Throughout that long day the miserable
Braddock had crouched like a toad in its hole, trembling at every
sound of pursuit, as he knew that the whole of the village was
looking for him. But Cockatoo had hidden him well in the case,
in the lid of which holes had been bored. He had brandy to drink
and food to eat, and he knew that he could depend upon the
Kanaka. Had Date not been suspicious, the ruse might have been
successful, but to save himself Hervey had to sacrifice the
wretched Professor, which he did without the slightest
hesitation. Then came the unlucky shot from the revolver of De
Gayangos, which had ended Braddock's wicked life. It was Fate.
At the inquest a verdict of "wilful murder" was brought against
the Kanaka, but a verdict of "justifiable homicide" was given in
favor of the Peruvian. Thus Cockatoo was hanged for the double
murder and Don Pedro went free. He remained long enough in
London to see his daughter married to the man of her choice, and
then returned to Lima.
Of course the affair caused more than a nine days' wonder, and
the newspapers were filled with accounts of the murder and the
projected escape. But Lucy was saved from all this publicity,
as, in the first place, her name was kept out of print as much as
possible, and, in the second, Archie promptly married her, and
within a fortnight of her step-father's death took her to the
south of France, and afterwards to Italy.
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