Professor Thunder was quite convinced; he had not the slightest doubt but
that Daniel meant business. He gave Letitia his keys, and a few words of
instruction, and the girl went to the caravan, and presently returned
with the Professor's zinc cash box and a chamois-leather bag containing a
few rings and chains belonging to himself and Madame.

Dan Heeley placed his revolver to his hand on the stump by his side, and
took up the cash box, but the next instant he snatched at his revolver
again, and turned it upon a large, ungainly figure, that loped out of the
bush, and stood grinning and chattering where the firelight faded into
gloom. It was Mahdi the Missing Link, in full dress.

"What's that?" demanded Heeley, fiercely.

The figure leaped about in a foolish way, and rolled on the grass in
unwield play. Heeley burst into laughter. "It's that blanky monkey," he
said. "D'yeh mean t' say you leave four thousan' quids' worth o' monkey
run round loose in the bush like this?"

Mr. Heeley grinned amiably, replaced the revolver on the stump, and
turned his attention to the cash box once more. That cash box was
decidedly heavy, but the Professor, whose heart had been in his boots at
the prospect of a big loss, was now tremulous with hope, and watched the
Missing Link anxiously. Mahdi scraped and picked at the grass with a
diverting show of monkey antics, sniffed at the boiler in which the leg
of mutton had been cooked, and backed away nearer Heeley, with a yowl of
consternation as his nose encountered the scalding water. Dan Heeley was
diverted, he laughed aloud, but he had a cautious eye on his victims the
while, for all he held them cheaply.