IN THE GRIP OF THE UNSEEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

IN THE GRIP OF THE UNSEEN

J By KATHLEEN RIGG

CHAPTER XV. The Tennis Party. About the sanie time as Manfielu arrived home, his cousin Kitty, looking delightfully cool in tennis things, strolled on to the verandah from her bedroom to find Doggy just come in from his office. He was lying on a long chair, having a refresher before changing into flannels. His wife approached him. "Dear old dog, turning up like a good boy to act the dutiful little host," said 6he playfully, j>atting him on the shoulder. Doggy took up his glass and drank. "Don't I always do exactly as you tell me?" he remarked flatly. "And now may I ask who are the lucky beings gracing our tennis party to-day?" "The Manleys, MS". Silver, the Foster girls, the Brewers—pere, mere, and file, and Sybil and Bob Carroll," counted the other. '"Not Henry?" "No," returned Kitty, with a slight frown. "And I like him at my tennis parties. His tennis is eo good, and he's an ornament, but lie said he couldn't come; anyway, not until late—the old rotter." Doggy, rising, went off to change, and Kitty went into the garden to see that the boys were putting tho tea tables where she wanted them. She moved slowly, with an air of gravity, for ehe was thinking of Reggie Dalton and the reason ehe had not asked him to come that day. The young man had been trying to go a little too far in his friendship—socalled—for her, and she had had to pull him up rather severely. She liked her men friends, and adored them to dance as well and to be as amusing as Reggie Dalton, but beyond bounds of friendship she had never wished to go, and expected that to be understood.

Occasionally, however, it had not been understood, and certainly was not now, but Doggy had always managed to come first. She of ten wondered why they cared bo much for tliiu fat and sleepy husband of hers, and she would playfully ask him to explain, but the fact remained. Doggy, so faithful, so forbearing, often bo droll, was in a place by himself, and there he would remain until the end of the chapter. The boys were now buey bringing out the tea, and the guests began to arrive. The time for play being very short, a set waa made up at once whilst the others started tea. The play was of a high order and interesting to watch. The party at the tea table kept their eyes on the game with enjoyment. The first set over, the players came strolling up to tea. Among them was Sybil, who was a very able player and looked now as if sho were enjoying herself, and as if her troubles were, for the time being, anyway, put out of mind. She and her partner, Mr. Silver, had won, and the young man found her a chair, and dashed to bring her tea. "We must have more gaince together," ho cried enthusiastically, as he handed her a cup. "I like that service of yours. It floored 'em utterly, didn't it? Hu.vc some cake and get ready for another go at them." Kitty was sending down another four to the court, and young Silver, sitting on the graes beside Sybil, went on talking. . Sybil told him of the tennis club she had joined when she was at home, in Hampetead. He knew it —his people lived in Hampstead —and the conversation went on cheerily. Talk of England and London is always a refreshing topic to those who, however happy abroad, are always longing for "home." Gerald Silver was a fresh-faced young soldier, not long out of Sandhurst, and this little bride come so recently from England with lots of jolly things to talk about was- refreshing. He decided to leave cards on her, and, perhaps, she would ask him in to see her sometimes.

They went on talking with supreme enjoyment, watched by the envious eyes of Kathleen and Ethel Foster, who had marked young Silver for their own, and felt slightly jealous., "And you're coming to tho hospital dance on tho fifth?" Colonel Brewer wae now asking his hostess, "and—oh, good heavens!" he exclaimed, suddenly startled. "What's —that?"

The whole company jerked round, and for a minute the players on the court stopped their game. A pistol shot, and then another, rang out in the road outside the garden. "Who the—blazes " camo from Boggy lazily, helping himself to cake. "Good heavens —and another of 'em, but further off this time, so thank heaven for that. Some more tea for Mrs. Brewer, Syh. Some idiot shooting dicky birds —wonder where they find 'em," he remarked carelessly. "Have a cigarette, Silver?" The talk went on again. Nobody, except one, thought any more of the shooting incident, hut Bob Carroll sat silent, with his tennis racquet on the grass beside him. His face had grown white and the hand which held hie cigarette trembled slightly, for Dhannu Dal, he knew now, had been over-ruled. With his brain busy he etared hastily down at the tennis court. Sybil was playing again, but she and her partner were having an easy victory, and the game would soon he over. "Good heavens," he thought uneasily, "how I wish they would hurry up!" Then he mtist mako an excuse somehow and get away. Yes, he must get away. It simply wasn't safe to stay there if these devils were let loose at last, and, besides, there waa much to do. Sybil's game at last was over, and going up to her he whispered something in her ear.

He had forgotten, he said, tut his old friends, the Alymer Browns, had promised to come to see them at the hotel early that evening. They had better go. Colouring slightly, Sybil looked into her husband's eyes, then went over to Kitty and made their excuse for departure. "It's a pity we'd to go so early," eaid Sybil with an almost childish impatience as they went on. "I was enjoying it. Why on earth did you ask tho Alymer Browns to come tonight, Bob?" she asked rather crossly. "I didn't. That was a lie," thrust in Bob, and his wife turned to look at him with eyes of the greatest astonishment. His face, she noticed, was white and anxious, and he was urging the gharry driver on as if their lives depended on his going quickly. As they drove on another pistol shot rang out in the distance, then another and another.

"Good gracious, wnax is liappening?" she asked, curiously but with no real alarm. Carroll did not answer, but his look of abject terror was to bo remembered by her later, and shamefully understood. Meantime, Kitty's party was not breaking up. The light still held, and another set could be played easily, Doggy said, and a game was arranged and started. Presently the light failed and Kitty and her guests, wrapped in warm coats, went on to the verandah to drink cool drinks and gossip. At last the Brewere rose to go. "You're coining to the Langs' tonight?" asked Mrs. Brewer of Kitty as sho bade her good-bye. "Yes, and we arc to dance after dinner," said her hostess radiantly. "You giddy people do nothing else," smiled the other, whose dancing days were now behind her. Doggy politely put them into their ear and they drove- off, followed by the other guests. The two Fosters and Ocrald Silver were the last to leave. The girls hud once more annexed the young man, and ho was now suggesting driving them homo in his car. Doggy and Kitty disappeared indoors and ill the meantime young Silver tucked the Fosters into his car and, starting the engine, drive off. What happened as they were reaching the neighbourhood of the barracks broke in upon them with a ghastly suddenness. Two Indian soldiers came rushing out of the darkness toward them. In the hand of each man gleamed a pistol which was pointed at the occupants of the car, while with a voice of command one man ordered the driver to stop. Young Silver, taken completely otV his guard, slowed down, the car swerved across the road, and at once one of the Indiana caught him by the arm. Furiously the young man jammed on his brakes and brought the ear to a standstill. A second later, however, lie was on his feet, his eyes blazing. "Get out!" he cried. "Get out of my

way!" "Go back! No Englccsh come here now!" hissed the man who bad touched him. As ho spoke the pistols wore raised again in a threatening way, and the girls shrieked with tenor. "Get out of my way, or it will bo the worses for you!" ordered young Silver furiously. 11l a flash he realised what had happened. These were some of his own men and the situation was ugly. With stern determination lie pushed the Indian who had spoken backwards, and at once made a movement to go on.

The men, divining his intention, raised their pistols again, and two shots rang out. Young Silver dropped on to his seat.

Then, swift as lightning, the assailants ran on, whilst Kathleen and Ethel Foster, with cries of distress, bent over their dying companion. War against England had begun.

CHAPTER XVI. Trapped. Manficld, driving from his bungalow, fancied he heard several shuts in the distance. Startled by the sound, he pulled up, his brows suddenly clouding. It could not surely be that the rising had already begun, he said to himself a triflo uneasily. For a short time he stayed where he was, carefully listening, but as nothing more was heard, he drove on again. It was now delightfully cool, and the drivo was refreshing, but Manfield hardly noticed this. His thoughts were too full of Sybil, and ho wondered again what her trouble could be. Driving past the beri-bcri hospital, he stopped his car and, getting out, walked down the narrow paths of the jungle towards the sea. The placo was certainly a good one for a private talk, so quiet and deserted, but its loneliness was rather appalling, and Manlield wondered that Sybil should liavo chosen such a placo for their meeting, or really even heard of it. The idea that he was being brought there by treachery, however, never entered his head. But now, walking on slowly, Manfield passed one or two Malay huts,.and finally comiii" out on to the sands ho paused, looking out to sea. There was not a si"n of Sybil on the sands, and he began to"wish sho had been more explicit in her explanation as to where they were actually to meet. It would be tiresome if they missed each other. It was then that three dark figures crept stealthily behind him and, taken utte-ly by surprise, Manfield was seized by savage hands and held. Recovering from his astonishment, however, and freeing himself a little, he thrust out his arms, and began to rain telling blows on hie assailants, but there was littlo ho could really do. These men were prepared for their task, and were three, whilst he was alone, and never moro unprepared in his life than he was then. It had never entered his head that what he had been doing for his country was suspected by its enemies, or that there wero any who wished him personally any harm. Now. however, he was learning a great deal, and feeling, too, that it waa only going to he a piece of luck which got him out of this unpleasant happening alive. Now the Malay (it was tho one- who had handed the document to him at that meeting in tho hut), jabbed at his shoulder with a knife, and Manficld fell.

Perplexed and irritated, Sybil leant back in the gharry, as they drove on to tho hotel, and, arrived there, Carroll left her and went upstairs. Disinclined to follow, his wife strolled on to the verandah, and sat down with a weary sigh.

A minute or so later, a woman who was staying in the place came up to her with her husband. Her face was a littlo perturbed. Something very unpleasant had happened that afternoon, she had heard, up at the B Barracks among the native Indian regiment. There had been trouble with some of the men, she said, and one or two had been shot. All was said, however, to be perfectly quiet again. Reassured as to that, Sybil rose, but still feeling irritated at Bob's childish behaviour, sho left the verandah and began walking slowly up and down outside, in an endeavour to bring herself to a calmer frame of mind.

Up and down the girl walked, the fresh evening air playing pleasantly on her face, and she was about to go in to change when a Malay swept past her—at least, the man who went by was dressed as a Malay, but no sort of disguise could hide from her wh.ow this

one really was. It was Bob quite unmistakably, and his wife stared after him in the utmost astonishment. Carroll went by, but when ho had gone a little way, ho stopped and looked back, and Sybil, too much surprised to speak or make any sign, turned to glance at him. She felt convinced that, for sonic reason or other, Bob, in his disguise, wished to say something to her, but Jiad not the courage to do so. Suddenly curious, but determined still to make no sign, Sybil continued to look back at him. If Bob didn't really ]<7iow that she recognised him, he wae mightily mistaken, she said to herself, with a rather contemptuous laugh, and—oh, such play-acting made her tired. What on earth could he be doing? Her husband still stood where he was, but at that moment he was longing to hurry back and to tell her everything and to fling himself at her feet, begging for forgiveness. He yearned, too, to warn her to go away at once. To be able to escape with her, lie would almost sacrifice the dazzling rewards offered him by Dhannu Dal, he thought. Anyway, he could not leave her like that, he concluded desperately. He couldn't— And yet, all the same, Carroll, bought now body ar.d soul by his alien friends, knew he must leave her and that, as he stood silently there, he was bidding liis wife good-bye for ever. A minute later lie had turned sharply away, and, going on, was soon out of sight. Sybil, completely dumb with astonishment, moved too, and went back to the hotel. (To bo continued Saturday next.)