NIGHT TIDE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 35, 20 November 1943, Page 6

NIGHT TIDE

SERIAL STORY. A Romantic Story of a Great Seaport.

(Copyright). (J. R. WILMOT).

CHAPTER XX. TWO MEN SURPRISED. “ Garvin. Blake was surprised when he saw no light shining through the glass-panelled door of his office in Atlantic Building, and he cursed softly as he inserted the key in the lock. It was unlike Slim to disobey instructions. He knew better than that. His training in obedience had been irreproachable. Closing the door behind him, Blake fumbled for a moment fdr the electric switch on the wall beside him. Immediately, the outer office was flooded with light an exclamation of surprise burst from his lips, for, lying half in and half out of the door to Blake’s private office, was the inert form of the man who had called on him at “The Crescent” the man whom he had instructed to go back to /he office to await his arrival. Moving closer, Blake saw that a thin trickle of blood had made ia serpentine mark down the chin from one corner of the man’s mouth. He also saw that the right eye was delicately plum-coloured. Both were closed. Kneeling down, Blake was relieved, to find that Slim was breathing, and a smile played puck-like on the importer’s lips. Straightening himself, he passed through the outer office iand disappeared into a small compartment. Returning a moment later, he carried an enamel can filled Ayith cold water. The smile was still on his lips as lie tipped the contents of the can over the inert man’s face and awaited developments.

He had not to wait very long. The man on the floor gave a creditable imitation of a playful elephant trumpeting in a tropical river, succeeded by a torrent of curses that were sufficiently indicative of the man’s rapidly returning consciousness.

The smile had gone from Blake’s lips. In its place was a sneer as he stood, almost menacingly, over the quickly writhing figure. “Get up!” he commanded, curtly.

The sound of that voice was a more efficient stimulant than the cold water had been. Slim scrambled unsteadily to his knees and blinked at his employer with amazed eyes. “Where is he?” he grunted thickly. “Let me get at ’im!” The man accompanied this vague request by gaining his feet, where he stood for a moment swaying uncertainly. Blake was in no temper for a display of heroics on Slim’s part. He caught him roughly by one arm and pushed him into a chair in the priyate office. Then he crossed to the outer door and pushed the safety catch into position.

“Well,” he asked, in an icily calm voice, “what’s the play . . ‘Macbeth’ or something more modern?” Blake seated himself at his desk, casting an appraising eye over the surface and at the nest of drawers below.

One of Slim’s eyes remained closed and he dabbed at his lips with a handkerchief.

“This ain’t no play, Guv’nor,” he began in a pained voice. “Whoever told you this burg was a quiet hole’s been handing you the hooey all right. God my head’s that sore . . “Can it!” interrupted Blake. “And get ; down to the meat. Who painted that pretty picture on your ugly face? Quick, I’m not feeling kinda slowmotion to-night.” “Don’t ask me,” wailed Slim. “I never seen ’im before to-night. Mind you,” he went on, growing more confident. “I caught ’im all right, I did. Honest to God, I caught ’im , . . monkeying about, 'e was, with your desk . . . great big hobo with curly hair. I just kinda walked in on 'im if you understand. Tut ’em up, honey,’ I ses. ‘l’ve got you covered, as good as a blanket.’ ”

“I can see he put ’em up all right,” broke in Blake, irritably. “He put ’em up to good purpose. You say he was a big guy with curly hair. Your powers of description ain’t been to college lately, Slim. Tell me, where's your gun?” . Slim’s hands went aimlessly to his pockets. “Search me, Guv’nor,” he wailed. “I guess ’e frisked it. You see, Guv, that there guy laughed when ’e saw the gun, like as if it were a joke. It was the laugh that did it. I ain’t never ever been laughed at like that before, and then he came for me. Say, Guv, that, guy’s a tornado with ’is lists. He sort a leapt at me . . caught me clean on the jaw and .another in the eye. I remember now, I felt faint-like, aud ’eard the gun clatter somewhere though God knows it sounded about as far away from ’ere to Non York. But wait till I sees ’im again. ‘H’s got something coming to ’im, ’e ’as.” “What was he doing when you came in?” demanded Blake. “Sat in the chair where you are now,” came the reply. “Rocking himself to sleep, I suppose!” Blake’s voice was. deadly ironical. “It never occurred to you to use the gun, eh?”

“Use it, Guv’nor! Use it!” screamed Slim. “That guy made forked lightning look like a string of goods waggons.”

“This is twice in one night that you’ve mussed things, Slim,” Blake reminded him, quietly. “Remember that the third time won’t be lucky. Now get out, and if anyone wants to know how you got like that, tell ’em you were beaten up by a high school kid for pinching his marbles.” Grumbling, Slim got to his feet and shuffled out into the general office. His head ached; his jaw felt as if it had been kicked by a mule and the eye that was still closed was a hot cinder. Left to himself Garvin Bhtke review-

ed recent events with ia. frown. If this had happened in New York or anywhere else in America for that matter, he would not have worried for a moment. Rut it was different in Liverpool. Someone was showing a much too lively interest in the office organisation of Pacific Importers Limited and it had got to stop. ITo be Continued).