Page:William Le Queux - The Czar's Spy.djvu/381

of Continental thieves of whom Dick Archer and Hylton Chater were leaders. For this reason he purchased a yacht for their use, so that they might not only use it for the purpose of storing the stolen goods, but for the purpose of sailing from place to place under the guise of wealthy Englishmen travelling for pleasure. Upon that vessel, indeed, was stored thousands and thousands of pounds-worth of jewels and objects of value, the proceeds of many great robberies in England, France and Belgium. Sometimes they travelled for the purpose of disposing of the jewels in various inland towns where the gems, having been re-cut, were not recognized, while at others Chater and Archer, assisted by Mackintosh the captain and Olinto Santini the steward, sailed for a port, landed, committed a robbery, and then sailed away again, quite unsuspected, as rich Englishmen.