THE LUST OF HATE

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 19

THE LUST OF HATE

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BY ALAN H. BtmOOYlfE.

inthor of "Trafalgar Refought," "The War Inevitable," etc. CHAPTER XXHI. SBE SECRET OF THE HELL-HOLE QUARRY. Ko words can give mc power to express my feelings as I stood there gazing on my dead companion. To mc it came home, in vivid thought, that he had, unknowing, died for mc.

At my orders, my wireless operator hid got into touch with the shore and given a rough outline of what had occurred; Instantly the police and the populace up the river were on the alert, mid it seenird impossible the murderer could escape. Vet, when four hours liter I wirelessed for news, no Bign even of the launch had been found. The man, whosoever he might be, would seem to hTC vanished as some phantom into the

air itself. ' A special train conveyed poor Oliver jo town, and he received a burial deserving of hio life—and even more deserving of his dontli. At the Very moment, almost, that tlie lust rites wore l>piug perforoied ovor him, onmo a message giving tbclrst chic <o the vrny in which the murderer had escaped, and, more important still, dißClosinpr his identity. The local paper published im account from which the following facts are taken. A party of picnickers, friends of Mr. Bftne-Hal'l, of Bere Place, left at about eleven o'clock on their host's steam launch "Mary" for Hurlston Reaches, where, in addition to fishing and shooting it was intended to take lunch on a neighbouring flat. One member of the party, Mr. Harry Ogle, accompanied by Mice Phyllis Power, set out along the river bank with their guns, on the look-out for wild duck, which frequent this district. After proceeding perhaps a mile they came to Qnarry Creek, and, skirting along it to find a suitable crossing place (for it was lo# water) were surprised to see the flat stern of a boat sticking out from behind & clump of bushes. Mr. Ogle hurried forward and presently woe standing on the hydroplane motor boat " Stirimper," the little sliip in which the assaßsiu had made off. Her nose

was tightly wedged between two stumps of a tree-root, and, her stern falling p with the tide, the next flood had swamped ' J her, thus accounting for the fact that the diligent search made by the authorities 't-* search including quarry creek — falied to be successful. Mr. Ogle and his .; companion, recognising the importance of their find, set off for the camp, which they reached in about twenty minutes. . ■ Having given their news, eight of the party started off to hunt the country - irinnlediately surrounding the creek, I whilst the remaining two of them took the launch back to town to lay the in- * formation before the police. For several I hourS they searched in every direction, and at last, though the futility of it was emphasised by his companions, Mr. Ogle :{■ insisted upon descending the Hell-Hole i Quarry from which the creek derives Its I name. The path down is circuitous but not m stee-j., nor is the quarry itself deep. It B takes its name from the subterranean 1 cavern discovered there many years ago, and now the favourite resort of fossil- • hunters. Mr. Ogle had been gone about twenty minutes, when bis friends, standing on the quarry edge, saw him rush from the cavern, now half-hidden by brushwood and blackberry bushes, shouting and waving his hands. He was cviT . dently in a distressed state, and three of the gentieraen descended in answer to his gesticulations. On reaching him, his ruffled hair anil • :y*Mte fa<;e testified to an unusual shock a.nd he greeted them with the remark: "Good God! you fellows, there's been another bloody murder committed." "What?" cried the new-comers, with one voice.

"Yea, in the cave; he's naked and feirfafly hacked about the body!" . - (Filled with apprehension the party proceeded an the direction indicated, anil, having ente the cave, lit several •Batches. .;-,'"Ecrand that corner," said Mr. Ogle, •pointing -to a sharp bend to the right, "on a low shelf!" I Stepping forward, Mt. Rane-Dall in front, they lit two bundles of matches, •and exclamations of horror came from [them as they saw that which lay on : J the slimy lard rock. I It -was the body of a well-mado, muscular man, apparently about forty years-of age. He was' naked, but for a pair of gore-stained pants, and rested ;Mi his tack, the blare of the matches glinting off the pupils of his wide-open, lear-fllled eyes. Three ghastly wounds, ■;Sorted black with ■congealed blood, show- ,, «d on ihis broad chest, whilst ibis throat W 'been cut on the right eide from ™c ear to the cijntre. Bruises on his :™d- tleeh shewed, whre, having r .*-< Uuxß, ixam a fist bad bun

given before the dagger was used. All this was taken in at & glance, and it was seen, too, that a -heap of clothes lay on the floor. Relays of matches soon brought the supply carried to an end, and, just as lie was lighting his last three, Mr. Ogle said: "We must get out now; we'll take these clothes with us and examine them in the daylight." "No!" said Mr. Rane-Hall, putting out a restraining arm; "leave them as they are until fche polrce have eeen them. They should It here by now. Come along!" Coniing out of the quarry, and returning to their base, the launch was seen just trounding a bend, and in her were Superintendent Harris, Inspector Carlyon and P.CVs Onnn*ncy and Jones. After a sandwich and a glass of wine, the whole party set off at on«e again for the quttrry, which is nearly two miles inland. Tftio inspector had provided ropes and lights, and, with the aid of the latter, an entrance -was so-on effected into the cavern.

In the yellow rays of the oil wicks the corpse appeared even more ghastly than •had been the case when first viewed, The stronger light, too, showed traces of a violent struggle on the floor, the mud of which was trodden and splashed in all directions. After a minute examination, the superintendent directed ■his men to remove the body outside, he and the inspector following with the bundle of clothes. P.C. Jones had been carefully regarding the face of the murdered man and pulling at the ecrubbly beard around his chin. He turned to the inspector, and touched hie helmet. "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but I think I know who 'this gentleman is!" he eaid. "Indeed, Jones?"', queried Inspector Carlyoji in reply. • . "Yessir, it's a Mr. .Tessop as come to lodge with Mrs Meekine of Rose Cottage. I did hear he was a professor of something from Oxford or Cambridge College or thereaboutsMirs MeeWns told mc he was a 'dun' or 'doon,' whatstnnever that 'ud foe!" "By heavens! you must mean Professor Healy Jessop, the geologist, a. Fellow of Queen's, Oxford. Yes, that would be he!" It was Mr Heaven who spoke, another member of Mr Rane-Hall'e party. "Did, you know him, sir?" asked the inspector. " Aye! that T did," came the reply, "but I may well l>e forgiven in not recognising him now. 'He had a moustache in my dey. But what a powerful j man his opponent mii&t have been! .Tes-1 sop was accounted one of the finest athletes of his time!" "Best coverjwm up and get him to the launch. Here ypu, Jones and Ommaney, sling the poor fellow between you and go slowly back to camp. Well follow on." The two constables started away with their dreadful burden, and then the superintendent turned -tot those around ■him.

"I've been going through these clothes. They didn't belong to the Professor, that's certain! See, it's a naval uniform; German, by the look of it. I saw the gold lace nnd buttons in the cave, but didn't say anything till I'd had a good l»ok. Didn't empty the pockets either, though "there's no money. He probably took that!" "Any papers of interest?" asked Mr Rane-Hall.

"Plenty of letters—all German—and so can't say, eir. Can any of you gentlemen translate it?"

"Yes, give them to mc." It was Mr Ogle yrho spoke, he being proficient in many languages- He glanced at one after the other, closely ■watcned by his friends. "There are only two of this handle that seem worth while, one an official communication from the German War Office, and the other a postcard he was' intending to post over here, I ehould think. This is a rough translation of the first: "To the Herr Captain yon Holbach, 84th Regiment (35th Brigade). Army Order Is T o. 1226, A.V.—Circulated with Official Memoranda. '* "Captain Heinrich vop Holbaoh. 84th Regiment (35th Brigade), is, as from this date, diemieeed the forces of His High Majesty, the Kaiser, and deprived of all rank, privileges, and orders. Offence— false information as to the strength of the enemy's forces and misleading reports prior to the outbreak of hostilities. "By Order of 'the General Staff, "Hermann Albert Potz-zu-Mulhausen, "Furst, Field Marshal. '•And the postcard i 3 addressed to Fritz yon Abertahl, Kapitan-zur-See. It reads: "Well-beloved Fritz,

'•They have downed mc this time and I'm nearly mad with chagrin. Everything lias gone, wrong since I lost my letters at Portsmouth, and by God! I mean to have my revenge. If I hang for it, I'll kill those damned Englishmen, Martin and Foster; to them I owe my present state, and I won't rest till they are dead. Watch the. English papers— not for long will my name bo out of them- You know my mild mood.?. Fritz this is the worst that has over possessed mc. Pray for my soul,, and for their eternal damnation. "Your old comrade, "Heinrich." "A pleasant and congenial character!" jf»ua the iacMefcoz.

"But we know who to look for now," said Mr Ogle; "this is the fellow that Hew off with Miss Martin some months back, and in regard to which affair the papers made a nine days' wonder." "Therefore, keep a watch on Commander Martin." said the superintendent, as they all walked towards the, launch. The murderer was traced to London, and there lost altogether. He evidently killed Professor Healy Jessop for the sake of his clothes, and also took somo forty pounds in notes which he waa known to have on hhn. Walking to the nearest station. Wheldon Marsh, he entrained for London, and, having purchased more clothes and sojd those of the murdered man, entirely disappeared. CHAPTER XXIV. I MEET VOX HOLBACH FACK TO FACE. My thoughts when firet the facts narrated in the last chapter were brought to my notice, may well be imagined. Foster, too, was under the ban of this madman's hatred, and an instincth-e feeling gained 'strength hourly within mc that the episode was not yet closed and that more—possibly a tragic more—would come of the vow of my enemy. This did not, however, interfere with the immediate project 1 had in viewhow could it indeed, when 'twas my marriage to my life'a love, .Joan HamptonFor the consummation of this, my dearest wish, Whitehall (now that ithe war wae over) had granted m« long leave. Nor was th« affair puroiy a personal one, einee my little sister Hazel, dearest of little women, and nest to mjfNToAn, the sweetest of all her sex. had designs on the free dom of Billy Faster. Soon aft,er the termination of hostilities, the two girls, Billy ami I found ourselves at ray old homy. A short and earnest chat with my future father-in-law discovered a day suitable for all parties, and in the result, sleepy Bedhampton wae promised an excitement the liko of which had never •before 'been seen, to wit, a double wed-

ding. What a going and a coining that meant—dresses, furtelows, what-nots for the ladies; tail eouts, to|>liats, and other elaborate equipment for ißSlly and mc. this and a course of aeronautics for both of lie on my new Valkyrie monoplane, kept us fairly busy during the lon» three weeks ere each of us wae to became a married man. But a summons took mc to Ixmdon before the great day came. London.

It was changed, and theTe wa« a graver totrch over all even on that brilliant day of a review of the . Horse fiuards Parade •where the King inspected the veterans of the war.

A •wonderful morning in early s-prin/r i with the air full of music and the scent ' of flowers. Amongst the thousands of i men on parade were contingent* from the Nevy, including those who had been drafted for service on land. The King spoke, ami in the transparent air his words rang clear —an exhortation to his people to stand true for (lie old land for ever. There wore individual presentations, too, and honours to be given; my turn came, for the work which Rorke and 1 had done had heeu bruited abroad with shameless publicity, much to my disgnet. 'I am proud to shake you by hand. Captain Martin, and hope you 'will attach yourself to my person ac extra naval aide-de-camp," said His Majesty. "You ■helped to save us by your courage, when the outlook was dark." I took the King's white glored hand and bent low over it, murmuring words of thanks. '"Captain! -, said the King musingly. "Not enough, my dear fellow." Then a second later I felt the flat of a sword rest lightly on my shoulder and heard the added words: "Rise, Sir .John Martin—and no honour more richly merited." No time for words then. I rose as the music filled the vast square again, my heart -was too full.

It was ow. Old comrades in arms were round mc, offering congratulations, but after all what was it? I felt ashamed as I turned to salute the me-1 mory of my brave old companion, ißorke, who had died like thousands more for King jund country. ■At last, ac is tlip wont in such mat ters. the great day did come round. Of my feelings as 1 held my darling's hand, I can write nothing coherent. This Ido recall, however, that to mc in that svreot, old-world church, there was but one person —'Joan; I saw as in a idroam }rcr gentle old father giving us his Messing and surmised Hie villagers filled the seats behind us. Th<?y tell mc Bi'ly and Hazel were married at the same tint?!

Well! I had no ey-os for them—for I swear to Heaven no man has known the exquisite ji>y of 'that first ki-S5 1 save my Joan as the great closed ear canied us" both, man and wife, the few hundred yards from chirri-li to IForW Cop?i'. At last she and 1 wero wed. ''Little eweclheart ii' mint , ." I rcnipm-

■ber saying.''at last I 'have you fast: <-od bless you for the happiness you bring me! - ' ; And so I am told in these many days afterwards, I seized her unresisting in my arms before any that might care to look and gave her a-great, loving hug i telling of. n% adomtioa and pusioß. Site

mv- Joan, belonged to mc body and soul, mid 1 liked that all the world should son it, and cared nothing what their .thoughts might bo. Twos l>ut a few minutes to the houseminutes '«f necbaT bliss, full of

the honey of life and redolent of «\ve.et ■ promise for the future —and there wn found tenants in their scores to we!come tho now "My Lady , ' come so happily among them. A breakfast—aye! a real old wedding ■breakfast—followed, and then to London Town and cwwy o»pon a voyage de :ioee replete 'with thf seven heavens of cestaey and delight, dra<win£ closer the enchantment in which euch of us held the other, confirming for mc at least tho hopes and joys I had farmed of sweet association with one so dear to mc.

Then home—to life's long honeymoon w< , fondly bolieived. Three weeks of untold blips, three weeks — too short, leaving an eradica-ble memory on the heart. With each minute had my wife £rorivn more to mc, more dear, more loving, more previous, more inexpressibly necessary to my very being and c'en to my living. Tiien —to write of it even yet, though ■Toan is by mc now (well, and sweet as love to look upon!) makes mc feel some anguish, for that day— the tenants' garden paTty. It was old .Jamoe' iaea. an 1 a right one too, though in its sequel (brought him hie death. After ■the ioyneynioon we "were to invite Iho whole neighbourhood to a fete without prrcetlent ; in the history of Hampshire. My instructions to Robins (my Uailifl) and to James wen , "do it as the Admiral would have had it done." And so 'twas arranged. (To be continued next Saturday.)