NIGHT TIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 247, 18 October 1934, Page 23

NIGHT TIDE.

If A ROMANTIC OF A GREAT SEAPORT

I 5 l YAuthor or "The Mysterious By ( Masquerade," etc. J. R.'WILMOT

CHAPTER VI. Ofi Algiers. Martin *Vre' was obviously excited. Peter saw his eyes sparkling the moment they met. "Congratulations." exclaimed Peter heartily as he gripped Martin's hand. "Let's go into the bar for a gin and French." Tliey went into the Criterion's very modern bar with its futuristic decor and its chromium furniture and appointments. They chose a little table in a corner. "Now for the news?" Peter himself lad caught the happy infection from his friend, for he and Martin had been at school together, and it was one of those friendships that do not evaporate with later life. "You know I've been wanting a better job for a long time," Martin prefaced, leaning eagerly towards Peter. "I liad hopes that Brunton and Dunning might have kept their promise to do something for me. However, they haven't, 60 I've been spending seme time farming the commercial ground and getting nivself better qualified. I've been a qualified secretary for two years, but neither old Brunton nor old Dunning appeared to appreciate that fact. Well, I had an interview this morning with Sir Lvddon Slade, the managing director of United Silks. I'd written him previously, and apparently he was impressed. He told mo that United are taking over a subsidiary company next month, and they are retiring the present secretary under some age limit affair they work, and Sir Lyddon, having acquired the prevailing youth complex, informed his co-directors that he was determined to get a younger man, provided ho possessed the necessary qualifications. "Well, apparently I filled the bill, and I begin next week. I'm to go into the head office of United just to nose my way around until the "takingover" is completed. Then, I suppose, I'll begin work in earnest. What about that for a slice of luck?" "That's great," responded Peter with a heartiness he really felt, for he had long considered that Martin had not been getting a square deal with Brunton and Dunning. "Here's to the new general manager," lie followed up' raising his glass. "Well, you never know," smiled Martin from over a slim-rimmed circle of glass. Lunch was a happy affair, too. Have_ ypu told Shirley ?" inquired Peter, sipping his soup. "Not had time—yet." "I'll bet she'll be jolly pleased." 'T -wonder," commented Martin, doubtfully, a swift picture coming to his mind of a recent occasion when Miss. Shirley had had a quite definite tone in her voice. "You mean to say Shirley won't snap up a bargain when shr, sees one ? Nonsense, old man. If you think that you don't know women." "I don't think it's altogether that," Martin confessed reluctantly. "It may be that she'll have to choose between two bargains, and if so what does your wide experience have to say about that ?" The fish was excellent, and for a moment Peter Dobbin did not reply. 'This is news," he commented presently. "You don't mean to tell me, Martin Pare, that Shirley Macadam has been flirting around with someone else? How long has this been going on?" he added humorously. " Sinc ® the summer," Martin told him. Im surprised your usually keen eye ias not been aware of that." Peter ntleman ° f ** ' in( l uirc 'l "Blake . , , Garvin Blake, to be exact." Peter choked suddenly, and as the Plaice was filleted the food was wnocent. Good Lord! You did give me a shock, Peter," ho murmured when the obstruction had been removed. Martin stared at his luncheon companion amazed, for Peter had suddenly become serious. ii T? en ', •' ust as suddenly, his mood lightened again. WeH> jf that's the case, Peter, old man, he went on, "you can consider yourself dead. You don't etand a chance. <<p Ve a dangerous rival.'* J-tl thought you said you didn't know him?" protested Martin, halflaughing. +i "I , kn ? w him enough to know tJiat he harbours a gun." S" 11 " ? Whatever for?" Martin that this was another of Peter obbin s jokes, but the expression in his nends face gave the immediate lie to such a suggestion. eter became suddenly serious and recounted his interview with Blake only two hours ago. Ive been worried about that," he continued, "I just can't understand what 6 fellow wants with a gun at all. ave you ever heard of people in business carrying guns, Martin ?" Martin confessed that the idea had never occurred to him.

"I don't know quite what to make of it all," owned Peter. "In all other respects he seemed quite decent." "What sort of a business has he got?" 2 asked Martin, casually. "Funny you should ask that, Martin, r because I can't tell you. I don't even • know whether he owns Pacific Importers 1 or not. I have heard it said that he's merely what he calls 'interested,' and 7 whether by that he means financial or i" otherwise, again, I've no answer. Have • you ever met him," "Not personally. That is to say I've • never been introduced. Of course I f know him by sight and I happen to i know his name." ' "How did Shirley get in tow with f him ?" - "Oh, I suppose she's met him in The Building. I haven't said very much to her about him." > Then Peter returned to the topic of I Pacific Importers. ' "All I know about the firm," he went • on, "is that they own The Corsair. I've ■ seen her in dock lit the soujh end. Not • a bad little boat. They've got a ware- ' house down there, too, so I've heard say. 1 By the way, Martin, what would they ; import from the North African coast?" > Mart in shook his head. "Xot the > remotest idea, unless they collect 1 deserters from the Foreign Legion." Peter fastened on to the suggestion ■ eagerly.

r * "That's an idea, Martin. It might account for the revolver. No," he added, after the slightest of pauses, "it's a bit fantastic, isn't it. You can't smuggle men into this country as easy ae all that. The immigration chappies would have something to say." "And I can't see that there'd be much profit, either," ventured Martin. "I'd like to find out something more about him—for your sake, old man." Peter spiked a piece of beef with his fork with an unaccustomed venom. "I must have a really heart-to-heart talk with Shirley Macadam," he announced. "I'm extraordinarily good on the Dutch uncle stuff." "You'll do nothing of the kind, Peter," Martin warned, heatedly. "I'm not employing any go-between, thank you. if Shirley prefers Blake . . . well, slie'6 welcome to him, and that's that." Peter looked hurt. "Sorry, old man. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that. Not that I shouldn't like to tell the vixen what I thought of her . . . and you with a damn good job into the bargain.'' "If you mention that word 'bargain' again," exclaimed Martin, "I'll strangle you. You're forgetting that Shirley knows nothing about my new job. You're the first person I've told. Oh, and I strongly object to your referring to Shirley as a vixen." Peter turned an amused face towards Martin. "You know, Martin, you must be desperately in love with Shirley to be so utterly illogical. A moment ago you told me that if Shirley prefers Blake she can have him, and you said that as though you meant it. Now you're defending her for all you're worth. I've read somewhere that love is the most illogical of all the emotions.

"Mark my words, skipper, there'll be a pile of trouble in there one of these days." It was the engineer speaking and he nodded his close-cropped head in the direction of the altercation. " 'Slim' deals himself too many 'full houses' for the others to believe in luck. I'm partial to the uncanny myself, skipper, but the way 'Slim' puts it over would make Baron Munchausen look like a greenhorn." Captain Pulford grunted in a manner that was not quite polite. "Serve 'em right—the whole lousy lot of 'em. If anyone expects to play poker straight with 'Slim' he deserves to be bested." The man laughed. "D'you know, Mack, I kin remember 'Slim's' father, d'you know what they called him? 'Corkscrew,' and believe me 'Corkscrew' was straight compared with 'Slim.' 'Ullo! What's this." There was a discreet knock on the door and the wireless operator entered

I always thought it was merely a —platitude. Now I imagine that the fellow who wrote it was more right than perhaps he knew." "What about some coffee ?" questioned Martin. That same afternoon the s.s. Corsair was lying off Algiers. She was a Use-ful-looking little craft with a single black funnel with a white diamond outlined on twQ sides. Her hatches were battened and the decks deserted as she rode quietly and unconcernedly at her anchor. Below in his cabin Captain Pulford ■ sat at a table with his chief engineer i opposite him. Between them was a bottle that had lately contained whisky. Now it was innocent of contents and the twin tumblers beside it indicated tlie possible explanation of lost usefulness, i From somewhere nearby along the com- ' panion-way came the sound of voiccs raised in rebuke and anger. < I

"Does it mean we've got to make Marseilles ?" "It sure does," Pulford told him. "Marseilles and currants. accounts for the boss' talk about mixed cargoes," ho chuckled. "Sounds like currant-duff to me," the engineer commented'. The two men regarded each other with ill-concealed amusement. Pulford was a shrewd man. "I'll tell you what I think, Mack," he said, "we've joined the dope-ring. 'Current event cast no shadows before,'" he misquoted, happily. "And I thought we'd be here another couple of days," grumbled the engineer, stretching his big, raw-boned hulk. When he had gone Captain Pulford sat down and scribbed a reply. It was brief and to the point. "Sailing at once—Okay," was all he pencilled. {To be continued daily.)

J with a message. He handed the paper 5 to the captain, nodded to the engineer. I glanced at the empty bottle and l departed. Captain Pulford read the message r through a second time. Then he 1 scratched his grey hairs, "Well, I'll be damned 1" he ejaculated, not ill-humouredly. "If not already," commented the engineer slyly. "Here, read this. Mack, you look as though you could do with a laugh." He ; passed the message across the table. It ran: "Call Marseilles . . . collect ; cargo of currants in arrangement with i Gaston Freres. Sail immediately busi- ' ness transacted and pay any commisl sion demanded—Pacific." "What's it mean?" asked Mack, archi ing his black eyebrows. Pulford shook his head, slowly. \ "Sounds to me as if someone's got 1 bugs," he decided.