The Missing Tapestry.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 271, 14 November 1936, Page 8 (Supplement)

The Missing Tapestry.

CHAPTER rL Witt difficulty retracing their steps xli the old man, they were horrified, to find the well of the boat half-tilled with water, while every wave added a little more to the swirl that wsus rising quickly about the fisherman's knees. The position was undoubtedly growing desperate, and the boys glanced anxiously this- way and that for some sign of help, or "the whereabouts of the shore- The shore was now quite invisible, but away ahead was a curious dark blur, showinj up against the curtain; of rain. The v stared at it wonderingly, and saw it slowly grow, until it revealed itself as another boat, larger and more seaworthy than their own, which was bearing down upon them -with the obvious- intention of assisting them. The sight was wonderfully cheering,, and they awaited its coming with impatience.

Soon it was bat a short distance away, and there became peering above the gunwale, the rouLid and still smiling face of their faithful Jan. At the tiller was the sturdv figure of his brother Hals. The old fisherman, shoated. striving to make his voice audible above the gale; and Hals, leaning dangerously out over the gunwale, bellowed back through his capped hands.

"We've got to leave this boat,'" said Dirk, as he listened; "the eld man says it went keep aSoat much longer, and. there's nothing we can do to save it-"

Jack looked down at. the water in the well, and realised that this was true enough. However hard thev worked, they would never be able to 1 ' keep pace with, the Incoming waves. That being evident to all ox them, they began their preparations for transferring themselves to tie larger and stouter craft manned by the two brothers* With considerable difficulty, for the sea was now running really high, the feat was finally accomplished, though not before Jaik fervently believed that his last hour had come, and the two boys and the old man found themselves safe aboard the. other boat, which felt astonishingly comfortable and trustworthy.

Hardly -were they all aboard, when a wave larger than the rest struck the unhappy little boat a staggeringblow., forcing her far over to her side, the water rushed in, and before their eyes she heaved and slowly began to sink. The old man stood piteously wringing his hands and moaning to himself, as- he 1 sw his most cherished possession disappear from, sight.

Jack and Dirk; were very silent during the Journey back: to land.. They both felt thai: the disaster to the old man's property waa in same measure due to their "own fault, for the old fisherman: would in all probability never Save left the beach that afternoon bad it hot been- far their imp or-

A TALE OF ADVENTURE.

tunity. But. what could they da* Though neither spoke of it, each ■cnew that the same thought was in the other's mind.

"IH speak to father about it," said Dirk at last. "He may be able- to thiiJs of something.'"® That evening, after supper, Jlr. van Raalte listened: to two- rather 5 name-fit eed boys as they tin burdened themselves- of tile whole Jtorv of their adventures, including their responsiouity for the Frnallv, promising to see what could be done for* the old man. lie said no more on the subject,. and they betook themselves to becL

morning they took their wit down to tiie beach again and sought owfe tire faithful Jan, who seemed not a whit the worse for the o- the day before, and sat placidlv mending his net. To him Dirk pal: a question in Dutch. Jan looked up- in surprise and answered vehemently, nodding his head and pointing down the beach.

Dirk started and. turned quickiv to Jack. "He says that father has been down this morning, and ha 3 promised to give the old man a new boat,;"' he said.

This was startling information. Both boys knew well" that Mr. Van Raalte was far from being well-off. and, indeed, that the stolen piece of tapestry represented his most valuable possession.

Jack took Dirk by the elbow and led Mm aside. "Look here," he said, "'we've got to put this right somehow. We can't let your father- do all this without helping hin? us. some WIT."

Dirk nodded. "But what can. we do?'"* he ajsked.

Jack looked, hopelessly up at the sky. ''If only we could find that tapestry," 3 he said.

Three days later Mr. Van Raalte announced to the boys that he. was unexpectedly summoned to Amsterdam on basin-eas, and would be away for several days. The said business being of a family nature, it became neeesAary for lira. ""Van Raalte to accompany him. The latter, it appeared, was seriously disturbed in her mind as to the wisdom and possibility of leaving Dirk and Jack to fend for themselves in an empty house, for the sudden call had come at a time of great inconvenience, inasmuch as one servant of the Van Raalte household. wa«j absent on a visit to her mother, leaving only the elderly eook to be responsible for her youthful and exuberant charges.

Here was a difficulty. Bat -Jack, who, like all tree aeouta, waa nothing if not resourceful, saw a way out. "I know," he cried. "Why shouldn't we camp out for the time you're away on the island? We could live in the hut, and cook for ourselves?, and it would do ua a world of good. We're both getting soft, anyway."

. JpEradi fa question? waa situated ?Lr sEntr«5 Entr « °f a anfistH lake some tittle cGstancs l fronr tlie* h-out***. and belonged to llr. Van- Eaaltej on it tliere Jiad been built in, some past era a stout wooden hut. for the fienettt ! of those wlu> came t% fish or shoot over the lake. Latterly, however. the island, had been little used, except by the boys, and visitors were extremely rare. j Jack's suggestions in lfr„ Van Raalte a opinioiu was an excellent one. for it would gSw® the boys something to occupy thehr time, while the old cook could be Jruated to keep

them, well supplied with the necessary provender. Mrs. Van Eaalte. howeyer, at first held other views. Considerable persuasive powers on : the part of her husband anJ rfi» two boys had to- be called Ento plav before she would be convinced that pneumonia and kindred illm were not inseparable to the venture.. But tma liy, influenced by the obvious anxiety of Jack and Dii-k to carry out tile plan, she agreed. an.j matters were forthwith put in plan. . Equipped with rolls of blankets. | various cooking pots,' bundles ot | candles and large quantities of j tinned food, the two- made frequent j excursions between the island and | the house until the arrangements j were complete. Then,, having waved | fi'rewell to llr. and -sirs. Van Raalte j at the station, they returned to the ! hut and embarked on their new life, j For two days all went smoothly I and rgreeably, but on the third day ]

| came the rain, Crawling soon after j [ daybreak from Ms blankets. Jack I found; tie lake muffled in a veil of j ! driving mist, while from tie wooden j | roof above came tie drumming of j steady rain. Waiting Dirk, and pointing oat to iim tMs melancholy sir- j !; eamstanee, Jack set about tie pre-i parafcEan. of tieir breakfast. Tiroagii- j out tie meal they sat within the: doorway of tie hut, and watched tie j rain and the mist driving pact down ! tie lake. Plainly, this was no sud- j den and quick affair, but intended : to continue all day. ''Well,'* aaid Dirk at length,, as is finished an enormous sausage, "I tell you what we can do.. We can try and rig up some sort of furniture f. - the hut out of that pile of wood in the corner. We could do with something to sit on instead of the floor-" He nodded, as he spoke, to a pile of broken timber, small planks and broken beams, presumably relics of the days of the hut's earliest youth, jack agreed for" lack of a better proposition, and when the

breakfast things had been duly cleaned and stowed away, they began their inspection. Jack took his stand by the pile of wood, and made- his selection there from the likeliest pieces, while Dirk examined eacfc' as it was handed to him, and decided upon the use to which ft could best be put. They worked hard and swiftly, and it was not long before Jack had reached the bottom of the pile. "This is the last bit," he said, "what are you—" The remainder of the sentence was lost in a peculiar, rending cra>sh from, beneath' his feet, and the astounded Dirk, glancing hurriedly at ilia friend,'

■ mw a. thick cloud a£ dnst rising in. i tie comer, while Jack's iead and 1 shoulders were rapidly sliding" from | Ilia view.- Ruehinir to tie corner. lie j found a raggid iole in tie eartien j floor of tie' int.. from wilici issued I a sepulchral voice, whicl* be | had some difficulty in recognising as belonging to Jack. "Wiat'a tin I" he said. "Are yon hurt 1" "Ufa," came back tie answer, somewhat muffled Is at perfectly audible; "I slid down. It's not very deep, anyway,- but I can't see a thing. I I,* «rfc...f *!.« M-.r.a +Vti± fix »

wonder what tile dickens tnis isz Hand me down a candle." Tie obliging and mystified Dirk having supplied this want, -Jack lit it and gazed about him. He found himself in a tiny square room, in reality nothing more than a iole in tie ground,, some: Bft deep and [ 4ft or aft wide- Tie hole had obvi- | ously been dug in a hurry,, for tie j walls were rougi and unfinished and j siowed plain traces of tie spade. I Slowly, a* his eyes grew accustomed J to tie gloom, he became aware tiafc I sundry objects lay about tie floor, I and he bent to examine tiem. SodI denly, straigitening his back,, he I called excitedly to Dirk. "I say I" he cried "Come down here, Dirk, j This is Jolly mysterious.'* Dirk, greatly pleased, slid do-wn ! beside Ms friend- and witi some diffi- | culty stood upright beside Mm, I straining his eves into tie farthest | corners. Undoubtedly tiere was

I something- mysterious about it. In. one corner lay a, neat little heap of ; articles, which, closer examination j revealed to be old carved candlesticks of silver, and even one or two of jpld. Besides these lay three silver I plates, tarnished and dirty, and a j quantity of silver spoons of all shapes ! and sizes. In another corner of tire ; hole lay, against the wall, an object | that at firfjt sight seemed to be a I roll of linoleum or carpet. Dirk ; seized it and shook it oat a>s ■well as j he could in tie confined space, and Jack heard frira gasp loudly. "WSat is it?"'* lie asked. Dirk turned to him excitedly. ■'Quick!.'* he said. "Up into tie. fetrt again. We can't see properly down here.' 5 And with that he gripped Jack about tie knees and heaved Mm up until is was able to draw himself once more into tie iixt, where is turned about and assisted Dirk, still clutching; the roll of carpet, to clamber up beside him. "Just look here!" exclaimed Dirk, as he unrolled hi« bundle and spread :o. *'li*

it out on the floor. Jack stared at it, and saw what seemed to 'oe a square of thick cloth, ornamented with strange designs of figures and animals.. "'What is it?" lie asked. "A rug of some sort!" "Rug!" said "Dirk, d-sdamfullj\ "Sot much! You've ne-ver aeen this before, of course. It had gone before you came, and laat year it wasn't in the house. TMa m our piece of tapestry." "What?**" cried Jack, and stood gazing in amazement at his friend. This was incredible; it seemed too | good to- Be true. "'Are you sure 1" he ; said at laat. (To be continued.) -