THE VENGEANCE OF HOP F1.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 171, 21 July 1928, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE VENGEANCE OF HOP Fl.

I By PETER CHEYNEY.

CHAPTER XVI. [ Xtxt day, on my -way back to th-i office after lunch, I met Jevons. He \\a awaiting mo outside the entrance of Brennan's Buildimrs. His usual smile was absent, and he looked gloomy. He took me by the arm and led me away from Brennan's Buildings in th< direction of a tea shop. When we were seat'ed he took off his hat and mopped his brow. "Well, Mr. Relph," he said. "Things are pretty serious. They've got Stevens." "You mean Stevens' is—dead?" I asked. "That's it," he replied slowly. "Strangled—like the rest of tliem." He took out ihis tobacco pouch and tilled liis pipe. "Stevens wasn't really allotted to thiu case," he continued. "As you know, he was simply a plain clothes man from one of the West End stations, borrowed originally by Jarfray to keep an eye on Zweitt's room until Jaffray bad time tc go thr6ugh things taere. After Jaffray died I kept Stevens on because he was keen and because he wanted a chance to get his own back on the fellow wh doped him round at Poland Street. Well anyway, Stevens was pretty fed up with things after you had said that the Chinaman Ling was not the fellow we were after. Of course, he couldn't swear thai you were wrony. However, as vov know, I left instructions that Hop Fi's cafe was to be kept under observation, and Stevens, although he wasn't a loeai man. asked if he might have the job. He must have got pretty for lato last night he telephoned me at the Yai\! that he'd picked something up and wanted a car to meet him at Poplar at 12.30. This morning his body was found by the Frimley police in a field about half a mile from the village." "Frimley—that's funny," I said. "Tnat'a the place where I met Zweitt in the firet place." "Exactly," answered the inspector, "but that doesn't help me. It seetrns r me that Stevens must have picked u;> gome information or seen something which made him ring for that car in order to get down to Fritnley. In the meantime something else turns up and he gets down there by other means. Whar happened when he got down there no body knows, and it looks to me as if nobody Ls likely to know." . Jevons replaced his hat and after a little desultory conversation departed. I was not particularly excited by th news about Stevens. I had arrived at that state of mind when nothing would have surprised me, at tl|e same time 1 wondered what it was that he had discovered, which had made his prompt removal so necessary. The afternoon and evening passed uneventfully and at ten o'clock I caught the underground railway at Charing Cross and 23 minutes later was standing on the roadside opposite the stage door of the Poplar Hippodrome. I had not waited five minutes when 1 saw the Onlooker, accompanied by the lady who 1 now knew to be Harry Varney's sister, emerge from the stage door. The Onlooker looked across, and, recognising me, waved for me to join them. The next events 'happened so quickly that I could hardly believe my senses. Th© Onlooker had stepped off the pavement and had offered, his arm to the girl, when a long, low, grey car, with the blinds drawn, shot round th© corner and slowed down directly opposite me, blocking my view. I had just -time to see that two men sat in .front of the car, one driving and the other half standing by his side. Then I sensed some sort of scuffle on the other side of the car and saw the blinds which covered the windows on my side disarranged. Then, as quickly as it bad appeared, the car shot off and in a few seconds was swallowed up in the darkness of the ill-lit street. I stood on the pavement, not knowing what to do. My first thought was to endeavour to follow the car, but there was not a taxicab in sight and, in any case, I realised that, with the start which the abductors, had got, they would, in the powerful car, soon outdistance any taxicab which I might have secured. I had a horrible sinking feeling in my heart that with the capture of the Onlaker and the girl the whole business was hopeless. My next thought was to get Jevons on the telephone and tell him what had happened, but in a second I saw the impossibility of this scheme. First of all I pictured myself in a telephone box endeavouring to give an explanation of who and what the Onlooker was, together with a lot of other facts about which my own information was very vague, and secondly, supposing Jevons took it all for granted what in the name of goodness could he doT Suddenly I found myself thinking of Hop Fi. Although I had no definite reason to believe it a fact, yet I had already begun to look upon the fat Mandarin as a friend*. I have a good sense of location, and I knew that oncc I could find the local Limeliou.se jjolice station, I could manage to find my way to the Chinaman's cafe. As I hurried along I prayed that 1 might be in time, that Hop Fi would be able to suggest something, or do something. I remembered Salvatori, then Jaffray, then Zweitt, and, last of all, Steveris —found in a field—strangled. A policeman directed me to the substation at Limehouse. I soon found it. and, taking stock of my bearings, found my way through the twisted streets, wiiieh, as nearly as I could remember, hatl been our route on the night of the raid. After scurrying along for twenty minutes, half walking, half running, I came fo the cafe, and my heart stood still, for the doors were locked and bolted, and there was not a sign of life about the place. I approached the doors. Stuck across the panel was a roughlyprinted notice: "Closed, gone away." I retraced my steps to the main street, walked down the Causeway, and. finding a cab, ordered the driver to take me back to Berners Street. I don't think that I have ever felt so despondent in all my life as I jolted through Mile End on my way home. I was absolutely miserable. It was in this state of mind that I let myself into the flat. A light was on in the passage, and I was surprised to see that Conway's maid was up. As I closed the flat door she came into the hall. "There's a man to see you, sir," she said. "He's waiting in the study." I opened the study door. For some unknown reason I expected to see Jevons waiting for me, but I was mistaken. Sitting in front of the fire in his dirty overalls, his bowler hat still on his head, w«u the Chinaman—- T jng.

CHAPTER XVII. We looked at each other. Ling, his et-uliar grin upon his face, seemed lightly amused at my astonishment. "Well, Ling," I said. "What is it you vant?" His grin broadened. "What I wan'," he aid. "What you wan', you mean. Look/' le continued. "I know you go Poplar.. . . Mellican feller an' missy taken off in car. You go Hop Fi. Now, you come velly quick. Hop Fi say you come quick. Hop Fi always get what he want. You take my tip an' don' you let Hop Fi be angry!" "I've been looking for Hop Fi," I said. 'Where is he?" He got up and sauntered over to the door. "You min' your own business," he said shortly. "I answer your questions. You come . . and not talk. ..." I followed him from the flat and we walked quickly down to Oxford Street. Here, Ling signalled a taxi cab, and we irove off towards Marble Arch. "You meet Hop, velly quick." said Ling. "But you don' talk unless he talk to you. He got no time to listen to silly roddam Englishmen. Hop Fi velly big. I don' do what he say . . he •uak' someone slit my throat dam' quick. . same with you! Hell of a feller— Hop Fi!" We turned down into Hanover Square, across Bond Street, and presently stopped in front of Grosvenor Square's most imposing houses. We were admitted by a Chinese butler, who led us into a beautifully furnished waiting room off the hall, where Ling signalled to me to wait and went off with the butler. Presently the man returned bearing a tray on which were sandwiches, a bottle of wine and cigarettes. A glass of the excellent Burgundy pulled me together wonderfully, and I had just finished my cigarette when Ling returned, and told me to follow him. We ascended the wide staircase and entered the room which faced us on the first floor. It was a spa•ious chamber. Massive chandeliers hung from the frescoed ceiling, and the place was redolent with the most exquisite taste in furniture and pictures. Ling preceded me to the far end of tho room. Here was an immense fireplace, and before it a table. Round this table wore grouped four men. Lolling in a fautcuiJ, still wearing his yellow jacket, and smoking a huge cigar, which looked moat incongruous, was Hop Fi. Next to his ci'air stood a younir Chinaman in evening kit, whilst on the opposite side of the table stood two more Chinamen. These last two were dressed in peculiar lijrht grey robes, and round the neck of each* worn like a necklace, was a piece of rope. Their arms were folded and their hands hidden in the voluminous sleeves of the gowns. On the table lay a pile of papers, written for the most part, it seemed, in Chinese, and upon these papers the attention of the Chinamen was centred. As we approached the table Hop Fi looked up and smiled. He indicated chairs and we sat down. Ling with his hat in his hands for once: A conversation in Chinese took place between Hop Fi and the young Chinaman, who eventuaily mc and said:— "You will 110 doubt feel an extreme curiosity as to why we have brought you to this bouse to-night, Mr. Relph. At the same time I think that you are aware that there is no time to be lost in satisfying curiosity at the moment, having regard to the happenings of this evening "at the' Music Hall in Poplar. "As you know, the American gentlaman has been carried off, together with a young woman. Possibly you know who is responsible for this. Whether you do or not does not matter. The fact remains that no time may be lost in effecting the rescue of these two people, and Mr. Hop Fi has come to the conclusion that the best person to do this is yourself, and he will assist you by every means possible in doing so. It must be pointed out to you that in endeavouring to secure the release of the American and the woman you run. every danger of losing your own life. Are you prepared, Sir Relph, t« carry out Mr. Hop Fi's instructions ?" "I will do anything necessary to rescue my friends," I replied. "But surely, ii' Mr. Hop Fi knows where they are he could easily obtain police assistance." He smiled. "I am afraid not," he said. "Whilst having the greatest regard for your English police system, Mr. Hop 1 is not at all desirous, at the moment, ot having anything to do with the poise.; organisation, or even having its attention drawn to certain aspects in this matter. In the words of your proverb he has his own fish to fry. Fortunately or unfortunately for yourself, in having mixed yourself up in this affair, it habeen necessary, even up to this moment, for Mr. Hop Fi to take certain steps for your own protection. Not because he .is at all interested in your welfare, but simply because It would be inconvenient for him if any more mysteriou murders took place. Therefore, may 1 take it that you are prepared to carryout Mr. Hop Fi's wishes both in the spirit and the letter?" I nodded my head. An energetic conversation then took place between Hop Fi and the young Chinaman, who, after a moment, turned once more to me. "Mr. Relph," he said, "your American friend and the lady are at this moment imprisoned in one of the vaults which exist beneath the Abbey at Frimlev. The entrance to these vaults is known to us. Mr. Hop Fi proposes to supply you with a car which will get you down to Frimlev within two hours from now. After that the matter is in your own hands." Half a» hour later the lights of London had been left behind and the dark country road stretched before us. Through the front window of the highpowered car I could see Ling, seated next the chauffeur, his dirty bowler hat over his eyes, smoking a cigarette. As T looked he turned his head, and, his eyes meeting mine, he grinned happily. It seemed that Ling was enjoying himself thoroughly, and I envied him his state of mind. I had no idea of what lay before me. except that whatever happened I must see the job through, hoping that we should be in time. I must have dozed off, for it was long afterwards that I was awakened by the car pulling up with a jerk, and, looking out of the window, I could see that we had stopped by the roadside. Ling got down q.nd opened the door. "Fliniley velly near," he said. "I s'spose we get out here an' walk. No stood tak' the car further. Car wait j here." I got out of the car and we walked together down the road. Ling eventually found a gate leading into some meadow, land. The car was backed into the field and hidden under the shelter of a hedge, after whici Ung and myself'

set off, taking a slight footpath which led towards a copse. On the other side of the copse, standing in a little clearing and surrounded by a low fence, stood a cottage. Ling signed to me to approach warily, and ■we passed through the wicker gate in the fence and tiptoed towards a window which stood beside the back door of the cottage. The blind was drawn only halfway, and, standing one each side of the window, we were able to look through. A lire burned in the grate on the opposite side of the room, and sealed before it, with his feet on the low mantelpiece, was a big broad man with the square head of the conventional German. He was engaged in reading a newspaper. Behind him, on the table, lay the remains of a meal. Ling drew me away from the window. "'You listen," he said. ... "I tell you. . . you go off a" Tittle way an' make a moan . . .like you hurt. He come to door to see who mak' a noise, an' I fix him!" He grinned wickedly. I crept away outside the fence. Looking back I saw Ling standing taut beside tiie cottage door. When 1 reached the shadow of the copse I gave a low moan. Nothing happened, but when I repeated the process with a little more noise the cottage door opened and I could ju=t see the jnan standing on the threshold, listening intently^ I repeated the cry, and saw the man take a pace forward, his hand moving towards his hip pocket. As he did so, Ling sprang. I heard a horrible crack and the big figure of the man sank limply to the ground. I hurried back to the cottage. Ling, his unlit cigarette still hanging from his lip, grinned happily. "You get downstairs in cottage . . . find door to passage," he whispered. "I hide this trash . . . then I corue . .." As I stepped into the cottage he commenced to draT the limp form towards the gate. I closed the door behind me and glanced round the room. I found a door leading into a bedroom, but there was no obvious means of exit from the room except by the door through which I had entered. Ling joined me and together we commenced to move the furniture and to search for some way to the passage. In two minutes we found it—a trap door under the truckle bed. A flight ut wooden steps led down into the darkness. Ling pulled at my sleeve. "You go first . . J velly quietly," he whispered. "I give you ten minute start . . . then I follow ... no good boU* together . . . savvy." (To be continued dailyj.