"That's a lie," he said distinctly.
"I'd have shot you for that down Chili way," snapped the skipper.
"Possibly," retorted the artist dryly, "but I happen to be handy
with my revolver also. I say again that you lie. Random is not
the man to commit so foul a crime."
"Then how did the manuscript get into his room?" questioned
Hervey.
"He is trying to learn, and, when he does, will come here to let
us all know, Captain Hervey. But I ask you on what grounds you
accuse him? Oh I know all you said to-day," added Hope
scornfully, waving his hand; "but you can't prove that Random got
the manuscript."
"If it's in his room, as you acknowledge, I can," said Hervey,
speaking in a much more cultivated tone. "See here. As I said
before, that copy must have been passed along with the corpse to
the Maltese man. Well, then, the Professor here bought the
corpse, and with it the manuscript."
"No," contradicted the little man, prodigiously excited. "Bolton
wrote to me full particulars of the mummy, but said nothing about
any manuscript."
"Well, he wouldn't," replied Hervey calmly, "seeing that he'd
know Latin."
"He did know Latin," admitted Braddock uneasily; "I taught him
myself.
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