THE FLYING COURIER

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 134, 9 June 1933, Page 13

THE FLYING COURIER

By BOYD CABLE

Author of "Action Front I" "Between the Line#," eta.

CHAPTER XX.—(Continued.) As they reached the police officer's car, they were overtaken by tho hurrying officer of the Prince, who told them he had his own car there, with an armed guard on tho seat, and could drive them to their hotel. "Many thanks," said Glynn with a smile. "But as this oflicer had orders to drive us there, he might be reprimanded for disobedience. Oh, you don't know, m y lad-—" he cut in on the officer's assurances it would be all right. "You're likely to find your chief in a mighty, reprimandish mood for an. hour or two," and he turned to help Norah in. , "I'm getting nervous of theae protected of the protector agents and repre-> eentatives," he half laughed as they took their seats, "with their armed guards on the box seat. I suppose this joker is the genuine article?" "IH guarantee that," laughed the officer. "I know him personally, and he's quite a pot at the Prince's palace—first secretary to the private secretary to the Premier or Vizier. lie came here in the Prince's own private coach hitched to the train. You're going back in it, you know."

"The deuce I am," cried Glynn, in astonishment. "Private coaches are a new line for me." "They're a much safer one in this ca6e anyway," said the officer. "Old Secretary's Secretary has it all fixed up with a. batch of guards on board and everything." "Looks as if I'm going to be well watched over for the home stretch," .Tinned Glynn. "I've already got an all-over-bar-the-ehouting feeling about my job." He repeated that remark with even irreater emphasis at the station later when he saw the Prince's private coach attached to the train, the half-dozen men in the Prince's uniform waiting by the door. The police officer had tactfully hinted to "the secretary's-secretary Johnny" that he should Invite Norah to travel in the coach, and when he caught sight of a commissioner acquaintance with his wife making for the train, he also suggested they should be accommodated too. Both suggestions were accepted. "I thought you'd be better with extra company," whispered the officer hastily to Glynn. "The old sec-eec would bore you'stiff if he had you alone to jaw to all .the way.: You'll get along with old Rawly too. Good sort." But when he brought along (Commissioner and Mrs. Rawly to be introduced, Norah flew at them with a cry of delight and a rapid fire of inter-mixed questions, answers and explanations. Both were very old friends of her father's it appeared and she had known them most of her life. Glynn could not restrain his amusement. "I say," he dragged the police officer aside to tell, "Do rub it in to your Messed chief that these people know Norah. Make him a bit more careful next time about arresting decent girls on suspicion." Jimmy Doylft was at the station to see them off, looking rather rueful and woebegone, and feeling, as he said, "rather like an orphan left alone in the storm."

"Thank you, Jimmy," said Norah with a mock curtsey. "I didn't know I was quite old enough to claim the honour —" "Oh, I say, don't kid," cried the embarrassed Jimmy. "You know I didn't mean that."

"Don't forget, Jimmy," said Glynn, "you've got yourself to blame for anything you get in the way of that suitable reward, because you wouldn't tell me anything you wanted as one. Norah assures me that when I refer it to them at Napalata, they'll send you nothing less than a couple of elephants, and after I report the extra bit of your help in whistling up the police in the theatre gardens, they'll maybe chuck in a tiger or two for extra measure." "Well, I've thought of something," said Jimmy triumphantly. "A photograph of Norah and yourself with a bit of the wedding cake." And on that the train began to move out. "Poor boy," said Norah softly as they returned his last hat waves. "I'm sorry for him in his fish-out-of-water business. You must tell the Prince all about him Glynn. His influence might help to get him promotion or something." "By the look of this coach,' said Glynn, looking about the luxurious compartment thev were entering, _ there s quite a lot the Prince could influence. And judging by the number of bodyguard with us, it's there s no more robber-dodging to do." "And you've beaten the Vulture and all his ruffians," said Norah with a sigh of relief. , ■ They could not gue«s that the Vulture was not vet beaten, nor that two mpre of his ruffians were even then speeding to set a last murderous trap for them.

CHAPTER" XXI. The Captured Escort. The Vulture made careful arrangements for news of the expected disaster to the train from Karachi to reach him as quickly as possible. He had a man waiting at the Hydrapore station to be informed when the train passed a etation on the Hydrapore side of the spot selected for the wreck, and the longer after its due time the train was in arriving there, the more certain it would be that the wreckers had succeedcd. The man at Hydrapore station would also get early news of the smash when it was telegraphed down the line. The train was due at the station after the wrecking place about ten o'clock, and when the scheduled time had passed by a good half-hour with no news_ of arrival there, The Vulture was fairly satisfied that his plans had been carried out. The time passed on to 10.45 and then to 11 a.m., and at each time he had a telephoned message to say there was still no word of the train's arrival, although the station at Hydrapore, not understanding this, had telegraphed and been informed that the train had passed another station ten miles further back nearly an hour before. The Vulture rubbed his hands with satisfaction. He was certain now that the train had smashed, and probably there had been no survivors to carry word of the disaster to the nearest telegraph station. It was in high good humour that he accepted the salutations of Abdul Ali, and this time listened to a report he brought of information gathered from Ihe Vulture's spies in the Prince's palace.

'It is known that preparations have been made to bring the flying courier, by a palace car, from the station at Hydrapore as soon as lie arrives," said Abdul Ali humbly.

The Vulture indulged in an evil "Tin and nodded indifferently. e ' "The I render's Secretary, Hasim, is to drive in by motor car from the palace with an armed trooper beside the driver, and two other troopers following in another car. In Hydrapore, a troop of horse will escort liasim with the courier through the city in case of any attempt against them by a mob or by any concealed in the crowd. Then the car will come on escorted by the other car and its troopers." It is well," said The Vulture complacently. "Reward the man for the information he obtained and sent you. He has done well, and it is no matter of his the arrangements he reports will not now have any use for us." Abdul Ali still waited as if he had not yet finished, and when The Vulture noticed this and demanded was there anything more, the man cringed and asked if any news had been heard yet of any sad accident to the train. "No, not yet," said The Vulture, smil-

ing complacently again. "And see you make no mention of such accident being possible until after the news of it. Have you more to report?" "I have word of the hour this afternoon the secretary is to leave the palace," said Abdul Ali humbly. "It would be possible to make a plan to stop the cars coming from Hydrapore and seize the flying courier if it should happen the train does arrive." The Vulture glared at him. "What do you mean—if the train should arrive?" he demanded savagely. Aodul Ali cowered abjectly and stuttered, "It is only—it is because so many plans have failed that I—that it might be better to have another in hand. The_ Vulture grunted. "When we learn it has failed will be time enough to consider further," he said, and dismissed his man. But ten minutes later he had him back again, and Abdul shivered apprehensively as he entered and heard the bitter raving and reviling of his master. "It has failed," he screeched. "The train is safe past the chosen spot. And report comes from Hydrapore that it was delayed because the line was found broken before the train reached the spot." He raved off into a fresh tirade against the fools who had not waited the right moment to do their work, but broke off suddenly. "There is need of the other plan after all," he said. "At what hour was the car to leave the palace to bring the courier?" But after a close and anxious discussion he altered the proposed plan to capture Glynn on the way out to the palace. It was possible extra cars might be sent with him carrying more troopers; that an unknown devious route might be taken; even possible that the picture might be shown in a Hydrapore cinema before being brought to the palace. It would be more easy and as

effective to waylay and capture the cars driving in to Hydrapore, since there would be less caution and watch for possible attack as there would be with the courier and his package in the car. The details were arranged, and Abdul Ali sent hurrying to put them into execution. Early in the afternoon Hasim, the Premier's secretary, drove out from the palace with an armed trooper in uniform by the driver's seat and with another car following close, carrying another couple of troopers, all as the spies had reported arranged. As his car swept round a bend of road, where it ran through a thick patch of bush and bamboo, two bullock wagons were seen to be almost blocking the road. Apparently they had collided or become locked in passing each other, because they were slewed across the road with a wheel off one and its load spilled cut so as to block what little passage was left. Three or four almost naked men stood wrangling and screaming and threatening to come to blows with the cudgels they brandished at each other. To the angry hooting of the ear's horn they paid no attention, and when it drove to within a dozen yards and the trooper swung down, the carters, still screaming at each other, hurried to the car and began to clamour to the secretary for justice, for the punishment of the fool who had driven so badly, for the rogue who had upset a cart and its load.

j The following car, with the two | troopers in it, had pulled up a dozen | yards behind the secretary's a moment before the vociferous carters reached the roremost car. Then, in the twinkling oi an eye, the stupid villagers' squabble diverged to very different and sinister lines. The trooper who had jumped down to kick and curse the men into moving their carts dropped like a stone under a cudgel's blow on the back of his head. At the same instant, while other men leaped from the ditch, the driver was seized and, taken completely unawares, jerked, out into the road, while the bewildered secretary, before he could grasp what was happening, found the car doors flung open and two men hurling in on top of him, bundling him out with a cloth over his head and rope about his arms. At the same instant as the first blow was struck on the foremost car's trooper the two men in the car behind heard a harsh command from behind them, warning them not to move, and at the same time sinewy hands reached in over the back of the open car to seize a coat collar and thrust a pistol under the nose of each man. Their driver, with a pistol staring at him from both sides, meekly obeyed orders and climbed down. (To be continued daily.)