VENGEANCE OF JHAPOO THE GOND 251 



my reply with an unusual seriousness, I repeated that 

 nothing would give me greater pleasure than to carry out 

 his request ; whereat the old fellow fell back into his chair 

 with a sigh of relief, and puffed away awhile in silence. 



" You will wonder," he continued, " what all these tiger- 

 skins may have to do with the chest about which I am so 

 anxious ; but I may now tell you that the extraordinary 

 success which I have invariably commanded in my tiger- 

 shooting days was entirely due to its contents." 



Noticing a perplexed look on my face, the Colonel's eye 

 twinkled. " I can see, my boy, that my words puzzle you," 

 added he. " Perhaps before we go further it would be 

 as well to have a glance at those contents." 



So saying, he dived into his pocket and produced a 

 single heavy key of strange appearance. The ghost of 

 a smile flitted across his face, he rose, and I followed him 

 across the polished floor. 



The house was closed for the night, and the old house- 

 keeper must have long since retired. The only person up 

 besides our two selves would be old Abdul Ghani, who 

 had brought in the wine earlier in the evening, and now 

 probably lay asleep, native fashion, on the floor of the 

 distant pantry. Round the lodge the Atlantic wind howled 

 dismally, tossing about the groaning branches of the firs, 

 or tearing at the creeping ivy that tapped and swept the 

 darkened window-panes. 



The Colonel was on his knees before the chest. The key 

 grated stiffly in the long-disused lock. As he raised the 

 rusted lid with some difficulty, I stepped forward and lent 

 a hand ; and, giving way suddenly, it flew open with a 

 jerk. 



Next instant I sprang back, wide-eyed, with a sharp 

 exclamation of horror! 



A strange faint odour one that with lightning speed 

 flung my memory back over all those thousands of miles 

 to the distant redolent East came wafting up heavily 



