THE KING OF GREENHAVEN

Evening Star, Issue 21318, 24 January 1933, Page 3

THE KING OF GREENHAVEN

A Story of Modern Smugglers

[By Richard Wayne]

(The characters in this story are entirely imaginary, and no re. fcrcnce to living persons is intend ed.)

CHAPTER XX L. KOOEII C'M.I.S OX .10 AX. The engine started with a clamour that shocked the stillness cd the night, and, obeying Wedlako’s gesture, Roger cast off the rope and sprang aboard. The boat rushed seaward through the velvety blackness, Wcdlakc steering her through the narrow harbour mouth by some sixth sense which filled Roger with admiration and amazement. Once clear of the harbour the man swung off to the right, heading southward, and roughly parallel with the coastline. Roger had the feeling of being impelled through the darkness to some sure death, and had to reason with himself very seriously to dispel a disposition to protest. And then, without a word of warning, Wedlako switched on a powerful lamp, which qast forward a strong ray of light that seemed to mock at the shadows and shout them into the distance.

Swinging the light in one direction and another, Wedlake revealed an empty sea and a coastline void of any lurking motor boat. Apparently satisfied. lie swung at right angles again, heading now, as far as Roger could tell —for the switching off of the light loft him in disconcerting darkness—for the French coast. After traversing a few miles at full speed Wedlake once more switched on his searchlight, again to discover nothing on the face of the water. Another change of course, and yet another, brought them close inshore, in the neighbourhood of Swaylo Point; and once more Wedlake scanned the coastline for revenue boats in waiting. At least, Roger presumed that such was his purpose, for the man vouchsafed no word to explain his course or his action.

At last, apparently satisfied. Wedlake cut off the engine and turned to Roger to say : “ I’ve circled the field of operations, Merriman; and the men seem to ho enjoying their usual hick.” “If anybody had been knocking about in wait for them,” Roger suggested. “ Yon advertised your precaution rather thoroughly, didn’t you?” “ Oh. I’ve accustomed people hereabouts to my midnight vagaries,” Wedlake said carelessly. “ I’ve been out and about Hashing that searchlight for years now at irregular intervals.. The sneed at which 1 travel in the darkness does not encourage prowlers to hang about the coast in the neighbourhood of Greenhaven.’ “ 1 should think not. You’d sink a liner. Wedlake, if you hit it at the pace yon travel.”

Wedlako chuckled a little. “ Ready for another burst?” ho asked. “ Pay no attention to anything they may say. I’ve never got them really broken to the searchlight.” Once more lie sent the boat leaping out to sea, and travelled steadily in one direction for some miles, as it seemed to Merriman.

Then he switched on his light once more, and disclosed two fishing boats, close together. In the while light the men aboard them stood out clearly, engaged in what looked at the first glance to lie the hauling of their nets. But Roger saw a bulky object appear on the line which they wore hauling inboard as Wedlake cut off the engine once more.

“ That’ll do you,’’ shouted a voice which Roger had no difficulty in recognising as Abel Shaman's. “We don’t want you any closer, whoever you may bo. Cut out that light and get off about your business, I say.” “ And remember that we’ve got you covered with a gun that shoots straight,” said a surlier voice. “ Get about your business and leave us to mind ours.” “ They would shoot, too,” Wedlako remarked cheerfully as he switched tin* light off. ‘‘ Silly fellows! How do you feel about a run across channel ? It’s too soon to go hack; we should only bo in the way at Greenhaven.” “ I’m with you. sir,” Roger agreed, though he felt like a volunteer for u forlorn hope. Once more the engine roared; and the wind struck Roger in the face as the boat leaped to the urge of its engines. The lights on the French coast jumped up and died away at even intervals, but the waters of the channel seemed swept of craft of any kind. For a long hour they cruised about in the dangerous darkness, and then Wedlako checked the boat for further conversation.

“ Never a sign of the craft which brings the goods from France,” ho said, discontentedly. “ They work more secretly from their side, than our fellows do. I’ve had the plane out a score of times, just for one glimpse of them ; bub I’ve never been rewarded.” “ The weakest link in the chain, it seems to me,” Roger ventured. “ is to

he found ashore, on our side.” ‘‘You mean the lorries?” Wedlako asked. “ And well they know it. 1

do much as I please, as you are aware, Merriman. But I’ve my orders to keep out of the way, until the lorries

are well clear of Greenhaven. If murder is ever committed on one of those • ventures, it will he owing to those aecursed lorries.” ! “ 1 wonder whether the profits justify all the risk!” Roger remarked. “Obviously. it cannot go on much longer. “ Now for home!” Wedlako siyd, ignoring the -remark. " All should be clear by this time.” He ran back through the gloom, finding his way into the harbour in some way Roger could not fathom ; though ho probably had guiding lights somewhere ashore, so sure was his course. And when they had made last, and were leaving the pier, the group of silent, statuesque figures could lie discerned in waiting. 'They made no sound and no movement. j “I’m for bed,” Roger said. “I’m for London very early in the morning, and shall look Joan up. That is one of | mv objects in going, sir.” I “ Good of von,” Wedlake said. \ “ You’ll not find her with Mrs Chance, ! 1 fancy. More likely she’ll he here, when you return. The more I think of it the surer J feel that Chance sent that fellow snooping down to Greenhaven. Roger was surer still, but he did not care to mention this to Wedlake. He did not even go to bed, hut sat and smoked until the village seemed to have gone to bed. Then, after a cautions exploration, he started his car for London, where lie arrived in time to bathe and change and eat a .hearty breakfast, before going to see Joan. She received him in a sitting room, which she had engaged for the purpose, and with no sign of constraint; indeed, her sisterly cordiality was something of a blow to Merriman. “ I knew you would come as soon as you could, Roger,” she said. “ I could not tell you over the telephone; hut Mr Chance is fully informed of all that takes place at home. And ho has threatened me that he will make trouble at .Greenhaven, if 1 venture to set loot in the place again. I left his house, in spite of his threats; but it is not clear to me now, what i ought to do.” “It is perfectly clear to me,” Roger said hotly. “ When I drive hack this evening, you will come with jne, of course. We’ll send a wire to ‘Wedlake, to say yon are coming.” “ But that man will do as ho threatens,” Joan argued, “He is quite capable of getting all those foolish friends of ours into trouble.” “ I think not. But first of all, why is he so set against your return ?” “ Ho explains that very cleverly. He says that Dad has been implicated in smuggling. Do you really believe that, Roger? It must have occurred to you, 1 know; though it never had to me, j until Mr Chance suggested it.” “ 1 think that Mr Wedlake has as little share in the smuggling as you or I,” Roger answered truthfully. “ IVc are both accomplices, in a way, Joan; wo are no better and no worse than Wedlake.” “1 wish I could still think that, Joan said slowly. “ 1 feel that you are right, but my reason tells me that it is Mr Chance who is right. Ton see, Dad has always been a poor man; and yet ho handed mo over a thousand pounds, as though it were nothing. _ Roger, don’t yon see how dreadful it is to feel asT do? The more I think about it the surer I feel that Dad has involved himself. And all for my sake! Ho would not spend a penny of such money on himself; but he would stop at nothing to give me what he thinks 1 ought to have.” “ I should trust my instinct, before my logic, if I were you,” Roger said, regretting that ho could say no more, for the moment, in vindication of Norman Wedlake. “My strongest reason for believing yon and Chance to ho wrong is identical with 'that widely I sways you in the opposite direction, j Wedlake loves you too deeply and sinI eerely to permit yon, even innocently ! to handle money not legally earned.” | “ Then where did he get al that money?”

‘‘ That ho will probably tell you, when it seems fitting. But be very sure that 1 am right when I say it was honest money. If 1 thought anything else, 1 should not advise yon to defy Chance and return with me.”

“ I want to go,” Joan said doubtfully. “ i suppose you know, Roger, that it would only make mo love Dad the more dearly if Mr Chance happened to be right. - If I hesitate about returning, it is only because 1 dread what may come of it,”

“ I’ll undertake that nothing shall como of it that will give you real cause for grief,” Roger said stoutly. “ 1

think that an end is coming very quickly to the smuggling at Greenhaven. And yon will help host if yon arc there to take part in what yon have always known must happen, some day.”

“ Vos,” Joan agreed, yielding all at once. “ And I feel that it will happen very soon, Roger.” (To ho continued.)