Then a ship arrived from New York,
but before he had summoned courage to ask his friends for a loan
he received, a letter forwarded from Colon by the American consul,
a perusal of which not only dumfounded him, but entirely altered
his plans.
It was typewritten, on plain stationery; there was neither heading
nor signature, yet he knew quite well from whom it came. It read
as follows:
Don't cable again, or the stupidity of the police may fail to
protect you. The others got away safely and you would be mad
to return alone. I can't and won't help you now. This time
you went too far. You have made your bed, now lie in it. I
don't believe in miracles, but if you can straighten up and
make a man of yourself, I'll help you face this trouble;
otherwise don't call on me for anything. I'm through.
Kirk reread this amazing epistle several times before its full
significance struck him; then, when he realized what it meant, he
felt himself break into a sweat of apprehension. That plain-
clothes man had died! The police were looking for him. There could
be no other explanation, else why had Higgins and the rest fled
the country? Why had his father been so cautious in communicating
with him? If it came to a trial, undoubtedly a jury would find him
equally guilty with Higgins, for he had held the poor fellow's
hands; it was he who had engineered the whole episode.
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