Chapter XXIII:
Oliver and Lucretia Arrive at Freetown
"HAROLD will be here to-morrow," Oliver repeated as he read the cablegram, "that old cargo boat of ours stopped at every port on the coast so that we have just managed to arrive a day ahead of him."
He lost no time in placing Lucretia and Zina at the Catholic convent in the care of the good sisters.
He found that Mr. Solomon filled his former post of manager for the firm.
He engaged a suite for Lord Dubley and himself and took up quarters at the hotel.
After the happy reunion of the brothers, they sat conversing upon past events. Lord Dubley handed Oliver the letter which the old earl had penned to him just before his death.
Oliver held his hands before his face, crying and shaking with emotion.
"Eva will prize this letter more than the news of the wealth he has bestowed upon us. She has suffered much because we left without his blessing. I do believe she blames herself as the cause of father denouncing me.
"If I had only taken her advice, and written at the time she obtained my promise to do so, all of this unhappiness would have been avoided," Oliver said as he arose and, excusing himself, retired to his bed room.
He turned up his sleeve and cuff, and opening the spring of the bracelet, removed the leopard claw. He reread and folded the small letter carefully, and enlarging the cavity of the claw with his pen knife, placed the smallest end of the note in the claw and fitted the other end into the wide gold cap which now fitted firmly. He replaced the claw within his bracelet and closed the spring.
He could not bear to have even his brother see the bracelet and claw, because they looked so much like a fetich, when in fact that was the safest manner in which to preserve the papers and other small valuables which were liable to be ruined by rain and water accidents incidental to jungle travel.
Upon the eve of Oliver's departure for the interior, the Earl of Dubley sat in Oliver's room as they talked business arrangements.
"Oliver," Lord Dubley suddenly said, "I cannot permit you to return alone, I shall accompany you also."
"Why, Harold, that is impossible. You have a wife and daughter to consider; they must come before your brother.
"The danger would be much greater to you than to me, as you have never lived in the tropics. I am depending on you to act as a father to my Lucretia during my absence. You will do me a much greater service by performing that sacred pledge, than by unnecessarily sharing my dangers." Oliver replied.
"I have never approved of your idea of leaving Lucretia in Freetown, Oliver. She is nearly twelve years of age and has never seen her ancestral home. I think it is a great pity to have the child remain in Africa so long. She would be such a great comfort to me also," Lord Dubley remarked.
"Georgianna must be in her eighteenth year, and of course is quite an educated and cultured young lady. I believe you informed me that Lady Dubley is planning to have her introduced at court some time this coming season.
"She will soon be marrying, and Lucretia will not suffer so much from the embarrassment she would naturally feel under the present circumstances.
"To place her in a boarding school at home would be equally as embarrassing at present. The sisters are very kind and Lucretia is very studious. She will be prepared in a few years' time to be removed from the convent, in the event that we are still absent. If such be the case, Harold, I am sure that you will take her to your heart and protect her as you would your own daughter," Oliver concluded.
After Lord Dubley retired, Oliver remained up very late drawing a map of his proposed journey.
The next morning, while seated in the drawing room, Oliver handed his brother the two plots he had made of the situation of the gold mine, mission and station and instructed him to keep them.
"I am sorry I had to postpone the drawing of this rough plot, and had no time to make a duplicate, but the mission plan which lies here upon the map," Oliver said, as he traced his finger upon the drawing lying upon a table, "is very carefully drawn, also the cave of the gold diggers, which is located at this cross. Te Yahweh mountain and other places are guess work, although I think I am very nearly correct in my calculations," Oliver ventured as he still pointed out and explained the route he intended travelling.
Neither noticed a clean faced brown skin figure with black silken hair parted on one side, and eyes glistening, as he heard the word gold and saw the papers which Oliver was discussing.
Oliver would have had to look closely to recognize his jungle enemy in the metamorphosized, civilized Arabian hotel guest.
Oliver retired to his room to pack a few things into a hand grip. He removed the map from his pocket and was just about to drop it into the bag when he was called away. He dropped it hurriedly, leaving the bag unlocked.
As soon as the door had closed behind him, Alpha, who had been peeping through the key hole of the other door opening into a private bedroom, slipped in and hurriedly snatched the map from the bag. Glancing at it he thought he had secured the plot to the location of the hidden wealth.
Just as he was folding it and about to place it in his pocket as he walked toward the door, 'Twe entered and, seeing the paper, gave instant pursuit.
Oliver had received a message from the Governor. Accompanied by his brother he left immediately for the mansion house.
The Governor informed Oliver that he had received the information that Eva was dead, and appealed to Lord Dubley to pervert Oliver from making a useless trip.
But when the Governor named Alpha as the bearer of the tidings, Oliver denounced it as a fake and refused to be persuaded to abandon the expedition.