THE ENCHANTED PERIL.

Auckland Star, Volume 246, Issue 246, 16 October 1926, Page 32

THE ENCHANTED PERIL.

BY WILLIAM LE QTTETJX.

CHAPTER XXX. Warrin£ton Wins Again. Dr. Warringford returned to his house a little before twelve o'clock. At that hour Conrad Pears arrived and was shown into the study, where the doctor, smoking an excellent cigar, was awaiting him. "Fetter and Cooke are outside in the taxi," he said. "1 know you don't want them in till you are ready." "That's clever of you. Conrad," said Warringford. "They are hardly the type one wishes in one's house longer than can be helped." At that moment Mellor entered the room bearing a tray of sandwiches which Warringford" had ordered previously. "I mustn't forget the creature needs of my guest." said the doctor as he took the tray into the inner room, carefully closing "the door behind him. A . few moments later he reappeared. '■1 shall be some little time in here," he said. '•Perhaps you will go and tell the others, in case they're impatient. Come back yourself and wait here. I want to have a talk with you." Pears did as he was told and the doctor returned to the other room. "I promised you that your bonds should be loosed before morning," he said to Sennett. "and Pm going to keep my promise. Unfortunately it isn't possible for mc to keep you under this roof, so I am asking two friends of mine to look after you at their town house. They will make you quite comfortable." There was a malicious grin on Warring" ord's face as he spoke. Sennett noticed it. "I don't quite know what your game is. but I do wish you'd get on with it," he said tersely. 'T know you well enough to discount your efforts in the cause of my comfort. What are you sroinfr to do?" '•Well, as a matter of fact, I'm going to drug you again," replied Warringford. "You've asked mc to get on with it, and I'm taking you at your word. How about this drugging? I can either render vo« unconscious by means of my little temple over there, or I can give you a couple of tablets which will produce the same effect. It has to be one or the other. I give you your choice but don't try to play any tricks." "Your generosity is refreshing," said Sennett with a smile. "When you first mentioned drugging mc I thought you intended to start that abominable oilstove going again. The tablets for m« every time." "Very well, you shall have the tablets, 1 answered Warringford, handing the tablets to him. "Please take them with s Little wine, unless you can swallow then without." "Thanks. 11l have the wine afterwards," said Peter. The doctor watched Sennett take th< tablets; then he poured out a glass o; wine and handed it to him. It was nol long before Peter felt the effect of th( drug. He did not fear it. He knew th< doctor did not intend to kill him, and since he was in Warringford's power s< completely, he was content to let hin have his "way. Presently his conscious ness began to slip from him, and withii a-quarter of an hour of his taking th< tablets Warringford had walked fron his presence, leaving him in a coma whicl would last an hour or more. He found Conrad Pears waitinj patiently in the study. "Is everything all right at Shadwell? : asked Warringford, seating himself a his desk. "Y*ou are responsible, yoi know. Is the room in proper order?" "Everything's all right," answere< Pears. "Good," said the doctor, "then you cai dismiss the matter from your mind." A look of disappointment oversprea< Pears' face. The doctor was quick tnotice it. "Ah, you would have liked to have hai a finger in this little pie," he said, "bu I'm afraid it cannot be. I have anothe little pie for you to put your finger maa much richer pie. Incidentally, I rel; upon you not to be inquisitive." "Very well, what's the other job ye want mc to do," he said, endeavouring t appear unconcerned. "It's rather a delicate job," said th doctor, "and you'll need a little helf You'll have to take a fairly strong con panion with you- Now who is ther whom you could take, I wonder?" "It's no good suggesting Cooke, suppose," ventured Pears, knowing tha if real danger threatened he would hay a sure protection in the rough felloe waiting outside. ""Not a bit of good," snapped th doctor. "What about Bird ?" Wouldh he do?" Warringford was referring to a ma of that name who lived in Pimlico. H had once been valet to a well-know statesman, and for that reason Warrino ford had inveigled him into hie hous and placed him under the influence c The Enchanted Peril. The result wa that, although the doctor learnt littl about the statesman, he learnt a goo ! deal about the valet, who confessed t ; having taken part in a robbery wit violence, for which his confederate ha received a long sentence and twent strokes of the "cat." Mr. Bird, therefon who was no longer in gentlemen's sei vice, was not avense to serving Di ' Warringford when the latter on occasio demanded it. ! "I daresay Bird would do," sai Pears, "thought you know best, seem i that you haven't yet told mc what th jobs is. What is it?" 1 "It's the small matter of an exhum£ I tion," said the doctor, allowing his eyi | lids slowly to close, as he waited fo Pears to get over the shock. "Look here, you —you're joking. ' exclaimed the latter. "You can't expec | mc to be mixed up in a thing like that. 1 "I'm afraid I do," answered th j doctor. "It happens to be very importai Ito mc that the body of a certain ol lady shouid disappear-" "And you want mc to become a bodi s atcher,"do you? Well, I> not going to. Pears' face had become crimson, an >c had leapt to his feet. SteaJthil; ,'lmost imperceptibly, Warringford too from his pocket a miniature pistol. 1 "This is a little air pistol," he sah I "It fires a poisoned dart, which, if i punctures a person, kills him stone deai II only got it * -day. The pistol was mac j for mc in London. I get the darts froi I abroad. Of course. Fm not going to U: j it on you, but you looked so threatenin, I Conrad, that I had to get it out and sho iit to you." ■ At the sight of the little weapo j which barely exceeded three inches i j length. Conrad Pears had sunk back i his chair. "I—l wasnt threatening you," 1 I stammered, "but there's a limit to wh; , n chap can stand. I almost wish vt would put one of your cursed dar into mc mid pet it over." "About this—this exhumation," sa Pears presently. 'I can't do it. I real < 'can't- I'm not a coward, hut graves 5 |and bodies —ughl"

"Suiely bodies don't worry you, do T they V asked Warringford, eyeing him | carefully. "Didn't you once " ln "Don't brir-j; that up again," cried i w Pears. "Tell mc more about this other jat thing. Then 111 tell you definitely ii |pl 111 do it. Perhapi if Bird's with me — | m perhaps he's good at exhumations." i ;? ••Don't be so confoundedly nervous," jXc exclaimed the doctor. "'I want you to go j .: to a certain village in Kent, which ha» Ijy a cemetery some little distance from the I village, i" think the churchyard became | _ over full a number of years ago: hence j the cemetery. Anyhow, it's a nice f secluded epot, and with a half moon j such as we have these nights, it should I be —why, my dear Pears, it should be quite a pleasan- task." Pears writhed in his chair as the ; I doctor continued to explain. | "The village will be in bed by ten j o'clock, and there will only be one police- 1 I man on duty, at any rate. Keep an 'eve for "him and you'll be all-right. It will only take you a few hours to dig down, and'youll have ropes and--" "But supposing we do this, what are we to do with the old lady*" "Bring her here. I'll provide you with a car by giving you the money to hire one, and'leave a deposit. When you return you can drive into my garage here and , "leave the rest to me-" -All right, I'll try it," said Pears. "Good" said the doctor. "The name of the village is Bilstead. It lies south of Rochester. 11l show it to you later on the map. The grave is at the extreme north end of the cemetery, and is t covered by a slab. The name on the slab is 'Sennerc.' " At the mention of the name, Pears started violently. ( "Come round and see mc in the mornins," continued Warringford, "and I will <rive you final instructions and some the hire of the car and for yourself and Bird. You will, oi course, "see him in the meantime. Xow tell . ' Cooke and Fetter that I'm ready for them. Ask Mellor to bring them up here." So saying the doctor watched Pears depart. Then he walked round the room, j • j rubbing his hands in quiet satisfaction- - Could it be possible that Pears would j ' succeed? . i Warringford was interrupted in his ' | thoughts by the appearance of Fetter ' I and Cooke. They differed vastly from ' his last visitor. Fetter, even though he ' had made some attempt to look respect- i ! able, had a disreputable and unkempt | ' | appearance, whilst the burly _ Cooke.. I though cleaner than his companion, had i crime stamped clearly upon him. 1 j "Good evening, gentlemen." said War1 ' ringford pleasantly. "I'm sorry to have \ I kept you waiting." , ' Then he drew out ten five pound notes ■j and handed five to each of them "That is what I paid you the lastime," he said, "with an equal sum; when your—er —visitor departs." Fetter and Cooke thanked him: then. waited for his instructions. "The gentleman who is coming to , P reside with you," said the doctor, ":* f in the next room. I will just lock in an 1 t see if he is ready." i c So saying he crossed the room an.! c cautiously opened the heavily-felted door. L, (To be continued daily.) ' I n