A Race with Ruin

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 94, 20 April 1904, Page 9

A Race with Ruin

By HEADON HAIX.

, Author of "Guilty Gold," "Queen of the -Night," etc." . CHAPTER XXXTTT. FATE IN SUSPENSE. In unlocking_ the door of Nance's prison-chamber after his overthrow of the pugilist, Lord Hooligan had- made one little slip. In his he had. omitted to remove the key from the lock and bring it in with' him, so that he could secure the door on the inside. The consequence was that just as he was advancing upon the trembling girl he found himself compelled to fall back and defend the door against the assault of the uninjured prize-fighter, assisted by the feeble efforts of Moses Cohen. Nance watched the struggle with bated breath, and soon saw that the great muscular shoulders of her persecutor were equal to the strain of keeping the door shut. But there was this ray of comfort in the situation. So long as those without tried, even ineffectually, to force an entrance, so long would Hooligan be prevented from molesting her« In the brief breathing space thus gained she cast wildly about for means of self-protection—of escape, alas! there were ncrte. If she had only possessed a weapon of some sort —a penknife even —she would have plunged it, with a full sense of justification, into that broad, brutal back. But she had nothing. And then, suddenly, from the most un-» expected quarter, relief appeared. There was a faint sound at the open window, and by the thin gleam of the night-light Nance saw the head of a ladder reared above the sill. The next moment the hideous yellow face of Mother Fury 'showed between the iron bars, and the shining barrel of a revolver was thrust into the room. With a thrill of what was not wholly horror, Nance perceived that the weapon was aimed full at Lord Hooligan, still struggling at the door. "In his preoccupation he knew nothing of what was happening behind him. But a second later he got his warnmg in the ringing crack of the pistol and tho whistle of a bullet so close to his head thaj> a chip of the splintered woodwork grazed his ear. He turned his" head in speechless fury, evidently suspecting Nance, but he did not at once relax his resistance to those without. Of the bull-dog spirit of disregard for mere physical danger a grain was left in him still. But it was not proof against the calm, melodious voice that drew his attention to the window where Mother Fury held the smoking barrel ready sighted for a second shot. "Now, you, Hooly, Ive given you a sample' of my shooting," she said. "Just you stand aside from that door, or I'll shoot you in earnest next time." The frightful vision of the mulatto, combined with the evident intention in her quiet worked its spell on the shattered nerves. Not quite without protest, however. "But I thought we were all pals together, and you'll be hung if you shoot mc, mother," he whimpered. "Stand aside, I say—you that are here to escape hanging," came the quick retort. Cowed and unstrung, Hooligan fell back from the door, and Brummagem Jem entered, panting with his efforts. of ; old.' -Mose%, : t"Gohen have given the world for six words with the it was. impossible without compfonii§ing him' arid probably getting him subjected to treatment as bad as her own. "Come here and take my pistoi, Jem," said the crone at the window. "That's right. Now keep him covered and march him down to the dining-room, and stand him a drink till I can get round. Lock the door as you go out, and stick to that key yourself. Is Ted hurt much?" "Comin' to, I think," the ex-bruiser replied. 'VTwqyjdn't have happened like .this if we could both have got at his lordship at once, but these dratted back stairs were too narrow. We had to take him one at a time, and he floored Ted atop of mc." "All right, we'll argue it below. Now, I ta-ta, Hooly. You'd better skip while 1 you've got a whole skin, and you must be uncommon thirsty." "I am that," muttered Hooligan, and With a last vicious scowl at his rescued victim he beat an ignominious retreat, covered by Brummageni Jem's pistol. Mother Fury remained at the window till the click of the lock had told her that the door was secured, and then, without a word to the captive, she descended the ladder, removed it, and was heard to enter the back door. After which Nance Beauchamp, strong, coun-try-bred girl as she was, fell for the first and last" time in her life on the bed in a swoon which gradually. gave place to a troubled sleep. v When she awoke it was broad daylight, and the blackbirds and thrushes in the surrounding thickets of the tangled garden were chanting their morning hymn. At first the events of the past night seemed part of her recent dreams, but it was not long before realisation broke in upon her. Strange to say, thankful though she was for the intervention of Mother Fury, this protection at the hands of those chiefly responsible for her detention seemed full of sinister menace. For what fate was she so carefully guarded by people who, instinct told her, would commit any crime for gold? The question received no hint of an answer when Mother Fury came in with her breakfast, for that evil woman was more than usually uncommunicative, and made no reference to the tumult of the preceding night. To Nance's pathetic appeal for an assurance that the scene would not be repeated she turned a deaf ear and went out, smiling darkly. All that day and the.next, which was Tuesday, the same doubt and uncertainty prevailed, and to Nance's vague fears on her own behalf was added the distracting knowledge that that very night the base device for robbing her lover of the chance of retrieving his fortunes would be put into practice. Some time before midnight, at Nathans' bidding, Frank Bremner wouldnerform the thankless task of removing'" , Starlight from the training stables, armed with all the authority of the law. When Air. Tidmarsh, on the eventful evening of her ensnarement, had divulged Tannadyce's intentions, as picked up by him at Nathans' and pieced together by Bremner, it had been in her mind to warn Sir Charles Roylance at the meeting which she expected to have with him on the following day. Forearmed with a knowledge of the mean project, that astute trainer, Tom Barron, might have devised an expedient for defeating it. That would now be impossible. In a few hours the sheriff's officer, personally conducted by the lawyers' clerk, wpuld swoop down unexpectedly on the training stables, and Barron would have to comply with the legal demands. A thousandfold she regretted that she had not writ-

ten full .particulars to Sir Charles the moment they were told to her. The slow day,dragged wearily to evening, and Nance went and sat at her barred window, with its limited horizon of 3heds and spreading foliage. She was 'looking forward to the night with re-' newed apprehension, for distant sounds of riotous uproar, snatches of vulgar songs and ribald laughter, which had begun early in the afternoon, were rising in increasing volume from the front of the house. The inauguration of such an orgy seemed to point to the healing of the breach between the two factions of her tormentors. It was true the same thing had happened on the previous evening in a minor degree, and nothing had come of it, but it had been nothing like the boisterous saturnalia now raging below. i Suddenly, through the back \ door, Moses Cohen shuffled out into" the yard, and, looking up at the window, placed a shrivelled finger to his lips. Having thus enjoined the need for secrecy, he ran like an elderly monkey to. the coal-shed, and returned with a lump of ■ coal, round wliich he wrapped a piece of paper, and stood, a ludicrous figure, in the attitude of one about to throw. Nance nodded, caught the missile, and sihiled gratefully down at her faithful correspondent, who, with further signs for silence, glided back into the house. Moses Cohen's latest production ran as follows: — "Respected and Beautiful Miss, —At great hazards I write this to advise you that in my opinion there is mischief brewing for to-night. What shape it will take I cannot say, for it is impossible to fathom the real relations existing between the parties. I give you tin? facts,, so that you may perchance see them clearer than I can. Since \he fight the night before last they have all appeared to make friends, but towards the close of each day the others have striven to make Mr Hooly drunk. They; have not found it a hard job to make him drink, - but it takes a deal to incapacitate him, which for some reason seems to be their object. "Somewhat curiously, owing to my proffering my feeble help when Hooly made his dastardly attempt* on your room, having found another key which fitted your door, the others treat mc with increased respect and confidence. That hateful woman said to mc to-day, as if she expected mc to understand: 'The rocket is sure to be fired to-night; we must be read; to flit.' I nodded as though fully comprehending, though it was as Greek to mc. Her words, however, seem to indicate an impending climax, and you would do well, dear,miss, to be prepared, though God knows how or what for. It is just possible that some circumstances may arise of which you may be able to take an advantage. Would that a braver heart, a shrewder head, and h. stouter arm than mine were at your service, for I fear that I cannot comfort you with the' assurance that Mother Fury and the pugilists mean anything but harm to you in spite of conduct the other night. Their conversation, when Hooly is not present, implies some deep-laid wickedness, the discussion of which entails the frequent mention of your name. Indeed,' the woman strikes one as a malignant fiend in female shape who loves evil-doing for its own sake. "My faith, my child, is not your faith,, but I commend you to the Great Creator who watches over all. » "M.C." Nance was touched with the old man's solicitude, but more than ever alarmed by i = :hJ3.;news. -The M as tervJ©^d^hp : had' planed her capture and* ifls - g p€&r' ing all these puppets must have some "deeper scheme than preventing terferenee in the Starlight scheme which, her instinct told her, affected her honour as a woman. Not much time was allowed her for consideration of tbe old Israelite's letter. She was perusing it for the second time, trying to read "between the lines," when "the well-known footstep of Mother Fury outside caused her hastily to conceal it. The mulatto unlocked the door and entered. "Come with mc," was her curt order, accompanied by » keen glance round [ the little room. Nance could hardly believe her ears, her heart beating wildly in the hope that her release was at hand. All willingy she obeyed, and followed her hideous conductress from the scene of those miserable three days along several uncarpeted passages till they came to a spacious landing at the head of the main staircase. But here her sanguine expectations were cruelly brought to an end. Instead of descending the stairs the woman stopped short at_th« door of one of the principal rooms and beckoned her into it. "A change of quarters will do. you good," she sneered, and, going out, promptly locked the doorGulping down her tears of disappointment, Nance proceeded to look around her new prison, and she at once saw that for comfort it was far superior to the cramped back room in which she had hitherto been confined- It was a fairly large apartment, with pretentions to a better style of furnishing, though, like everything in the house, each article was' moth-eaten and mouldy. But her troubled gaze, ranging round the unfamiliar surroundings, lighten on a discovery which drew from ber a little cry of satisfaction. There were heavy bolts top and bottom on the inside of the door, so that it was her power to barricade herself against intruders. Little thinking that the room had been selected for its purpose because those very bolts would lend colour to the story of her enemies, she hastened to shoot them home, and felt safer than since her capture. Again at the window what at first sight seemed a pleasant surprise was in store for her. Here there were no bars, and clustering thickly round was a wealth of gnarled ivy, which would be as good as a ladder to one-who had climbed every apple tree in the old orchard at Beauchamp Grange. Cautiously opening the casement,, she peered out in the fast-falling twilight, only to draw back instantly with a short catch of her breath. Immediately be'ow her window, standing on the broad moss-grown path that encircled the hou;? were Ted the Pounder and Brummagi-'.Ti Jem, not looking up at her, but conversing in low tones with some one at the open French Window of the room below. <To be continued daily.)