risks.
"Are they friends and confidants of yours?" he asked, rather pointedly.
It was an odd speech to make, but as he smiled slightly, they took itfor a sort of joke.
"Oh, yes, they are confidential friends," returned Harry Girdwood,smiling.
"Very good, let us begin our look round. We will walk along the quaysif you like, and thence past the Hotel de Ville. I shall show youseveral objects of undoubted interest," said Lenoir, significantly.
He led the way on.
Jack fell back a few paces, walking on with Harry Girdwood.
"He's a very odd fellow," whispered the latter.
"Very."
Lenoir led them over the town before he ventured to approach theCaveaux.
"I have a little museum not far away," he said.
"I am afraid we shall be intruding," began Jack.
"Not a bit," protested Lenoir.
The snuggery in question was situated at some little distance from thetown, and away from the main road.
The cottage was only a one-story building.
"His museum is not very extensive," whispered Harry Girdwood to hiscompanion, "if it is that cottage."
Lenoir was remarkably quick-eared.
"My museum is cunningly arranged," he said to Jack, looking over hisshoulder as he walked on; "you don't get all over it at once. Here weare."
They had reached the threshold, and opening the door, he led the wayin.
It was a neat little cottage interior, with nothing about it to attractattention.
Passing through the first room, Lenoir conducted them to a sort ofout-house beyond.
Here they came upon the first surprise.
He opened a door which apparently shut in a cupboard, and this, totheir intense astonishment, revealed a flight of stone steps whichseemingly led into the very bowels of the earth.
"Hallo!" exclaimed Jack; "why, what's this?"
"I thought I should astonish you, now," said Lenoir, with his same calmsmile.
"What is this place?"
"There is a whole series of caves below these, apparently naturalformations. The only way I can account for them myself is that at sometime or other some experimental mining operations have gone on there.Would you like to go down and see the place?"
"With pleasure," returned Jack, eagerly.
"Allow me to lead the way."
When they had descended a few steps, Jack half repented.
This man was a stranger to them, and he had brought them to a very wildand out-of-the-way place.
Had he any evil purpose in bringing them there?
Jack stood wavering for a few seconds--no more.
"We are four," he said to himself, "four without counting Mr. Mole;they must be a pretty tough lot to frighten us much, after all said anddone."
So saying down he went.
The others followed close behind him.
At the base of the flight of steps they found themselves in a spaciousvault that was unpleasantly dark.
"Allow me to lead the way now," said Lenoir, passing on. "Follow meclosely; there is no fear of stumbling, there is nothing in the way."
So saying, he conducted them through this opening, which, by the way,was so low that they had to stoop in passing under, and foundthemselves now in a narrow cave, which reminded young Jack forcibly ofthe dungeon and its approach of Sir Walter Raleigh, in the Tower ofLondon.
"What do you think of this place?" demanded the guide.
"A very curious sight," was the reply. "You put all this space to nouse?"
"Pardon me," said Lenoir; "I practise my favorite hobby here."
"Here!"
"Yes--or rather in the next cellar beyond."
"And what may be that favourite hobby?"
"Medalling," was Lenoir's reply.
And again he shot at his questioners one of those peculiar glanceswhich had so astonished them before.
"I should like to see some of your work," said Jack.
"I thought you would," said Lenoir, with a quiet chuckle.
Lenoir led the way into the next cellar or cavern, and here they camesuddenly upon a complete change of scene.
Here they saw a furnace, with melting pots, bars of metal, moulds,files, batteries, and all the necessary accessories for the manufactureof medals.
Upon a flat stone slab was a pile of medals, all of the same patternprecisely.
"Just examine those, Mr. Harkaway," said Pierre Lenoir, "and tell mewhat you think them."
Jack put his finger through the glittering heap, and they fell to thetable with a bright clear ring that considerably astonished him.
"Why, they are silver!"
Lenoir smiled.
"Very good, aren't they?"
"Very!"
Jack here made a discovery, upon examining them more closely.
"They are five-franc pieces!" he said, with a puzzled expression.
"Of course they are--and beauties they are too!"
"There's not much risk in getting rid of those, I should say?"
"Risk!" iterated Harry Girdwood.
"Aye!"
"Why risk?"
"I mean that no one could detect the difference very easily. Why, theydeceived you," he added, turning to Jack, with an air of consciouspride.
"Upon my life, I don't understand what you mean," said Jack.
Lenoir looked serious for a moment.
Then he burst out into a boisterous fit of merriment.
"You are really over-cautious, young gentleman," he said.
"Over-cautious?"
"Why, yes--why, yes. Wherefore this reserve? Why should you pretend notto understand? Don't you see," he added, with a cunning leer, "that Ican make these medals as perfectly as they can at the Hotel de laMonnaie, our French Mint?"
"So I see," said Jack.
A faint light began to dawn upon Harry Girdwood--not too soon, thereader will say.
"It is rather a dangerous pastime, Mr. Lenoir, this medalling fancy ofyours," he said.
"No," said Lenoir, pointedly, "the danger is not there; the danger ofthis pastime, as you call it, is in disposing of my beautiful medals."
"Dear me, sir," said Mr. Mole. "Do you sell them?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"The five-franc pieces two francs and a half," replied Lenoir, "and soon throughout until we get up to the louis, the twenty-franc pieces;those I can do for seven francs. You can pass them without risk."
This told all.
Jack and his friends were astounded.
"Are you making us overtures to join you in passing bad money?"demanded young Jack.
"Not bad money," returned Lenoir, "very good money--all my own make."
"It is very evident that you do not know us," said Harry Girdwood, "andso are considerably mistaken. Why you have brought us here and placedyourself in our power, it is utterly beyond me to understand."
Lenoir stared.
"What!"
"The position is most embarrassing," said Jack. "To do our duty wouldbe to repay by great ingratitude your kindness in guiding us about thetown, for we ought to denounce you to the police authorities."
This speech partook of the nature of a threat and Pierre Lenoir was upin an instant.
"The worst day's work of your life would be that," he said, fiercely."No man plays traitor to
Pierre Lenoir a second time."
"Traitor is a wrong term," said Jack; "we are not sworn to share suchconfidences as yours. We shall leave you now, but----"
"Stop!"
They were moving towards the entrance when Lenoir sprang before them,and whipped out a brace of revolvers.
The position grew exciting and unpleasant.
"Stand out of the way, and let us pass," exclaimed Jack, impetuously.
"Don't come any nearer," said Lenoir, with quiet determination, "for Iwarn you that it would be dangerous. You can't move from this placeuntil you have made terms with me."
"I for one will have nothing whatever to say to you," said Jack,haughtily. "I don't care to bargain with a coiner."
With his old foolhardy way he was stepping forward, in peril of hisvery life.
Lenoir was a desperate man, in a desperate strait.
His finger trembled upon the trigger.
"Stand back, on your life."
"You stand aside," cried Jack.
"Another step and I fire!" cried Lenoir.
"Bah!"
Jack pushed on.
Lenoir pulled the trigger.
Bang it went.
But the ball whistled harmlessly over Jack's head, and lodged in theslanting roof.
A friendly hand from behind the coiner had knocked up his arm in thevery nick of time.
At the self-same instant some eight or ten men, fully armed, burst intothe vault.
One of them, who was apparently in command, pointed to Lenoir, and saidto the others--
"Arrest that man. He's the leader of them."
And before the coiner could offer any resistance, they knocked hisweapons from his hands, and fell upon him.
But Lenoir was a powerful fellow--a desperate, determined man, and notso easily disposed of.
With wonderful energy, he tore himself from them, and, producingsomething from one of his pockets, he held it menacingly up.
"Advance a step," he exclaimed, "and I will blow you all to atoms,myself as well. Beware! I hold all our lives in my hand. Now who daresadvance?"