He was a madman ever to have invested in so obvious and
obtrusive a receptacle for treasure. It would serve Raffles right
if that and no other was the box which had been broken into by the
thieves.
Yet, when I considered the character of his treasure, I fairly
shuddered in my sweat. It was a hoard of criminal relics. Suppose
his chest had indeed been rifled, and emptied of every silver thing
but one; that one remaining piece of silver, seen of men, was quite
enough to cast Raffles into the outer darkness of penal servitude!
And Crawshay was capable of it - of perceiving the insidious revenge
- of taking it without compunction or remorse.
There was only one course for me. I must follow my instructions to
the letter and recover the chest at all hazards, or be taken myself
in the attempt. If only Raffles had left me some address, to which
I could have wired some word of warning! But it was no use thinking
of that; for the rest there was time enough up to four o'clock, and
as yet it was not three. I determined to go through with my bath
and make the most of it.
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