"X 14." By I.M. GILBERT

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7192, 26 June 1933, Page 9

"X 14." By I.M. GILBERT

Instalment 25,

I CHAPTER XVII. To return to Lethy Keep, where grim events had happened. After Macnlcol and I went down the hill, Henderson climbed back into tho upper room. Ho examined the rope lashings on his captives, to see that all was secure, but o.t the same time tried to make the two men as comfortable as their trussed-up positions would allow. Then lie scrambled on to the broken roof of the little prVon, from where he was able to get a good view and also keep a watchful eye below 7. Except for an occasional car passing along tho road, the countryside was deserted, and Henderson settled himself down in a corner out of the wind. He knew his vigil was likely to be a long one, for he could not expect to be relieved until after I arrived in London. However, he didn’t anticipate any trouble. Danger from outside was unlikely, and 'the chance of either of his charges escaping was remote so long as he remained on the Alert.

For over an hour nothing happened to disturb the peace; then, towards ■midday, Henderson’s attention was attracted by the movements of Wace. Ever since we left he had lain in the semi-consoious stupor to which the doucho of cold water had revived him, but now he 'began to show obvious symptoms of being delirious. He tossed from side to side, keeping up a flow of disjointed conversation in a continuous monotone. At first Henderson thought he was shamming, but on going down to investigate ho saw that the man was quite certainly suffering from the effects of severe concussion, and had been more -seriously hurt than we supposed.

Like many another fierce fighter in the heat of battle, the little chauffeur was as tender-hearted as a woman where suffering was concerned. He did his best to relievo the sick man, and even made a pillow out of his ow 7 n coat for tfie patient’s head, and tried to force some water between his teeth. Waoe struggled against theso wellmeant attentions, and succeeded in knocking the bottle over so that more than half of its contents were spilt; but the drink seemed to do him good, ind after a while he sank into a troubled sleep. What upset Henderson more than smylhing else was the behaviour of X 14. He lay smiling sardonically at Ihe wholo episode, and when at last Wace was quiet again he spoke for the first time since our departure, cynically congratulating his gaoler on his attempts at being a ministering jtngel. I suspect that in answer he got a few home truths Jn broad Scotch, and he must have run a grave risk of being knocked on the head. At my rate, his manner changed abruptly, and he tried to get into conversation with Henderson, probably witli Ihe object of sounding him to see if there was a chance of buying hia freedom. That worthy, however, who bad rcasoended to his perch on the roof, threatened to apply the gag, and the pourparlers came to a sudden end.

Shortly after one o’clock Henderson event down again, opened a tin of >ully beef, ate half himself, and fed K 14 with the balance. He found it impossible to make Waoe take any food, but he managed to give him somo more water.

Xl4 made no attempt to refuse the meal, anil «ven asked for more. Then tie complained bitterly that he felt :ramp in his arms and legs, and begfed to have his bindings slackened. He said that his hands were numbed, tnd his wrist painful where the rope lad eaten Into the flesh. Henderson was far too wily a bird to let his prisoner free altogether, jvon although ho was unarmed, but tie examined the lashings. They cer:a!nly were tied rathor tight, and the position in which X 14 had been forced to He was far from comfortable. Accordingly, Henderson eased off the bonds a trifle, not enough to jive much play and just sufficient to let tho man sit up. I think this action was the only real nlstako Henderson made, and it was i most natural if not an unavoidable one. He had no intention of torturing the prisoners, and although X 14 could now move about a little, lie was still absolutely powerless, and it must have been difficult to see how ■iny harm could result. All the same, this was the beginning of the end. From that moment onwards there was method in everything that X 14 did or said, and already his busy brain must have worked out a possiblo means of escape.

Wace soon gave trouble again. He began to moan and dash his head against the stone floor. Then he commenced to shout. Poor Henderson was at his wits’ end to know what to do. To apply a gag seemed inhuman under the circumstances, and yet. he could think of no other way of keeping the man quiet if any one came near. He tried to soothe him, gave him more water, and tied a wet hahdkerchiof round the bruised head. After a time the moaning- stopped, but Wace continued to toss about. While Henderson was thus engaged, X 14 contrived to roll himself across to the far side of -the little room. He said that he was more comfortable there, as a rough covering of moss hail grown on the stones, making them less hard to lie upon. He was now away from the shelter of the unbroken portion of the roof, but if he preferred that, It was his own lookout if it rained. liis explanation was reasonable enough, although it wasn’t the true one; and Henderson, busy with the delirious man, failed to see the real motive behind the manoeuvre. The forgotten empty beef tin was lying in the place to which X 14 had managed to move himself. Getting It underneath, him. he began _ to work the bindings on his wrists against the sharp edge whenever .he was unobserved. The rope was a. tough one, and the task must have beer difficult and slow, but the frayed ends, which we”e found afterwards, told their own tale. What nearly led to the discovery of the tin was the approach of two men along the path- Henderson saw them through the window, and at once set gagging his prisoners. Ho did it'most effectively, and had no trouble, except that XI4 refused to sit up properly. The two passers-by were doubtless shepherds going to the vil-

By I.M. GILBERT

lage. One of them, a young man, whistling a doleful hymn tune, and the sound of his Sabbath music gradually died away toward the road. After they had gone, the chauffeur removed the gags and went back to his place on the roof.

No other important incident happened for the next hour or two, no one else appeared, and it began to to look as if the iittlo party in the tower were to be left to themselves, for already tho short day was drawing to a close.

Waco was still far from well, and Henderson felt very unhappy about him. If by any chance my plans went wrong in London be would be in an exceedingly awkward position, for lie didn’t wish to bo left with a dying man on his hands.

.Tust before dark It began to rain, XI4 wriggled himself hack to the roof. He probably managed to bring the tin with him, for I doubt if his hands were free yet, but to have remained outside would only have excited suspicion. Henderson went down and sat beside him in order to keep out of the wet, and his presence must havo made it almost impossible to do any more rope-cutting—at all events Xi 4 lay quite still, and the chauffeur thought he had gone to sleep. Towards seven o’clock Waco became conscious: Henderson gave him the last of the water, and he asked for more. Then Xl4 began to groan, saying that ho, too, felt very ill and was terribly thirsty. “For God’s sake give us a drink," he moaned. “ You are murdering us slowly." Poor Henderson was in rather a dilemma. The water was finished, and the rain wasn’t falling heavily enough to ooUeot in pools, Xl4’s complaints didn't worry him much, but the other requests were genuine. Besides, he felt thirsty himself, for ho had given his own supply ungrudgingly to the sick man.

Finally, be decided to go down to the burn and refill tho bottles. He thought It would be perfectly safe. As far as ho knew, both prisoners were securely tied; one, if not both of them,, was ill, and ho would only be absent far a few minutes. There seemed to bo no possible risk, and Wane’s repeated requests made a refusal almost unthinkable.

First striking a match, Henderson had a look at the two men. Waoe was certainly in no condition to escape, and Xii’s face was contorted as if he were in severe pain. Hesitating no longer, the chauffeur put the two empty bottles into his coat pockets, lowered himself through the opening in the floor, and made his way rapidly down the hillside.

What followed in the upper room I can only guess, but. there was a delay of some sort. Perhaps XI4 took a long time to remove the rope from his hands, and the untying of his legs must have occupied a minute or two. Anyhow, lie did not get away at once, although personally, I am inclined to think he stayed deliberately. Tho first instinct of any ordinary man would have been to bolt the moment he found himself free, but Xl4 was no ordinary man. He probably intended to await tho chauffeur’s return in order to kill him, and thus definitely shake off his pursuit.

Whatever the cause, XI4 was still there when Henderson got back to the lower and began to climb up to bis death. Then, when he had only another foot or two to go, Wace called out. The words were hardly distinguishable, but they sounded like a request to untie his hands. Instantly Henderson sensed danger and slid down again. He had brought a piece of candle, and ho struck a match to light it. As the wick kindled a slight noise made him glance towards the roof. The end of the rope was just disappearing through the hole. Some one was drawing it up.

Henderson set the candle on the floor, cocked his revolver, and stepped back into the shadows near the doorway. He listened attentively, but could hear no movement, and Wace was silent again. The situation needed oareful handling. At least one of his captives had broken loose, and Hie only means of getting baok to the upper room had gone. Xl4, however, could easily got down, unless Henderson stopped him. He had two exits to chooso from, either the hole in the roof or the window outside. The window was cerainly too high from the ground without the help of the rope, but he had the rope. Also, unfortunately, the. window was on the opposite side of the tower from the door, and Henderson couldn't watch, both. Had it been daylight he might have retired to some distance outside, from, where he could see the front and back of the building at the same time, but in the dark that wasn’t possible.

The same problem must, have presented itself to Xi-i. and he had also the additional one of Wace. Had his companion been fit they might have gone different ways, and at worst one escaped. As a sick man. Wace seemed only a nuisance. He couldn't, help, and was bound to be recaptured, and as a prisoner would only be source of danger to the rest of the gang. One can picture Xl4 searching for ■a way out of his difficulty. His obvious course was to distract the sentinel’s attention in one direction, while the fight was really made in the other Even then he might have time, for Henderson was armed, and he wouldn’t take long to run round the tower. If only Wace had been xvell! But was Wace useless?

Henderson, standing straining his ears to catch the faintest sound, heard a slight scraping noise. It came from the back of the Keep, and might have been caused by boots against the stone wall. Not wishing to be led on a false trail, he waited a moment. Then there was a clatter from ground level outside. In a second he was down the steps and dashing to tho rear of the building. To his surprise no on e was there. The light was just sufficient for him to make out the black square, of the window, and he thought he couid see the faint white blur- of a, face. but. it vanished before he had time to shoot. As he turned to hurry back his foot struck something. It was the empty buliy beef tin which X 14 had thrown out to deceive him. Even as he stooped to examine it there was a shriek, followed by the noise of something heavy striking the Boor inside the tower. This time Uier could be no doubt. To be ewntiuued.