SEA URCHIN

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 172, 23 July 1929, Page 18

SEA URCHIN

1111 By Hi I Hill ■ E. C. BULEY. ' . 11l I 111 lii (Author of "Calcutta Luck," etc.) ||||||||||I||

CHAPTER XIX. "He's Shamming!" Peter followed the girl obediently, feeling a good deal like a murderer. But his compunction vanished when he saw Edsell; with Camilla holding smelling salts to his nose, while Mercy Pycldelton manipulated an ice pack. "He's all right, Ann," he said. "There are too many people in this cabin. All of you go, please; you too, Ann. I'll have him right in a couple of minutes. Send somebody with a bottle of ammonia. But you stay; only you." The final instruction was given to the engineer who had acted as his second. The rest trooped out of the cabin, Ann last of all. " She wore, an air of outrage, but she made no protest. As soon as the cabin was clear, Peter lifted his voice in harsh command. "Come on, Edsell," he said, "Snap out of it." "Do you mean to say that he's shamming?" asked the'engineer. "More or less," said Peter. "A good sniff of ammonia, and a vigorous twist to his cars would bring him out of it with a yell. There's no hurry, though. I sent the ladies away because it's not always a pretty thing, to see a man come back. Here he comes; I'll clear out. He won't want to see me, when he opens his eyes." He went on deck, and reported that Edsell had regained consciousness, and only needed undisturbed rest. Camilla sobbed with relief. "I thought you had killed him," she whimpered in her high-pitched voice. "I thought that you had killed him." Peter looked at Ann, but she refrained from any expression of opinion. "You might have killed him," Camilla insisted. "Then it's a pity that I didn't," Peter heard himself say, though he had no intention of saying anything of the sort. And then Ledgeways carried him off, to administer a whisky and soda. "Drink it right down, Peter boy," he urged. "That's the first time I ever knew you to lose your grip on yourself." "And the first time is one time too often," Peter said, emptying the proffered tumbler. Richard Edsell made a characteristic reappearance on deck. He came right along to where Peter was standing, looking not one whit the worse for the knock-out blow, but very trim and nautical in his yachting rig. "That was a beauty that you handed me, Gaunt, he said, offering his hand in sign of a complete absence of ill-will. "I deserved it, too; for it was I who insisted on making a killing, even after you had begged me to stick to boxing." Nothing could have been' more handsome, as Peter remarked while the proffered hand. "It was a complete surprise to me," Edsell went on affably. "I never dreamed that you concealed such a punch about your person." "No, Dick," Ann chimed in. "None of us knew that Peter had twice won the heavy-weight amateur championship; except my cousin, Ledgeways." "Has he, though?" Edsell asked. "If I'd known that, I should have accepted his suggestion of sparring gloves." Peter found nothing to say at all. He wondered what Ann would have had him do, when challenged as he was by so competitive a rival as Edsell. It seemed to be just the same whether he won or lost, in this rivalry into which he had been drawn. He lost' ground with Ann, and Edsell steadily gained. He slipped away presently to the smoking room, where Gregory Despard soon joined him. "Hit high, hit low, Peter, there's no pleasing Ann," remarked Ann's father. "Now you understand why the name of Sea Urchin stuck to her, I suppose." "Ann's all right," Peter said loyally. "She naturally thinks that Ledgeways and I framed that affair for Edsell's benefit; and just as naturally she thinks I hit a good bit too hard." "My dear hoy," said his friend, "she is hell-bent' on seeing only one side of the case. If you had said that you were a boxing she'd have marked you down for boasting." "What does it matter?" Peter asked gloomily. "The only consolation I can find in the whole affair is the turning of the worm." "Do you mean my nephew, Ledgeways, by any chance?" Despard asked with his slow grin. "Yes; Ledgeways must have been driven. pretty hard, I think, before he concocted that bit of revenge. And if Edsell attempts any retaliation, he runs a great risk of tilting" the bucket over. I know Rupert pretty well, and I can discern all the signs of a revolt." "You have something in your mind, I think?" Despard hazarded. "I have, sir. I don't expect that Ann will have anything much to say to me, whatever happens; but that's neither here nor ,there. I'm sticking on with this party much againsnt my inclination, in the hope of being useful. I mean to poor Ledgeways." • "And to Ann," Despard added. "Don't leave Ann out of the reckoning." "I sometimes think that Ann would be able to see Edsell in a truer light if I were out of the way," Peter said. "Anyhow, I mean to invite Rupert's confidence. I think that you would go to a pretty stiff figure, and ask no questions of me, if ,1 undertook to get Edsell out of the way." "I'll sign a blank cheque for you," Despard said promptly. "It shall be honoured, without one. single question." "Then I'll try Ledgeways," Peter promised. "There's one thing, Peter," Despard t said. "I asked you, as a favour to myself, to undertake certain duties, to which I attach more importance than ever. I realise that I have tied your hands to some extent; I have put it in Edsell's power to represent you as a self-seeking person. You will let nothing that may be said or done interfere with that arrangement of ours, I hope." Gaunt shook his head, with a grave smile. "No, Mr. Despard," he said. "Edsell's misrepresentation has made me desperately keen to help you in that matter. I'm rather a stubborn beggar when I happen to think that I'm in the right. I'd like to stick to that arrangement, if I can pull it off with Rupert." "That's well," Despard said, with'immense satisfaction. "That's very well. And I shouldn't entirely despair about Ann, if I were you. She's not such a little foolas she has the misfortune to appear. I made a mistake, Pete; a.tactical "blunder. I should have told her my intentions about the Ledgeways place. She's taking it out of me for that; and out of you for knowing when she didn't." "She's so frightfully down vy?* me, sir," Peter said disconwpWjJk

"So I notice, but it strikes me as a J more favourable sign than the goodnatured contempt she has for her cousin Ledge\vays and the rest of them. I think she's a bit frightened of you, Pete; you're such a downright fellow." "She warned me off, sir; some little time ago," Peter confessed. " And that's a good sign, too," Despard said optimistically. " Her method' with most of them is to let them fall into the trap, neck and crop, and then express a pained surprise at their folly and presumption. Tackle her again, when you get the chance; and above all things don't show any sign of knuckling under." "When I get the chance!" Peter groaned. " No game goes all one way,", said the oracle from Australia. "I've got an idea that you won more than a boxing match when you handed Edsell that awful clump. You see, I knew Ann's mother pretty well. Awfully set against fighting on the station was my dear wife. But I noticed that the best scrappers among the hands could get most favours from her." "I used to be a two-fisted fighter myself," he added. " I stood no nonsense from anybody. My advice to you. Down Edsell, and put Ann entirely in the wrong. After that she'll*come and eat out of your hand." Peter went to dress for dinner, considering as he did so the best way of obtaining the confidence of Ledge ways. He was convinced that it was no ordinary scrape which had reduced his old friend to an unquestioning acceptance of Edsell's dominance; but the worse the trouble the more difficulty there would be in getting to the bottom of it. At the dinner table Edsell pursued his policy of magnanimity, recurring to his defeat in the best-natured fashion.

"It shows what a mistake a man can make" he said. "I had the idea that Gaunt was slow, and maybe a trifle clumsy. When I come to think of it, I ■ must have got the idea from his swim- '■ ming and diving. You never won any : championships in the water, Gaunt." "Didn't he, then," said Ledgeways, aggressively. " Take care you don't some more mistakes, Dick. If I had to back any fellow of my acquaintance to swim the Channel, Peter would be my pick. Not you, though you can get along so fast. ' Peter would be slogging along with that two-armed straddle of his when they were giving you beef tea and putting hot water bottles to your feet." He spoke with such heat and ill-temper that Peter guessed that he had already been reproached for his share in the boxing match; by Camilla, if not by Edsell himself. So Peter hastened to intervene. "For heaven's sake, Rupert," he said, " let's have no more of these challenges." "Well, Dick thinks he's cock of the roost," Ledgeways said sulkily. "He's been allowed to name his own games and play them according to his own rules, hasn't he ? " , "Of course I have," Edsell agreed. " Somebody had to keep the ball rolling, I suppose. But I hope that I'm ready to play any man's game as it comes along to me." "Rupert has been too busy with the cocktail shaker," Camilla explained in her shrill voice. "Maybe," doggedly said Lord Ledgeways. "But I'm not going to sit here and have anybody say old Peter is slow and clumsy. We were kids together, weren't we? Very well, then; I say there's nobody knows what Peter Gaunt can do except me. When he starts anything he never stops. And that's a thing for you to remember, Dick; clever as you think you are." He pushed his plate violently away from him, rise to his feet, and with a glare of defiance at Edsell staggered up the companion. With a word of excuse, Peter rose to follow him, and the same thing was done by Edsell. The two reached the deck side by side, to see a steward assisting Ledgeways to his cabin. Edsell laid a hand upon Peter's arm. " I think not, Gaunt," he said.

Peter looked inquiringly at him. "Having arranged that our friend shall have just that one drink too many, you now propose to hold his hand and pump him dry," Edsell said- "That is not to happen, Gaunt." "No?" Peter asked. "Does it strike you that you have told me a good deal?" , • „ ~ , "You are welcome," Edsell replied. " He's on the wrong side of the law, the criminal law. If you want to land him in prison—you were kids together, as he remarked—you have only to play that next card of yours. I'm ready to keep him clear of disgrace, for the good old Despard name. The Despard name, Gaunt. You-understand." " I wonder if I do," Peter replied. Do you really mean to say that playing a game up as high as that?" _ " When I take a hand in any game, in real earnest," Edsell boasted, "I play it up as high as it will go. And I usually win, you know." " I think you must be mad," Peter said in wonder. "Not at all," Edsell replied equably. " I'll prove I'm not. You are in my way, I admit it. I'm ready to come to terms. There's, nothing mad about that, is there? " " What terms ? " Peter asked, wondering when and where he would stop. "I'm in love, Gaunt," Edsell said. "The first time in my life. All I'need is a clear course. Don't you see man ? I Want to turn my back on all the old business. I can be as good a man as you, if I have the motive for it. But I'm not going to be baulked. You've all got to stand aside, or I'll make an almighty smash." "I want "to know more about this," Peter said. "In plain words, you want to marry Miss Despard, I take it; and if her friends will permit such a thing, you undertake to go straight ?" . "If you like to put it, that way. But ..." "One minute, Edsell. Suppose you were to ask her, and to be refused, would you employ the threat which you have just used with me?" "She'd not refuse me, if you were out of the way," Edsell said confidently. "You've lost your chance, anyhow; but you are a danger to mine. Take what you want, Gaunt; Til see that Ledgeways and Camilla toe the line. It will

... . ' -Bl all be in your bands, when Despard cocs back to Australia." . : - "Those are the terms?" Peter asked. "Why not?" the other asked. "Every, thing will be straightened out. No scan, dal, no crash. What's wrong with the idea?" "It is so wrong that you would not permit me to explain it to Miss Despard, .for instance," Peter said. "You would promptly deny that you suggested any. thing of the sort." "And she would believe me," Edsell claimed quickly. /'Probably," Peter conceded. "I'll not test it, anyhow. Nor will J get out of the way, as you put it. My own plan is to get you out of the way. In a day or two, at the utmost." "Ledgeways will go to prison, you know," said Edsell. "Despard and his daughter will not thank you for that." "And how would you like another clump on the jaw?" Peter asked, his anger kindling suddenly, as it invariably did on the rare occasions when he lost his temper. Involuntarily Edsell sprang back, and, at Peter's short laugh, turned on his heel and rejoined the party at dinner. (To be continued daily.)