But, not to fall into the error of writers who underrate their readers' curiosity and intelligence, and so deluge them with comments and explanations, we will now simply relate what Wylie did, leaving you to glean his motives as this tale advances.
His jacket had large pockets, and he took out of them a bunch of eighteen bright steel keys, numbered, a set of new screwdrivers, a flask of rum, and two ship biscuits.
He unlocked the eighteen cases marked _Proserpine,_ etc., and, peering in with his lantern, saw the gold dust and small ingots packed in parcels, and surrounded by Australian wool of the highest possible quality. It was a luscious sight.
He then proceeded to a heavier task; he unscrewed, one after another, eighteen of the cases marked _Shannon,_ and the eighteen so selected, perhaps by private marks, proved to be packed close, and on a different system from the gold, viz., in pigs, or square blocks, three, or in some cases four, to each chest. Now, these two ways of packing the specie and the baser metal, respectively, had the effect of producing a certain uniformity of weight in the thirty-six cases Wylie was inspecting.
Otherwise the gold cases would have been twice the weight of those that contained the baser metal; for lead is proverbially heavy, but under scientific tests is to gold as five to twelve, or thereabouts.
In his secret and mysterious labor Wylie was often interrupted. Whenever he heard a step on the pavement outside he drew the slide of his lantern and hid the light. If he had examined the iron shutters he would have seen that his light could never pierce through them into the street. But he was not aware of this. Notwithstanding these occasional interruptions, he worked so hard and continuously that the perspiration poured down him ere he had unscrewed those eighteen chests containing the pigs of lead.
However, it was done at last, and then he refreshed himself with a draught from his flask. The next thing was, he took the three pigs of lead out of one of the cases marked _Shannon,_ etc., and numbered fifteen, and laid them very gently on the floor. Then he transferred to that empty case the mixed contents of a case branded _Proserpine_ 1, etc., and this he did with the utmost care and nicety, lest gold dust spilled should tell tales. And so he went on and amused himself by shifting the contents of the whole eighteen cases marked _Proserpine,_ etc., into eighteen cases marked _Shannon,_ etc., and refilling them with the _Shannon's_ lead. Frolicsome Mr. Wylie! Then he sat down on one of the cases _Proserpine'd,_ and ate a biscuit and drank a little rum; not much; for at this part of his career he was a very sober man, though he could feign drunkenness, or indeed anything else.
The gold was all at his mercy, yet he did not pocket an ounce of it; not even a penny-weight to make a wedding-ring for Nancy Rouse. Mr. Wylie had a conscience. And a very original one it was; and, above all, he was very true to those he worked with. He carefully locked the gold cases up again and resumed the screwdriver, for there was another heavy stroke of work to be done; and he went at it like a man. He carefully screwed down again, one after another, all those eighteen cases marked. _Shannon,_ which he had filled with gold dust, and then, heating a sailor's needle red-hot over his burning wick, he put his own secret marks on those eighteen cases--marks that no eye but his own could detect. By this time, though a very powerful man, he felt much exhausted and would gladly have snatched an hour's repose. But, consulting his watch by the light of his lantern, he found the sun had just risen. He retired to his place of concealment in the same cat-like way he had come out of it--that is to say, he mounted on the high cases, and then slipped down behind them, into the angle of the wall.
As soon as the office opened, two sailors, whom he had carefully instructed overnight, came with a boat for the cases; the warehouse was opened in consequence, but they were informed that Wylie must be present at the delivery.
"Oh, he won't be long," said they; "told us he would meet us here."
There was a considerable delay, and a good deal of talking, and presently Wylie was at their back, and put in his word.
Seaton was greatly surprised at finding him there, and asked him where he had sprung from.
"Me!" said Wylie, jocosely, "why, I hailed from Davy Jones's locker last."
"I never heard you come in," said Seaton, thoughtfully.
"Well, sir," replied Wylie, civilly, "a man does learn to go like a cat on board ship, that is the truth. I came in at the door like my betters; but I thought I heard you mention my name, so I made no noise. Well, here I am, anyway, and--Jack, how many trips can we take these thundering chests in? Let us see, eighteen for the _Proserpine,_ and forty for the _Shannon._ Is that correct, sir?"
"Perfectly."
"Then, if you will deliver them, I'll check the delivery aboard the lighter there; and then we'll tow her alongside the ships."
Seaton called up two more clerks, and sent one to the boat and one on board the barge. The barge was within hail; so the cases were checked as they passed out of the store, and checked again at the small boat, and also on board the lighter. When they were all cleared out, Wylie gave Seaton his receipt for them, and, having a steam-tug in attendance, towed the lighter alongside the _Shannon_ first.
Seaton carried the receipt to his employer. "But, sir," said he, "is this regular for an officer of the _Proserpine_ to take the _Shannon's_ cargo from us?"
"No, it is not regular," said the old gentleman; and he looked through a window and summoned Mr. Hardcastle Hardcastle explained that the _Proserpine_ shipped the gold, which was the more valuable consignment; and that he saw no harm in the officer who was so highly trusted by the merchant (on this and on former occasions) taking out a few tons of lead and copper to the _Shannon._
"Well, sir," said Seaton, "suppose I was to go out and see the chests stowed in those vessels?"
