CHAPTER XIV.
THE TELLTALE MEMORANDUM.
WHEN Mark came to himself he realized that he was lying on his back onthe ground. It was a bright moonlight night, and he could see for somedistance.
First of all he moved his arms and legs to ascertain whether any of hislimbs were broken. Reassured on this point he felt next for the diamondpin. To his great relief it was safe.
All about him was confusion. He was just thinking of getting up when aman came along with a lantern, and stooping over, began to feel in thepockets of a prostrate figure lying near by. Instantly Mark was on thealert, for he felt sure that this man must be a thief intent on robbingthe victims of the disaster.
He peered into the face of the robber who fancied himself unobserved,and with a thrill of excitement he recognized the man whom he had mettwice before in New York, and who had called himself Hamilton Schuyler.At the same time, glancing at the upturned face of the recumbent figurehe saw that it was his uncle, Solon Talbot, still insensible.
Schuyler had just drawn Mr. Talbot's watch from his pocket, when Mark,putting a whistle to his mouth, blew a sharp note on it.
Schuyler started, let the watch drop, and rose in a state of nervousalarm.
"What was that?" he cried.
"Mr. Hamilton Schuyler," said Mark calmly, "that gentleman will haveoccasion for his watch. You had better let it alone."
"I was only going to take care of it for him," muttered Schuyler.
"You'd take care of it well," retorted Mark.
"Who are you?" demanded Schuyler, and he stepped over to where Mark layand peered into his face.
"By jingo, if it isn't the telegraph boy!" he exclaimed. "How came youhere?"
"By the train."
"Have you any more bogus diamonds about you?" inquired Schuylersarcastically.
"I might have had if I had expected to meet you."
"I'll see what I can find at any rate."
As he spoke he leaned over and was about to feel in Mark's pockets whenthe telegraph messenger blew another blast on his whistle so loud that arelief party came running up in haste.
"What's the matter?" asked the leader.
"The matter is that here is a thief, rifling the pockets of thepassengers. He was just feeling in mine."
Schuyler started to run, but was quickly captured.
"What are you about, you scoundrel?" asked his captor.
"Trying to relieve the victims of the disaster," answered Schuyler. "Onmy honor that is all I was doing."
"Is this true?" asked his captor, turning to Mark.
"Yes; he was trying to relieve us of our valuables. He had thatgentleman's watch out of his pocket when I first whistled. As you cameup, he was trying to rob me."
"That's enough! Take him along."
Two strong men tied Schuyler's hands together and marched him away.
"I'll get even with you for this, you young rascal!" he exclaimed in arage, shaking his fist at Mark.
Just then Solon Talbot recovered consciousness.
"Where am I?" he groaned.
"There has been an accident, Uncle Solon," said Mark, now on his feet."We went over an embankment and were spilled out. Are you all right? Areany of your limbs broken?"
"I--I don't think so, but I have had a shock, and my head is bruised."
"You'll do!" said a surgeon, who was one of the relief party. "You'll beas good as new in a day or two."
"Is there a hotel near by? I want to be moved."
"As soon as we can attend to the matter. We are looking for the badcases."
"I'll look after you, Uncle Solon," said Mark. "See if you can't getup."
With much ado Mr. Talbot arose, and leaning on Mark's arm left the sceneof the disaster. Mark procured a carriage and directed the driver totake them to the nearest hotel.
When they reached it the messenger ordered a room and helped his uncleup to it.
"Just look and see if you've lost anything," he suggested. "I saw athief trying to relieve you of your watch, but I interrupted him andgave him in charge."
With a look of alarm Solon Talbot examined his pockets, but ascertainedto his relief that nothing was missing.
"Can't you stay with me, Mark?" he asked almost imploringly, for thenervous alarm inspired by the accident had made him quite a differentman for the time being. "There is another bed in the room, and you canlie there."
"I will stay with you till morning, Uncle Solon, but I shall have toleave you then, as I have business to attend to."
"What kind of business?"
"I don't care to mention it just now. I am traveling for another party."
"I had no idea there would be an accident," said Mr. Talbot. "Goodheavens, we might have been in eternity by this time," he added with ashudder.
"I feel very much alive," said Mark, laughing.
"I suppose the accident will be in the New York morning papers."
"So it will. I must telegraph that I am all right, or my mother will befrightened."
"Telegraph for me too," said Solon Talbot.
"All right. Tell me to whom to telegraph, Uncle Solon, and where."
"To Edgar, I think."
Few more words were spoken, as Mark and his uncle were both dead tired.It was eight o'clock when Mark opened his eyes. He dressed himself asquickly as possible and prepared to go down-stairs. As he was movingtoward the door, Mark espied a scrap of paper. It contained whatappeared to be a memorandum in his uncle's handwriting.
It was brief, and a single glance revealed its purpose to Mark. It ranthus: "Crane and Lawton told me to-day that their agent writes them fromNevada that the Golden Hope mine is developing great richness. Ishouldn't wonder if it would run up to one hundred dollars per share. Atthis rate the 400 shares I hold will make a small fortune. C. & L.advise holding on for at least six months."
It may be imagined that Mark read this memorandum with interest. He knewvery well that the mining stock referred to belonged to hisgrandfather's estate, but hitherto had been ignorant of the number ofshares held by the same. If there were four hundred, and the price ranup to one hundred dollars per share, this would make his mother's sharetwenty thousand dollars!
This would be a fortune indeed, and it made his blood boil to think thathis uncle proposed to cheat her out of it. The munificent sum oftwenty-five dollars was all that he had offered for a receipt in fullthat would give him a title to the whole value of the Golden Hopeshares.
Mark turned to the bed.
His uncle was fast asleep. He was not a strong man, and the shock andfatigue of the night previous had quite exhausted him.
"What shall I do with the memorandum?" thought Mark.
He felt that it was not quite the thing to keep a private paperbelonging to his uncle, yet under the circumstances, considering thathis uncle was deliberately seeking to defraud his mother and himself, hedecided that he was justified in doing so. Accordingly he put thememorandum carefully in his pocketbook, and opening the chamber doorprepared to go down-stairs.
Just then Solon Talbot opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" he asked, in temporary bewilderment.
"In the Merchants' Hotel," replied Mark. "Don't you remember theaccident of last night?"
"Oh, yes," answered Solon shuddering. "Where are you going?"
"Out to telegraph to my mother."
"You have my telegram?"
"Yes."
Mark went out and despatched two telegrams, one to his mother, and thesecond to Mr. Swan. The latter ran thus: "There has been a railroadaccident, but I am all right. Nothing lost."
The last two words were intended to assure the jeweler of the safety ofthe diamond pin.
Mark ascertained that the next train westward would start at eleveno'clock, and so reported to his uncle.
"I shall go by the next train," he said.
As they went up to the office to pay their bills, the clerk asked Mr.Talbot, "Do you pay for this young man as well as yourself?"
; Solon Talbot hesitated and looked confused.
"No," answered Mark promptly, "I pay for myself."
He drew out a ten-dollar bill and tendered it to the clerk.
"You seem to be well provided with money," said his uncle curiously.
"Yes, Uncle Solon, I can pay my way," replied Mark.
"It is very strange," thought Mr. Talbot, "how a common telegraph boyshould have so much money."
He did not seem to miss the memorandum. Had he known that it was snuglyreposing in Mark's pocketbook he would have felt disturbed.