THE SINS OF SEPTUS CREWE

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 273, 18 November 1927, Page 16

THE SINS OF SEPTUS CREWE

CHAPTER XXI. Bluff and Counter-Bluff.

Captain Fratson advised Vivian that it would be better 'to be ready, and all bands donned naval uniform. It was obvious that it was not the first occasion upon which they had resorted to this procedure, for the whole crew

seemed perfectly at home in their well-

worn "ducks." Several suits were laid out for Vivian, and he eventually chose the one which most nearly fitted him. Putting on naval uniform, with no warrant—

except that Septimus Crewe had ordered it—brought back all Vivian's fears, but only momentarily. He reflected that it was for a good purpose—no less than rescuing Viola from the hands of

unscrupulous people. Moreover, the extraordinary incident of the Foreign Office intervention was again borne upon him. It m%ht well be that Septimus Crewe wa? entitled to use naval uniforms. Vivian had heard strange tales of special facilities of all sorts granted to the Secret Service. What if Crewe were an important official of the Secret Service? Having dressed himself in the naval officer's suit, and gingerly handled the small revolver which he slipped into his pocket, Vivian returned to the bridge, where he saw Captain Fratson closely examining the small vessel just visible through the glasses. *

"She's the brigantine right enough," he said, handing the glasses to Vivian, who adjusted the focus of his sight, and, getting used to the motion of the vessel, could, between bumps as she rose and fell, just distinguish a long, low craft, with all sails set, flying before the strong wind. "Do you think we shall have any difficulty in getting aboard?" he asked. "None," replied the captain. "We will wait until night falls, close up to her, and pull her,up." "But will she stop?" inquired Vivian. "It'll be a bad job for her if she doesn't!" retorted Fratson grimly, nodding towards the bow, where Vivian saw the gun had been raised from the hidden chamber on hydraulic lift, and was stripped ready for action, with its crew of three men standing by.

"Now you take my tip, sir," he continued. "When I send you aboard, you keep Murgatroyd by you all the time. He's been in a thousand rough houses, and he can tackle a regiment. As soon as your boat gets alongside, let a couple of lads precede you, and Roberts, the wireless man, who will go st-raiglit to their wireless room, and knock that up —if necessary. You leave the handling of the old captain in Second Officer Hamlyn's hands. All you ha\*£ to do is to go round with Murgatroyd. He's a regular bloodhound at a search." Vivian agreed to follow the captain's instructions to the letter.

"And don't forget to look the part," went on the captain. "Remember, in any case, whether the girl is aboard or not, the Flamingo is a crook outfit— chartered by people who can't squeal. You're perfectly safe." Vivian nodded, and, keenly excited, watched the distance decrease between the two ships as night closed down and the captain pressed the bell signals for half-speed;—he had been steaming at a quarter.

Presently Vivian heard the hail, "Hard a'starboard, sir!"

Captain Fratson had the helm put still closer over, and, lessening speed, brought the yacht witliin easy speaking distance of the Flamingo. P After the ordinary exchanges had been made between the two vessels, Captain * 1 atson intimated that he was sendin" a party to search for Viola Kent. ° good," replied Captain Mercer. I shall- want to sfee your warrant, and report the interference. We have no woman aboard this ship." "Cunning old bluffer," confided Fratson to Vivian. "Watch j'ourself for all you're worth, and make a most rigidly careful search."

! The boat was lowered, and Vivian i departed, with the seaman Murgatroyd beside him, and a boarding party in charge of the second officer. "Ive got a gun trained on you!" yeiled t rat son through a megaphone. Only one ?" came the sarcastic response of Captain Mercer. Arriving at the Flamingo's side, the boat was fastened to, and two sailors immediately hopped up the low side, ignoring the rope ladder which was lowered to them. Roberts, the wireless m a-n, followed; then the second officer, with Vivian behind him and Murgatroyd at his side, followed by the rest of the party, leaving two men in the boat. "Are you in charge, sir?" asked Captain Mercer of Vivian, noticing his lieutenant's uniform.

Vivian replied in the affirmative. "And," he added, "I'm going to search the ship for a lady called Viola Kent, who is known to be aboard."

Without a tremor, Captain Mercer replied:

"Where's your warrant. No woman is aboard this ship." <^er ® B the warrant, old 'un," put in Murgatroyd, playfully digging Mercer in the ribs with his revolver, "and it goes off, see?" Murgatroyd fired a shot into the air. Instantly a movement forward was made by every man standing round the captain, and, at the same moment, every member of the boarding party presented a revolver., Hp The second officer, Hamlyn, now took v^ 11 Mercer >" he said, "we want no slundy, but we're ready for it." Stepping forward, he continued: "You «£r W , 0T e are now > don't you ?" I knew it all along," replied the old < J, pttun - £0 J 0 " think I fell f or that Admiralty bluff?"

Well, we re just about five to one and we ve got a nice little pea-shooter covering you at a point about six inches below the water line, savvy?" Mercer was silent. "Would you like to hear the pea-shooter?" Hamlyn taunted him. What is' the game, anyway?" demanded Captain Mercer. "We've <*ot no woman here." 0

replied Hamlyn, "we're here just to make sure."

"Come on, sir," said Murgatroyd, and Vivian accompanied him to the poop. They searched the captain's cabin, then proceeded to the cabin that had been occupied by Viola. Murgatroyd iinmediately said: "This is it—see? There's been a woman in here. I can tell by the smell of perfume. She's been a-using of some scent."

Vigorously they searched, bat found nothing. Next they went to the main hold, where they had the hatches opened and the cargo carefully examined. Here they drew a blank. For two hours, with lamps, they examined everything, but all to no purpose. .Three times did Murgatroyd insist on going back to the cabin Viola had occupicd.

"I tell you there's been a gal in there, sir," he repeated over and over again to Vivian.

"But where is she now ?" Vivian asked, for although he also thought at first be detected a slight scent in the cabin, lie was confronted by the fact that they had searched every nook and cranny of the ship and failed to lind her.

The second officer, Hamlyn, returned, and approached Vivian. "I'm afraid we've drawn a blank here, sir," he said.

Captain Mercer watched grimly as they made their preparations to depart.

"If 1 miss anything I'll put the bill in U- your owners." he railed, as they departed.

Immediately Vivian returned, he consulted Captain Fiatson, who agreed Viola could not be aboard if they had •searched as keenly as they had. Only Murgatroyd differed.

"That gal's on tliat ship," he said, and nothing would move him. He felt she had been in the cabin, and was even then somewhere hidden.

"But you've searched every inch of her," returned Fratson; "she can't melt into the air. If you can't find her, she's not on the ship—that's all."

After consultation they sent a wireless in code to Septimus Crewe, informing him of their failure with the Flamingo, and their intention to proceed to the' route of the Ming.

Septimus Crewe read tlieir cable in deep annoyance. Somehow he felt this scarch might and would have been.more exacting if he had been there. He did j not blame anybody, but the fact that I Murgatroyd had strongly sensed the presence of Viola, convinced him she was there. He could, and would, have the Flamingo searched again, but the cunning old fox, Mercer, would probably take the opportunity afforded him in the meantime of disposing of Viola, and thus actually be clear if searched. John Vivian had done all that could be expected, of him, but in view of Murgatroyd's sense of presence, deep rooted on instinct, he, Mr. Crewe, would have gone much further He would have made the old captain speak right enough—there were means of making men speak. . . Crewe's face had a grim look as Sing entered the room. °

Sing's eyes were unusually glittering, and he paused the slightest moment, as if for effect, as he produced four long narrow red strips, covered with Chinese characters (in reality they represented the orthodox visiting card of the highest orders in China).

"The Exalted Mandarin Wah-Sen-Li."

"What?" asked Crewe, starting forward and grabbing the strips. "Great heavens!" he muttered to himself. "This is in the open with a vengeance—in my very house." He turned to Sing. "My secretary," he said, "and show his Excellency Wah-Sen-Li in here."

"The exalted Mandarin has his suite with him," intimated Sing. "Shall I

"The exalted Mandarin can leave his suite where it is," said Crewe grimly. A moment after Sing had departed, Crewe's secretary entered. Crewe gave him some quick instructions, and he dashed off to perform them. Crewe's eyes were fixed on the door as the curtains parted, and Sing announced in Chinese:

"The noble and ' exalted Excellency the Mandarin Wah-Sen-Li."

Crewe bowed, as a youthful, slight figure entered the room. Thin to the point almost of emaciation, high forehead, aquiline features, weak, glinting eyes, protected by horn-rimmed spectacles, the young Mandarin in Chinese dress wore the dark blue of his rank. As Crewe gazed on him he reflected that weak as the Mandarin looked, there was' much behind that high forehead. This descendant of a thousand mandarins had deceived many brilliant statesmen bv his apparent simplicity. j In perfect and dignified Chinese, Crewe addressed him.

"My vile and miserably poor hovel is indeed enriched that one so Heavenborn and high should deign to set honourable foot" in it."

"Good morning! My enemy," came the unexpected reply in perfect English, with just a suspicion of an Oxford accent in the rather high-pitched voice. - (To be continued daily.)