DANGER BECKONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

DANGER BECKONS

T By MRS. BELLOC

CHAPTER IV. The Hole in the Stairs. The old butler was apparently waiting for the two friends in the hall, for, addressing Fansliawc, lie exclaimed, "May I ask you to sec me alone for a moment, sir? I have a very grave communication to make to you."

"Why of course, Tyndall! By the way this gentleman, my friend, Mr. Adams, is coming back to-night to take up his duty as A.D.C. to King Bolba. \ou will be under his orders as long as his Majesty stays in England, and of course you will inform him of anything you consider he ought to know."

"If that is so, sir, then I respectfully suggest that this gentleman comes in here along with y ''■ now, and hears what I've got to tell ; >■ >." As he spoke 1..' opened a door to his left, and stood aside while Fansliawe and Adams walked through into a peculiar, gloomy-looking apartment, entirely unfurnished with the exception of an ancient hooded chair. This chair was made of leather which looked as if it was only kept together by the large heavy brass nails which were stuck all over the leather in a kind of irregular pattern. The manservant stood by the chair, as ha observed, "It was here, so they say, that the nightwatchman used to sit a hundred years ago, when highwaymen would still ride into London as far as Lymington House from Hounslow and Putney Heath. Some declare as what the nightwatcliman's ghost is met with, now and again, wandering about the house at night. Be that as it may, not 0110 of the English maids will conic in hero after dark, sir."

Tyndall moved hack a step or two. and shut the door behind him.

"What I've got to tell you, gentlemen, will seem almost incredible to you," he said in a, grave tone. "But there! Those foreign folk as are living in this house now aro devils, and no mistake. I'nil of hatred and grudges against one another — all of them. And the women even worse than the men. I will show you in a minute something which will astonish as well as horrify you." "What's happened?" exclaimed Fanshawe, looking disturbed, and telling himself that his good friend Tyndall was becoming an old dodderer, just a bit beyond the excellent temporary job that he had got for him.

"That's what I'd like to know, sir, and, if you'll wait a moment, I'll show you something that will give you gentlemen a turn." Ho flung open a high panelled cupboard set in the wall of the room, and took out of it a candle, which he lit with a shaky hand. Then he walked across to the'furt her wall, that opposite the two windows, and slid back a high panel which revealed that just oil the room was a. lobby which started a fairlv wide staircase wliieh apparently ran lip the whole of one side of the large house. "It's by these 'ere stairs that Queen Magia and the members of the household—l can't call 'em ladies-—come up and down, so as to avoid King Bollm and his suite," said the old man in a quavering voice. "And the Queen would have been coming down this way just now, and maybe might have been killed, if I hadn't found out just by accident what had been done here." He began ambling, up the broad shallow dark steps, and the other two, wondering what he could mean, followed him. "There, sir? Just look at that!" An exclamation of horror and surprise escaped George Adams, - for just below the first half landing he sawthat some skilful hand had neatly cut out a whole step of the staircase. Tyndall, stooping forward, threw the light of his candle downwards on to the dark —it looked a fathomless — cavity. "If you was coming downstairs you would never notice that gaping hole sir, now would you ? And most certainly not if you was a lady." Fansliawc felt roused to both anger and horror. "What a devilish thing to do!" he exclaimed, bending down. "As you said just now, Tyndall, this —this outrago would have led inevitably to a frightful accident if, as you say, you hadn't found it out in time."

"Tho very least that could have happened sir, would have been that any person coming down these stairs would have broken their two legs and', as easy as not, their back too. There's a drop of about sixteen feet below that hole! Besides, even if there was no drc>p you know yourself what 'tis like, sir, even just to miss a step, as it's called, when the tread is there all right!"

"What fiend can have done this thing?" muttered Adams. At the thought of the clanger Magia had run his face had gone white under it 6 healthy tan.

"That we shall never know, sir. We're not supposed, as you know, to let on to anybody outside as to what goes on here, or I'd have called for the police instanter. There's been a lot of queer goings on that I could tell you of. But there!" The old man sighed. "I shall be glad to see the back of King Bolba. He's nothing but a big dusky brute, saving your presence, gentlemen, for all I see the newspapers call him 'So Civilised'."

"Have you done nothing, Tyndall, about this dirty piece of work?"

"What could I do, considering what my orders are? I'm going to have this step put back in a sly sort of way by my son-in-law, who's a cabinetmaker. He won't blab! Until then lam not allowing anybody to go up or down this staircase. I've posted one of my footmen at the top, and I've locked the two doors on the ground floor. That's all I thought I ought to do, till I saw you—"

"By the way how did you find out what had been done? I thought no one but the Eunuch, in shape of. man, is allowed to go into the native quarters ?"

"Well sir—to tell the truth I never would have found this out, but for an anonymous letter. Here it is, gentlemen."

From his breast pocket he produced a dirty looking envelope, and handed it to Fansliawe. The envelope contained a sheet of paper on which was printed the words:—

| "If Mr. Tindall, now groom of The ; Chambers at Limington House, will take "a candle and creep up on his hands and knees the back staircase which leads out of the watchman's room, he will see something to his advantage just 1 below the first landing. Be careful going up or you will rue it.

"That was written by the man as cut out that step—l'll be bound, sir." Fansliawe said thoughtfully "I don't feel we can leave itfat that. You see —" He hesitated for a perceptible moment, then he exclaimed, "That anonymous letter proves it wasn't done by a member of King Bolba's suite—doesn't it?"

"I agred, sir. I'm sure that a white man did that dastardly job, and an Englishman, I'm sore afraid. My girl's husband will know it 'twas done by a skilled hand."

"Gct at him at once, and telephone to me without mentioning names, the result of his examination of that very neat bit of carpentry. Then, if I think it advisable, I'll inform Scotland Yard."

Three minutes later when they found themselves out of doors, in the small quiet sqijare bounded on one side by St. James' Palace, in which stands Lymington House, tho two friends looked at one another in dismay-

"There's something very 7>ad behind this business! Someone must have heavily bribed a carpenter or cabinetmaker to do that job!" cried Fansliawe.

The other exclaimed, "Who could have the slightest interest in doing such a dastardly thing?"

"The fiendish thing was' done to injure, maybe even to kill, one particular person, and I'm afraid the person aimed at was —"

"Queen Magia?" muttered Adams.

"Yes—there's not a doubt of that. I fear. If I get the message I fully expect from old Tyndall, would you would mind going to Scotland Yard, George? You see in a sense it wasn't even in order my going along and presenting your sister, let alone you, to Queen Magia. I ought to have left the doing of that to Dr. Clarke.'' "Doesn't is annoy Germany and France, to say nothing of Italy, that a Briton is always with Bolba?" "Missionaries don't count! Theirs is a heavenly kingdom! Besides, Dr. Clarke is in Europe only as a member, if a most valuable member, of Bolba's suite. He lives in Africa, and hardly ever comes home."

"Are you telling him of this mys terious affair?"

Fansliawe shook his head. "Not before you've been to Scotland Yard."

It, was with a feeling of intense, relief that George Adams parted from his companion. He was in a whirl of inward excitement. His lovely unknown of yesterday was Queen Magia? What an astounding thing! Consciously lie thanked God t hat she was only Bolba's official Consort —not Bolba s wife, in even a heathen sense.

The knowledge that fate was about to fling him into close proximity to her, tilled him with mingled rapture and despair. From what he had already learnt, no member of the dusky potentate's suite ever even saw Queen Magia, excepting when she was taking part in one of those public progresses when her obvious popularity roused rage in Bolba's dark heart. CHAPTER V. Scotland Yard Knows Something. At. half-past eight, (he next morning, George Adams was* rung up by Michael Fansliawe. ''There isn't a doubt about it!" he called out excitedly. "That step was cut out by a skilled cabinetmaker who used a special tool which belongs to his trade. I'm sending you now, at once, a. note by hand. 'lake it along to Scotland Yard at ten o'clock, and ask to see Colonel Duncan. Tell him exactly what we saw, what Tyndall told us, and what I've just told you. I can't help thanking God that the whole business will be over, as far as I'm concerned, iu three days from now!"

George Adams said rather grimly: "it will just be beginning for me, then, eh, Michael Y"

"Well yes, it will! But you've always said you liked excitement, and hated a quiet* life. Mow's your chance —and I, for one, don't envy you. So long!"

When Adams reached the fortresslike building of New Scotland Yard, he found that Fanshawe's letter acted with magical effect. He had hardly had time to take stock of the big writing-table, the substantial book-case, and the two roomy comfortable armchairs, which was all tiie room contained, before Colonel Duncan stood before liim.

"Mr. Adams? What can I do for

you ?" "I suppose Mr. Fansliawe has told you something of my business?"

"Only that you've accepted the post of temporary A.D.C. to King Bolba during his Continental tour, and that you've something of importance to tell me." The colonel then glanced at the note ho still held in his hand. "He adds that he fears nothing can be done in regard to what I am going to be told by you, but that he feels I ought to be put in possession of certain facts concerning a grave incident which occurred yesterday at Lymington House."

Briefly King Bolba's new A.D.C. set out the curious sinister story of the step cut out of the staircase, which connected Queen Magia's apartments and the native women's quarters with the ground floor of Lymington House.

Tho other man listened to him in attentive silence; then, when Adams had finished, he said quietly: "I can now give you both the name, and the criminal record, of the man who did that dastardly deed."

As he saw the look of incredulous amazement flash across his visitor's face, he went on, smiling: "That won't seem as wonderful as it does now, when you've heard what I'm about to tell you." A Bribe of £200. Colonel Duncan touched a bell on his table. When it was answered, he said: "Please bring me that file from the fingerprint room." Then he again addressed George Adams. "When it was arranged that King Bolba, Queen Magia, and their respective suites should be lodged at this country's expense, the question of how Lymington House should be 'run' was a serious matter, for we understood that when at home they all live in wigwams. A suitable, trustworthy, and of course a British, temporary household was required."

The speaker consulted a piece of paper he had just taken out of his pocket.

"There are two English chefs, three kitchen maids, a groom of the chambers, with four men under him, a number of housemaids, and so oil. Now after this household staff was actually installed, in fact on the very day of King Bolba's and Queen Magia's arrival, we, here at Scotland Yard, learnt that a ticket-of-leave man named Chester, who had just left prison had been engaged as third footman! Ha is a skilled cabinet-

maker, and by his record I should say a dangerous ruffian.. "Rightly or wrongly—l now naturally think very wrongly —we made up our minds to let him remain where he was, as it was only a matter of a very few days. This decision was arrived at partly because a well-known church dignitary had got Chester the job, and had practically gone bail for his good behaviour. In other words, we gavfi the man a chance."

"I see," observed Adams. Colonel Duncan went on slowly: "I need hardly tell you that it will be impossible for us to take any public steps in the matter. But we will find out who paid this ruffian to cut out that step, and also how much lie was paid. If you will come back here this afternoon, I shall have news for you."

A few hours later George Adams again stood in Colonel Duncan's pleasant room in New Scotland Yard. But with him there was now Michael Fansliawe, and cowering before them, dressed in a shabby grey suit which made him look indeed different to the appearance lie had presented when in Lymington House, stood the tieket-of-leave man.

Colonel Duncan looked at the unhappy wretch with eyes that were not cruel, but very stern.

"Now then, Chester? My promise to you holds good. This new disgraceful episode in your career is going to be wiped out. It will not be put in any record, and 110 one will ever know of it, except myself and these two gentlemen. But I wish them to hear from your own lips what you have told me. It won't take very long —and, if necessary, I can refresh your memory." He waited a moment, "Now then— speak up!" Tho man opened his pale lips. "It was this way, gentlemen. I've got a wife as is very, very ill. She's not in a hospital; she's in our little home at Ealing. Her father gives her a small allowance, just enough to keep body and soul together, for all he's well-to-do. She and mc arc very fond of one another, and she fretted something dreadful while I was in prison. Then I came out —" Ho waited a moment, " —and this job at Lymington House was tho first job I've been able to get since I came out. His lordship—" "That's the Bishop," interposed Colonel Duncan dryly.

" —sent for me. He's known me all my life. I comc from, a village whore his father was the clergyman. Ho got me this temporary place, and though I'm a. cabinetmaker, I took it because T was to get a full month's wages, and of omu'rio in such a job as that there are t.lie porks." » "Perks?" repeated Adams hesitatingly. "Why, yes, sir. I got quite a lot of food given me by the chefs each evening —nice jellies, and things like that, for my wife." '"Now Chester —go on to what you told me." "I hadn't been there three days before one day Her Majesty's dwarf—" and tlion deliberately the man used two ugly words, " —sidled up to me one niglit, when I was standing by myself in one of the lobbies, waiting for Mr. Tyndall who was to tell me of some job lie wanted me to do. At first I thought — you can think for yourselves what 1 thought, gentlemen. '.But it wasn't any thing of that sort. She just smiled and nodded, and made some funny gestures with her hands, and 1 couldn't make out just what she was after. But after that we got a bit friendly-like, and well, gentlemen—" He stopped, and this time it was as if he could not go on again.

Colonel Duncan intervened. "The dwarf tamo to this man the day before yesterday, and brought with her £200 in £5 notes. She led him to the staircase, and showed him, by signs, exactly what it was tdie wished him to do."

"Ay, that's it, gentlemen —that'sexactly what happened!" Chester exclaimed, a pitiful expression of shame and fear on his face.

Then excitedly he went on: "I didn't give no thought to poor Miss Smith, not even to Queen Magia, as I ought to have done! I believed that 'Ya-Ya, as they calls that horrible dwarf, wanted to 'do a mischief to one of the other native women —and that big sum of money tempted me." "I 'may add," said Colonel Duncan, "that Chester's heart so far failed him — and it is to his credit that it was sothat after having cut out the step he wrote Tyndall an anonymous letter, telling him to go and look at the staircase 'with a candle. Otherwise there would have certainly been a frightful accident. It is because he wrote that warning letter, and because of a mattei of fact, no accident occurred, that we are willing to wipe the matter out, and give Chester yet another chalice." (To be continued Saturday next.)