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JAN HUNKUM'S MONEY

- " I crept round to the bedroom window," continued
the witness. " There was a chuik in the shutter and
I looked through. Jan Hunkum was sitting in bed,
with his money heaped up around him, heaps of money,
all around him, heaps of banknotes and silver and
gold ! "

" Not silver," interposed the Pubhc Prosecutor softly.
" I fancied there was silver as well," replied Fisty-
cuffs, half apologetic, half reproachful. " Poor men
like me can't distinguish properly when they see a lot
of treasure heaped up like that."

" And, besides, the chink was narrow," said the
Prosecutor, turning to the judges.
" And, besides, the chink was extraordinary narrow.
Barend Everts went straight up to the bed, with one
of the window bars in his hand, and he struck Jan
Hunkum down with it among the bedclothes, dead."

" How did you know he was dead ? " asked the
President.
" He looked dead. Mynheer the President. Barend
Everts dragged down the body and threw it on the floor.
Then he filled his pockets with gold and banknotes,
stuffing them in anyhow as fast as he could. And
then he upset the burning petroleum lamp among the
rest of the papers, and then he ran away."

Fistycufis stopped speaking, and now looked across
at, Liza, magnificently: his task was accomplished, his
success assured. A long thrill of delighted horror per-
vaded his audience, which had never doubted the im-
mensity of Barend's secreted spoil. But some of the
bolder spirits amongst the Hemelers stared curiously.
They had often felt interested in Jan Hunkum's shutters.
They had never found chinks.
8S



JAN HUNKUM'S MONEY

" The pockets of his jacket ? " inconsistently ques-
tioned the President.
