The Prince of vega Thrilling Serial

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

The Prince of vega Thrilling Serial

"By M.. Thorpe Clarkmm

Roger# was not in sight as he followed along the passage and he hurried his steps. The lay-out of the boarding-house was simple, and he knew the position of Rogers' and Afa's rooms on the first floor. Ha reached the stairs and wm about to da«h upward when he saw lingers standing, as though in meditat ion, at the top. He was halftinned towards the passage, and, in that fleeting second, Pepper could not determine whether or no he had seen him. But, quicker than his p a i s would have thought possible, he retreated and hurried back to the entrance, there to await the possibility of the half-easteV return. But when he did not come he again crept along t e dirty, deserted passage, this time peering cautiously around the corner before essaying the stairs. Rogers wns not in sight, and, reassured, Pepper commenced to climb them. Still he was more cautious this time, and •when he reached the top he looked carefully either woy Uinre venturing into the passage. But there was no one in sight. Rogers had evidently not seen him, or, if he had, attached no significance to his presence. On quiet feet he walked along the passage towards Afa's door—it was the nearest. He went with his hands in his pockets and a careless whistle ready to break forth on his lips. If anyone asked his business he was going to say he was a chemist's messenger. The Burlington chemist's son was the author of this idea. But no one eame forth to ask his business or show any interest in him. Arrived at Afa's door he bent down until his eye was at the keyhole. They were old-fashioned locks, and had not the key been in the lock he might have got quite a bird's-eye view of the contents of Afa's room. Disappointed, lie I'wc to his feet. Rogers' room was the next along the passage. Again he bent until his eye was level with the keyhole. He had more luck here. There was no key to block his view. Still, as far as he could Judge, the room w«« empty, unless the owners were seated to one side Just beyond his range of vision. He screwed around trying to get a better view and strained his ears to Catch' some sound, but - there was Bone. ■ Although he wasn't aware of the fact, even his nose was pressed tightly against the lock, and when the door opened with a sudden jerk,

he simply tumbled headlong into the room and lay, crestfallen, at Pierre Rogers feet. The latter was grinning r £f r , ev . y- Pepper was sure he disliked that smile. It made him want to swallow hard. He was about to rise and make a hurried exit through the still open door when Rogers grasped him by the shoulders and dragged him to his feet, quickly transferring his hold to the scruff of his neck. Without a word h© commenced to drag him across the floor, while someone, either Afa or Rogers' companion of the motor truck incident, slammed the <loor of escape. From force of habit Pepper protested. Argument had ever been his strong point. "Say- You can't do this!" he cried. "You can't drag me around like a puppy!" Rogers did not reply, except to bare his teeth a little more. Pepper then gathered all hi* strength, which was considerably more than usual, being backed by a full-grown rage, and swung his boot until he landed a nice one on the calf of Rogers' leg. "Wait until my pals hear of this!" he gasped, as he kicked. Rogers remained silent, though his grip tightened on Pepper's neck and made him wish that, after ail, he had not been so free with his feet. Then with his left hand Rogers shot the bolt of a small door at the side of the old-fashioned fireplace, and Pepper found himself staring into dark space. "Gosh! Pepper!" A voice eager, yet somehow changed, as though its owner had been through almost unbearable stress, told Pepper that if he could not see into the gloom, someone could see hiin silhouetted in the doorway. "Vedi!" he gasped. "So that's that!" Rogers said, and laughed evillv. "Afa thought you were one of the Burlington boys, but we had to be sure. Now—in you go!" And he gave Pepper a push into the darkness. "You can hold each other's hands while you die. In the meantime, we'll round up those 'pais' of yours, Pepper!" Then the bolt shot home and darkness enveloped them. But only for a moment. "I forgot one thing." Rogers' voice held a sharp note. "Tell me—just how many pals have you V Pepper made no attempt to answer. He guessed why Rogers wanted to know. It would make it easier for him if he knew just how many he had to round up.

| Answer me!" Rogers' voice cut the gloom. Pepper breathed hard, but made no sound. Rogers grasped his arm roughly. Answer me!" he demanded. "Before I break your arm in half a dozen places!" There was evidence of a hideous temper in those tones. "I guess—you can find out," Pepper said at last. Deftly, a« t. ,h lie had had much practice, Rogers twisted the arm he grasped behind the youth's back and pave it a cruel wrench. Pepper bit hie lip. Out of the gloom Vedi spoke. Hie voice sounded strangely far away. "There are at least six of them, Rogers," he said quietly. R' turned from Pepper for a moment, but did not relax his hold. "Keep quiet, you young cur!" he thundered, and his heavy boot shot out toward the darkest corner. Pepper heard ft dull thud as it met soft flesh. Six! is that so?" Rogers hissed the words into Pepper's ear. "Six! answer me." Thats near enough!" Pepper managed to stutter, making an effort to catch his usual bravado. "Near enough!—oh, no. inv friend —I must know—exactly." Again he wrenched Pepper's arm so that he stumbled. 'I am good at breaking arms," Rogers said. "It will be pleasant to die with a broken arm—more painful, don't you think? Now tell me— exactly." "Better tell him, Pepper," Vedi said wearily, "else lie will break your orm and he'll find the others in anv case. He always < ins in ahe end." "Three," Pepper said tonelessly. Ropers released him so suddenly that he fell forward. "Good—that sounds more like it. Afa said there would be four of you —but I had to make sure." Again the gloom enveloped them as the bolt was shot home. CHAPTER XIX. A Battle. IX .ess was beginning to fall, and still the three boys in the empty shop waited Pepper's return. After seeing him mount the steps in the wake of Pierre Rogers thev had taken it in turn to reconnoitre, but each had returned with no news. As far as they could gather from the kitchen boy no one had seen or heard of Pepper in the boarding house, and there had been no untoward sounds

to suggest his unlawful presence on the premises. In any case no one would have taken any notice. Strange people frequented that boardinghouse and strange things happened. It was best not to hear any peculiar noises. "Something's happened!" Peter said decisively, as the last of the daylight faded. "They've got him up there in their rooms all right. Silly young jackass! I don't know why he couldn't report to us as he was told. Trust Pepper to get out of his depth!" "Ho generally manages to talk his wav out of his difficulties," Ben reminded him. "Doesn't look as though he's going to talk his way out of this one," Peter 6aid grimly. "He's been gone too long. We'll have to go and look for him." "It needs only one of us at a time," Ben said quietly, "and I want to be the first. You've pot a habit of leaving me to last, Peter, in matters like this 1- ause I'm quiet and wear specs, but T fruoss I want my full share in this episode." "0.K.," Peter said briefly. This was no time for argument. "Now, I think the first thing to do is for us all to pet up on the roof and see if we can learn anything from the windows." But there was nothing to learn. Both rooms were in darkness with the blinds not drawn. It looked as though they hod not been entered since night had fallen. "I'll see if one of the windows opens," Ben whispered. "If so, I'll bunk in. I'll give a yell if I meet any trouble." Anxiously his two friends strained their eyes to watch his dark figure creep slowly up to the first window. No luck there. The fastener held it securely. He crept on to the next. With the merest squeak it answered the pressure of his fingers. Slowly but surely he raised it —then he peered in intently. There was no sound. Lightly he vaulted on to the sill, and Peter and Nicky heard the merest thud as he landed on the other side. Then silence. They waited. They could hear the whirr and buzz of the traffic in the street below them and from the shop dwelling on the left the harsh tones of the man of the previous night calling to his do?. But no sound from the bedroom Ben had just entered. With the window wide open the blind flapped moodily to and fro in the evening breeze. It had a deserted air. "He's been gone a long time," Peter said at last, uneasily. "But he said he'd yell if he met trouble," Nicky reminded him, trying to keep his voice even. "Seems like some sort of trap to me." Peter said. "I don't like it. We'll give him another five minute# —then it's our turn." The five minutes seemed an age. The yawning window and flapping blind seeming to taunt them with their air of desertion. (To be continued.)