triedalternatewords，butneither’theoffor’nor’supplygameLondon’promisedtothrowanylightuponit。”Andtheninaninstantthekeyoftheriddlewasinmyhands，andIsawthateverythirdword，beginningwiththefirst，wouldgiveamessagewhichmightwelldriveoldTrevortodespair。”Itwasshortandterse，thewarning，asInowreadittomycompanion：”’Thegameisup。Hudsonhastoldall。Flyforyourlife。’”VictorTrevorsankhisfaceintohisshakinghands，’Itmustbethat，Isuppose，’saidhe。”Thisisworsethandeath，foritmeansdisgraceaswell。Butwhatisthemeaningofthese”head-keepers”and”hen-pheasants”?”’Itmeansnothingtothemessage，butitmightmeanagooddealtousifwehadnoothermeansofdiscoveringthesender。Youseethathehasbegunbywriting”The……game……is，”andsoon。Afterwardshehad，tofulfilltheprearrangedcipher，tofillinanytwowordsineachspace。Hewouldnaturallyusethefirstwordswhichcametohismind，andifthereweresomanywhichreferredtosportamongthem，youmaybetolerablysurethatheiseitheranardentshotorinterestedinbreeding。DoyouknowanythingofthisBeddoes?’”’Why，nowthatyoumentionit，’saidhe，’Irememberthatmypoorfatherusedtohaveaninvitationfromhimtoshootoverhispreserveseveryautumn。’”’Thenitisundoubtedlyfromhimthatthenotecomes，’saidI。’ItonlyremainsforustofindoutwhatthissecretwaswhichthesailorHudsonseemstohaveheldovertheheadsofthesetwowealthyandrespectedmen。’”’Alas，Holmes，Ifearthatitisoneofsinandshame！’criedmyfriend。’ButfromyouIshallhavenosecrets。HereisthestatementwhichwasdrawnupbymyfatherwhenheknewthatthedangerfromHudsonhadbecomeimminent。IfounditintheJapanesecabinet，ashetoldthedoctor。Takeitandreadittome，forIhaveneitherthestrengthnorthecouragetodoitmyself。’”Thesearetheverypapers，Watson，whichhehandedtome，andIwillreadthemtoyou，asIreadthemintheoldstudythatnighttohim。Theyareendorsedoutside，asyousee，’SomeparticularsofthevoyageofthebarkGloriaScott，fromherleavingFalmouthonthe8thOctober，1855，toherdestructioninN。Lat。
　　15degrees20’，W。Long。25degrees14’onNov。6th。’
　　Itisintheformofaletter，andrunsinthisway：”’Mydear，dearson，nowthatapproachingdisgracebeginstodarkentheclosingyearsofmylife，Icanwritewithalltruthandhonestythatitisnottheterrorofthelaw，itisnotthelossofmypositioninthecounty，norisitmyfallintheeyesofallwhohaveknownme，whichcutsmetotheheart；butitisthethoughtthatyoushouldcometoblushforme——youwholovemeandwhohaveseldom，Ihope，hadreasontodootherthanrespectme。Butiftheblowfallswhichisforeverhangingoverme，thenIshouldwishyoutoreadthis，thatyoumayknowstraightfrommehowfarIhavebeentoblame。Ontheotherhand，ifallshouldgowellwhichmaykindGodAlmightygrant！，thenifbyanychancethispapershouldbestillundestroyedandshouldfallintoyourhands，I
　　conjureyou，byallyouholdsacred，bythememoryofyourdearmother，andbythelovewhichhadbeenbetweenus，tohurlitintothefireandtonevergiveonethoughttoitagain。”’Ifthenyoureyegoesontoreadthisline，IknowthatIshallalreadyhavebeenexposedanddraggedfrommyhome，orasismorelikely，foryouknowthatmyheartisweak，bylyingwithmytonguesealedforeverindeath。Ineithercasethetimeforsuppressionispast，andeverywordwhichItellyouisthenakedtruth，andthisIswearasIhopeformercy。”’Myname，dearlad，isnotTrevor。IwasJamesArmitageinmyyoungerdays，andyoucanunderstandnowtheshockthatitwastomeafewweeksagowhenyourcollegefriendaddressedmeinwordswhichseemedtoimplythathehadsurprisedmysecret。AsArmitageitwasthatIenteredaLondonbanking-house，andasArmitageIwasconvictedofbreakingmycountry’slaws，andwassentencedtotransportation。Donotthinkveryharshlyofme，laddie。Itwasadebtofhonor，socalled，whichIhadtopay，andIusedmoneywhichwasnotmyowntodoit，inthecertaintythatI
　　couldreplaceitbeforetherecouldbeanypossibilityofitsbeingmissed。Butthemostdreadfulill-luckpursuedme。ThemoneywhichIhadreckoneduponnevercametohand，andaprematureexaminationofaccountsexposedmydeficit。Thecasemighthavebeendealtlenientlywith，butthelawsweremoreharshlyadministeredthirtyyearsagothannow，andonmytwenty-thirdbirthdayIfoundmyselfchainedasafelonwiththirty-sevenotherconvictsin’tween-decksofthebarkGloriaScott，boundforAustralia。”’Itwastheyear’55whentheCrimeanwarwasatitsheight，andtheoldconvictsipshadbeenlargelyusedastransportsintheBlackSea。Thegovernmentwascompelled，therefore，tousesmallerandlesssuitablevesselsforsendingouttheirprisoners。TheGloriaScotthadbeenintheChinesetea-trade，butshewasanold-fashioned，heavy-bowed，broad-beamedcraft，andthenewclippershadcutherout。Shewasafive-hundred-tonboat；andbesidesherthirty-eightjail-birds，shecarriedtwenty-sixofacrew，eighteensoldiers，acaptain，threemates，adoctor，achaplain，andfourwarders。Nearlyahundredsoulswereinher，alltold，whenwesetsaidfromFalmouth。”’Thepartitionsbetweenthecellsoftheconvicts，insteadofbeingofthickoak，asisusualinconvict-ships，werequitethinandfrail。Themannexttome，upontheaftside，wasonewhomIhadparticularlynoticedwhenwewereleddownthequay。
　　Hewasayoungmanwithaclear，hairlessface，along，thinnose，andrathernut-crackerjaws。Hecarriedhisheadveryjauntilyintheair，hadaswaggeringstyleofwalking，andwas，aboveallelse，remarkableforhisextraordinaryheight。Idon’tthinkanyofourheadswouldhavecomeuptohisshoulder，andIamsurethathecouldnothavemeasuredlessthansixandahalffeet。Itwasstrangeamongsomanysadandwearyfacestoseeonewhichwasfullofenergyandresolution。Thesightofitwastomelikeafireinasnow-storm。Iwasglad，then，tofindthathewasmyneighbor，andgladderstillwhen，inthedeadofthenight，Iheardawhisperclosetomyear，andfoundthathehadmanagedtocutanopeningintheboardwhichseparatedus。”’”Hullo，chummy！”saidhe，”what’syourname，andwhatareyouherefor?””’Iansweredhim，andaskedinturnwhoIwastalkingwith。”’”I’mJackPrendergast，”saidhe，”andbyGod！You’lllearntoblessmynamebeforeyou’vedonewithme。””’Irememberedhearingofhiscase，foritwasonewhichhadmadeanimmensesensationthroughoutthecountrysometimebeforemyownarrest。Hewasamanofgoodfamilyandofgreatability，butonincurablyvicioushabits，whohadbeaningenioussystemoffraudobtainedhugesumsofmoneyfromtheleadingLondonmerchants。”’”Ha，ha！Youremembermycase！”saidheproudly。”’”Verywell，indeed。””’”Thenmaybeyouremembersomethingqueeraboutit?””’”Whatwasthat，then?””’”I’dhadnearlyaquarterofamillion，hadn’tI?””’”Soitwassaid。””’”Butnonewasrecovered，eh?””’”No。””’”Well，whered’yesupposethebalanceis?”heasked。”’”Ihavenoidea，”saidI。”’”Rightbetweenmyfingerandthumb，”hecried。”ByGod！I’vegomorepoundstomynamethanyou’vehairsonyourhead。Andifyou’vemoney，myson，andknowhowtohandleitandspreadit，youcandoanything。
　　Now，youdon’tthinkitlikelythatamanwhocoulddoanythingisgoingtowearhisbreechesoutsittinginthestinkingholdofarat-gutted，beetle-ridden，mouldyoldcoffinofaChinChinacoaster。No，sir，suchamanwilllookafterhimselfandwilllookafterhischums。Youmaylaytothat！Youholdontohim，andyoumaykissthebookthathe’llhaulyouthrough。””’Thatwashisstyleoftalk，andatfirstIthoughtitmeantnothing；butafterawhile，whenhehadtestedmeandswornmeinwithallpossiblesolemnity，heletmeunderstandthattherereallywasaplottogaincommandofthevessel。Adozenoftheprisonershadhatcheditbeforetheycameaboard，Prendergastwastheleader，andhismoneywasthemotivepower。”’”I’dapartner，”saidhe，”araregoodman，astrueasastocktoabarrel。He’sgotthedibbs，hehas，andwheredoyouthinkheisatthismoment?Why，he’sthechaplainofthisship——thechaplain，noless！
　　Hecameaboardwithablackcoat，andhispapersright，andmoneyenoughinhisboxtobuythethingrightupfromkeeltomain-truck。Thecrewarehis，bodyandsoul。Hecouldbuy’ematsomuchagrosswithacashdiscount，andhediditbeforeevertheysignedon。He’sgottwoofthewardersandMereer，thesecondmate，andhe’dgetthecaptainhimself，ifhethoughthimworthit。””’”Whatarewetodo，then?”Iasked。”’”Whatdoyouthink?”saidhe。”We’llmakethecoatsofsomeofthesesoldiersredderthaneverthetailordid。””’”Buttheyarearmed，”saidI。”’”Andsoshallwebe，myboy。There’sabraceofpistolsforeverymother’ssonofus，andifwecan’tcarrythisship，withthecrewatourback，it’stimewewereallsenttoayoungmisses’boarding-school。
　　Youspeaktoyourmateupontheleftto-night，andseeifheistobetrusted。””’Ididso，andfoundmyotherneighbortobeayoungfellowinmuchthesamepositionasmyself，whosecrimehadbeenforgery。HisnamewasEvans，butheafterwardschangedit，likemyself，andhisisnowarichandprosperousmaninthesouthofEngland。Hewasreadyenoughtojointheconspiracy，astheonlymeansofsavingourselves，andbeforewehadcrossedtheBaytherewereonlytwooftheprisonerswhowerenotinthesecret。Oneofthesewasofweakmind，andwedidnotdaretotrusthim，andtheotherwassufferingfromjaundice，andcouldnotbeofanyusetous。