WOLVES' CLOTHING

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 17

WOLVES' CLOTHING

—By CAPTAIN A. 0. POLLARD, V.C., M.C., D.C.M.

Short Story

" AXTHAT I'd like more than anything is to meet A few real crooks."' said -Alfred Dawson innocently. "Not to lie one of them. I don't mean. But juwt so that I ami Id 'talk to them occasionally and learn some of their secret*. Hobnob with them, I suppose you'll call it." Bill Smitliers chuckled heartily. The :dea of this mild-mannered little man mixing in the society of the underworld tickled him immensely. '"They "would probably want you to muck in with them." lie declared facetiously. "There aren't any Micron you, .Mister, I'll be bound." Oblivious of the. sarcacm. Alt' Paweon grinned self-consciously, and called for another round of drinks. Although it was out of his turn he felt that Smithers should be rewarded for his di;--cerrmient.' The two men had scra|>ed acquaintance on the train whilst returning; from Kempton Park and. at Smi'thers' surest ion. had turned into 'The Case is Altered" for a. glass of beer before parting company. Occupied in paying for his order. Dawson did not sec his companion make a sign behind his back and was pleasantly surprised when Smithers leaned forward and whispered hoarsely in his ear. "Don't look round too sudden-like, but there s one of them over there now," he concluded. He nodded towards the farther end of the bar and, despite the warning, Dawson turned eagerly. A man of about .">0 years of age was perched on a stool engrossed with the racing results in the evening paper. Dressed in a black and white check suit, with a rusty bowler tilted to the Imck of his head, he bore all the earmarks of one well acquainted with turf lore. Realising he whs tli<* centre of their interest, he looked up and winked solemnly. Then., finishing the drink in front of ' i, he walked across and joined tl "Do either of you gents want a cert for the two o'clock to-morrow';" he asked confidential!v. Hi« voice was slightly husky and he spoke out, of one corner of his mouth without moving his lips. Dawson was delighted: here was a member of thr underworld without a doubt. This mai: must be cultivated.

"Who doesn't?" he encouraged. Then, remembering that a man of the world would appear sceptical, he laughed. "I've heard that sort of thing before, you know. A cert indeed, what do you take us for?" He spoke contemptuously with the intention of rousing the tipster to argue. Instead he shrugged his shoulders gloomily. "I might have known genfs like you would he on to it." he grumbled. "My name ought to be Stale News instead of Joe Higjrinw. Well, so long." Ho nodded and turned away; in another moment he would be gone. Dawson «aw his chance of learning- about the real thing evaporating before his eyes. "Half a minute. Mr. Higgins; don't be in such a hurry—Have a drink?" The magic phrase halted Joe Higgins in his stride. "Will a duck swim?" he lnired. pulling up a stool and settling himself comfortably. "I suppose you gents are just back from Kempton like me?" lie asked conversationally. "It's been what T call a bookie's day, but tliey didn't fool old •Joe. I como away with a cool fifty pun'. That's something like a day's racing now, ain't it?" Dawson was filled with admiration. He was actually talking to a man who lived by his wits. Fifty pound won in a day. It was superb. "What's it to be, Mr. Higgins? And you, Smithers?" But Smithers declined. He had had enough of this mug. When first they met he had thought he might be a good prospect for a "touch," hut a. glance ni his wallet had revealed that he was not worth bothering about. "You must have had a l<»t of interesting adventures, Mr. Higgins," prompted Dawson when the two were rlone. "I bet you could tell a thing or two if you cliose." Joe Higgins accepted his cue with alacrity. "Adventures, my dear boy? If yon only knew the half of them. T don't want to boast, but I doubt if there's another man in London who's knocked about as much as I have. Adventures! Ha, ha! I give you my word." He winked knowingly and half emptied his glass. Dawson followed suit. "Tell me some of them," he begged. "I haven't had as much experience as you have." "Joe became suddenly wary. "You ain't a rozzer?" he asked apprehensively. Dawson giggled self-consciously. "Fancy you thinking I might be connected with the Yard," he said proudly. "It's rather useful to be taken for a cop sometimes, though. Joe nodded understandingly. This guy was as green a 9 thev come. "I'm glad you ain't one all the same; I don't want to spill none of my secrets to the police. I been caught that way once before." It hardly needed the persuasion of a fresh drink to urge him to tell the story. One yarn led to another. Dawson listened avidly, with scarcely an interruption except to attend to the solemn rite of refilling the glass which lubricated the machinery of his hero's laqnacitv. With such an attentive audience Joe felt that he could really l<\t himself go. Starting fairly mildly, his tales gradually became more thrilling as he sounded the credence of his listener.

"I wish I could take part in one of these jobs," sighed Dawson regretfully when Joe had related the story of a smash-and-grab raid in which he ha 1 filled the role of keeping a look-out for the police. "You must have nerves of .steel, Mr. Higgins." Joe responded to the flattery with another expressive wink. He was enjoying himself immensely. It was an umftuitl experience for him to find anyone so bereft of common sense as to believe what' he said and buy him unlimited drinks at the same time. The# were on whiskies and soda now. "You remember the Gold Cup being pinched at Seven Queen's Park?" Inasked softly. He was referring to a notorious theft which had occurred earlier in the year and which had completely lmtiled Scotland Yard as well the local county police. "Did you have a hand in that, too?" asked Dawson breathlessly. Joe glanced furtively over his shoulder. "Yea, I was one of the gang what took it," he confided out of the corner of kit mouth.

"lb-ally ? That's a knock-out and no mistake."

Thrilled at the prospect of learning a secret unknown outside the underworld. Daw.-on ordered fresh drinks. This spree was worth every penny he was spending on it. Hut Joe must not be heard by anyone else. Fully realising the importance of the occasion he too glanced round the bar. It was then that lie saw her. She was seated l>v herself at a table near the door. Though overdressed and extravagantly made-up. there was a certain amount of character in her face which differentiated her from most of her kind. Catching Dawson's eye, she. grimaced disparagingly towards Joe's unconscious back and raised a linger to her forehead. Dawson turned abruptly away to hide a smile. She might consider Joeas no more than a garrulous old fool, but she would form a very different opinion if she could hear what he was saying. "Tell me about the Oohl Cup,"' he begged. "I bet the police wouldn't half like to hear what happened." "They would that," agreed Joe emphatically. "Why, the inspector in charge liearlv lost his coat over it. They moved him to another district, and 1 hear the new man —he's from somewhere up north. I lx-lieve— he's sworn to get the gang if it's the last thing he ever does. Not that he's likely to have his wish. ltd be a teu year stretch for any of us if they even guessed we had a hand in it." He took a pull at his glass and lit a fresh cigarette. "As 1 was saying," he resumed. "The cops have it in for us because we made such utter fools out of them." He chuckled reminiscently. "The enclosure was thick with them. There was two of em especially detailed to watch over the cup where it stood on a table surrounded by ropes —like a boxing ring, it was.