"my dears," said mrs. vaughan; she had just left island cottage and she was seated outside the pioneer hut beside the camp-fire with the four beside her. "yes, there has been a thorough disinfection, and dr. greig says it is quite safe for me to see you out of doors. tell me about it. and jan, how pale you look."
"it was—last night, seeing the old man, he looked so ill, so dreadful when he came through the door." jan's voice trembled.
"it was only just in time, you see, mother," robin spoke; "in five more minutes he wouldn't have had the strength even to call or rap again. he was in dreadful pain, it was his heart."
"yes, dear, dr. greig has told me; he is there still, and i have just seen him." mrs. vaughan spoke slowly.
"how he came there we don't know a bit,—how he knew of the secret door; for it must be one, and it must lead somewhere. he—well he asked for dad, said that he was dying and that he had a confession to make, and," peter stopped for a minute, "then robin went off for dr. greig."
"that was right." mrs. vaughan looked up. "you ask me who he is, and about his confession. it is a long story, some of which you have heard before from brownie, but you must know it. does it make things any plainer to you if i tell you that the old man who is dying at the cottage is called mitchell?"
"mitchell!" the boys looked at each other. "we've heard the name—didn't brownie—?"
"it's the name of the gamekeeper before hooker," exclaimed jan suddenly.
"yes. mitchell, long ago, was your grandfather's head keeper; he was unsatisfactory, and so was dismissed. hooker was given his situation and his cottage by uncle derrick's request, and for that reason mitchell bore a grudge against the two—not only on account of his dismissal, but the cottage had become necessary to him owing to some underhand work that he had been carrying on there for some time. for a year at least before his dismissal he had been making false money, which had been circulated through the county; he had discovered a secret smugglers' passage leading from the east wing, under the island, to the other side of the river, which opened also into one of the rooms in his cottage, and in this secret place his coining was carried on.
"even after hooker came into possession of the cottage, mitchell still carried on this work; he felt secure in his underground shelter; and it was not until the false money had been detected and inquiries began to be put on foot that he feared arrest. then he paid back the grudge that he had nursed for months against uncle derrick and young hooker; he managed to enter by night, unseen, through the secret entrance into the cottage; there he left some part of his coining plant, which would be indisputable evidence against the person in whose possession it might be found. he wrote an anonymous letter to the police headquarters suggesting that they should search hooker's cottage, and the deed was done. brownie has told you how uncle derrick and hooker were arrested, and——" mrs. vaughan stopped.
"but how do you know this?" robin asked hoarsely.
"mitchell has confessed to dr. greig in the presence of old brown. i have read the confession which was made last night. fifteen years have passed since his first attempts at coining, and it seems that he thought he would attempt the same thing again. for some weeks now, so he says, he has worked in the underground passage. last night he was suddenly seized with a dreadful heart attack—for years he has been the victim of heart disease—and, not having strength to get through the passage to the other side of the river, he tried to make his way through into the cottage for help, as he knew it was his last chance. he is dying and he has confessed; god will be merciful to him, and will help us to think mercifully of him too."
"oh, mother, and poor uncle derrick." jan's voice shook.
"listen," mrs. vaughan spoke again, "i have other news for you. last night a letter came from father; he has delayed his coming for a few hours so that i might read his letter first. he is not coming alone, children, he is bringing with him a friend—an officer of the australian contingent, who has won the v.c. under circumstances of extraordinary bravery. this officer, it was, who at the risk of his life stayed beside his wounded orderly, whom he would not leave though enemy fire was raining around them for a day and a night. his right arm is gone"—mrs. vaughan's voice shook—"but his orderly's life was saved."
"mother," jan spoke breathlessly, "uncle derrick is the australian officer, he—is."
"and hooker's the orderly," said peter very gruffly.
"look," broke in robin suddenly; and on the other side of the river a little group of three was seen to be approaching the boat that would take them over to the island. major vaughan was there; with him a tall, one-armed officer, and, behind them a little, came the form of another soldier. "oh, mother," said peter, "oh!"
but no one else could say a word; for it was all too wonderful ... uncle derrick had come home.
