Owen Oliver

“ I had a cabin to myself, and I fastened the door before I opened Vaughan’s letter. It contained bank notes for £100, and this message in pencil:
“Do not intervene without the word, even if you think my life depends on it. If anything happens to me, find out what hotel Ossoski is staying at and stay there, too. Find out when he travels to Jo’burg. When you have done so, walk along Government Avenue at 10 A.M., 4 or 10 o’clock at night, wearing a flower in your buttonhole. Destroy this note.
“Under no circumstances take action without the word. Everything depends on your implicit obedience.” ”

“ I obtained the document and others—sufficient to keep the Countess’s property from her husband—but Ossoski met me just outside the house as I was going away. When he missed the papers, he moved heaven and earth to find Venning; but I had become Vaughan. Now he suspects me, and he has people at the Cape who would profess to identify me with Venning—or anybody else. My disguise would be against me, and—well, there are other things that I can’t tell you. You'd better keep out of it.”
“Not while I can be of service to you,” I said stoutly. “What shall I do?”
“He does not suspect you. ”

“ Finally she demanded to be searched by some ladies. Four matrons who were on the train undertook the task, and she retired with them to one of the station offices. The police officer waited with great importance outside the door, and Ossoski walked up and down on the platform, twitching his skinny hands with impatience.
After about ten minutes the police officer came forward, followed by “Mrs. Leicester,” looking flushed and triumphant, and by four indignant ladies.
“You’d best apologize,” he advised. “There are no papers, and he—that is she—is a lady. ”

“ I felt quite sure that she was Vaughan. Ossoski shook his fist at her, and swore that she was “Venning” alias “Mrs. Filmer.” He sneered at me when I denied any resemblance to the latter.
“He’s probably made away with the papers,” Ossoski said, “but the fact that he’s a man in disguise will be enough for you.” ”

“ If I am not mistaken, Ossoski suspects me.”
“Does he know you? As yourself, I mean?”
“He does not know me as Vaughan. He suspects that I am Ralph Venning, a cousin of his wife. I am rather like him. I'll be candid with you. Two years ago, before I had taken to this profession, I entered Ossoski’s rooms to obtain a certain document for his wife’s friends. ”

“ They stopped the train and fetched a doctor from another carriage. He brought Ossoski to, after we had been backed into De Aar. He described his symptoms as I had described mine. The only difference, the doctor said, was that he had been drugged more heavily.
Ossoski explained volubly that he believed “Dr. Von Ry” to be a man named Venning who had come out in the Dover Castle disguised as a woman, and was supposed to have died on board, but had probably only shammed death and escaped. ”

“ He gave orders for a special grog ration, but the sailors still went about shaking their heads. The ladies were tearful, and the men silent. I went below again and sat shuddering and shivering on my berth. I dared not look out of my port-hole for fear of a shapeless bundle that I pictured bobbing up and down on the waters through the fog.
The fog cleared up during the night, and we landed early the next morning? I found that Ossoski was going to the Mount Nelson” and followed him there, determined to obey Vaughan’s instructions to the letter. ”

“ If we succeed I'll give you £5,000.” I nearly jumped out of my chair with astonishment. “You must learn not to show surprise at anything. It’s a good plan to grip something tightly when you expect to be startled.” ”

“ He is now in England; but the association wants the papers at Johannesburg, as they include certain financial agreements between the members. If we were an enlightened country, like Russia, we should simply seize Master Ossoski and take the papers. As we aren’t—I am employed. ”