5 Opening the Treasure Chest

Chapter 5 Opening the Treasure Chest Our captive, Jonathan Small, sat in the cabin of the police boat with his handcuffed hands on his lap. His wrinkled, sunburned face told of a hard, outdoor life, and his dark eyes burned with anger and resentment. Sherlock Holmes, seated opposite, said, "Well, Mr. Small, I'm sorry it's come to this." "So am I, sir," answered Small. "I give you my word, I never killed Bartholomew Sholto. His father, the major, I'd have killed in a second, but I had no quarrel with the son. It was my ally, Tonga, who shot one of his poisoned darts into him while I was still climbing the rope, and that definitely wasn't part of the plan. I thought the room would be empty, as Bartholomew usually went down to supper at that time. I was angry with Tonga for killing him, but what could I do? At least I had the treasure."

"The treasure," said Athelney Jones, "belongs to Miss Mary Morstan and Thaddeus Sholto. You, my friend, will be spending the rest of your life in prison." Jones gave me permission to take the treasure chest ashore to show Miss Mary Morstan her share, after which we had to hand it back to the authorities until the official investigation was complete. I went ashore with one of the policemen at Vauxhall, and from there we drove to Miss

Morstan's house. She was less excited than I expected when I carried the chest into her sitting room. The key was missing, so I took a poker from her fireplace and levered open the lid, breaking the lock with a loud snap. To our great surprise, the chest was empty! "The treasure is lost," said Mary calmly. "To tell you the truth, I'm glad. It's brought nothing but misery to my family." Athelney Jones was less relaxed when showed him the empty chest one hour later. "This is your doing, Small!" he said angrily. "Where did you put the treasure?"

We were meeting at Baker Street. Jones and Holmes had taken Small there after reporting his capture at the police station. Small, seated in an armchair with his wooden leg crossed over his good one, gave a defiant laugh. "No one," he said, "has any right to that treasure except me and my companions. I've acted for them as much as for myself—it's been the sign of four for us always. They'd have done the same and thrown the treasure into the Thames rather than let it go to the heirs of Sholto or Morstan." "You're lying, Small," said Jones. "If you'd thrown the treasure into the Thames, it would have been easier to throw it in, box and all." "Easier to throw, and easier for you to recover. But now that those jewels are scattered across five miles of riverbed, the job is much harder. I was half-mad with grief when I did it, but that's what my life has driven me to."

"Well let's hear about that life," said Holmes. "That way, we can see if justice was ever on your side."