NOW FIRST PUBLISHED. BETRAYAL OF JOHN FORDHAM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10136, 20 May 1896, Page 3

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED. BETRAYAL OF JOHN FORDHAM.

BY B. L FARJKON, Author of" No. 119, Great Porter Square," " Grif," "The March of Fate," "For the Defence," " Aaron the Jew," etc.

(all Rights RESERVED.)

PART 111.

CHAPTER XXXI. JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT,— . (CONTINUED.)

At nine'; o'clock we all met together in that room, and if anyone ! ad seed our faces Wave' guessed there woa serious business on 'and. It comes over to me now to say as there wos a green carpet on the Sore, and I daresay that's the reason why I sor the vision of Louis yesterday on the billiard table, and why it comes so orfen when I'm crossin' a green field. I never noticed the colour o' the carpet afore that night. We settled it atween us— is, me and Maxwell and Morgan did—that when the

night's work wos ovor we'd clear out o

Liverpool immediate, and make tracks I separately for London, where we wos to meet at Maxwell's room. . And wot a night it wos! The snow wos comin' down enough to blind yer, and it wos as much as a man could do to stand agin" the' wind. " AH the better for the job we've gob to do," sad Maxwell; "noflody'll notice us goto'in'or out." Morgan and me set down at one table, and Louis and Maxwell at another. • Our chairs wos placed so as wo could see the others without turnin' round. We didn't pay much attention to the game we wos play.inV though , we pretended to be in earnest over it. But we couldn't keep our eyes off the other two. We wosn't as careful as we might 'ave been, for all of a sudden the man as wos bein' rooked cried savagely : " Wot are you fellers watchin' me for ?" "We ain't watchin' yer," growled Morgan. " You are, and yer know you are," sod Louis, " Keep your eyes off me, or I'll wash my 'audi of the 'ale crew." '"Ow ami to take that, Louis?" arab

Maxwell, speakin' very quiet. When 'o spoke like that, with the look on 'is face 'o 'ad then, 'e wos a dangerous man to tackle. "Take it as yer please," Louis answered. " You and me 'avo knowed each other a goodish long time now, and I've been thinkin' it ain't been much in my pocket. From fust to last it's been a case o' shell out, shell out." ■ Oh, that's it, is it ?" Bed Maxwell, getting white about the gills. " Yes, that's it," sed Louis. " Let's see. Wot am I wininn'?'' He counted up. "Six 'undred. Shall we leave off " It ain't wot we arranged," sed Maxwell, pullin' in. 'is 'orns. "I say, you fellersLouis is right. Wo don't want none o' your interference, so koep yerselves to yorselves." , "And I'll 'ave no lookin' over our 'ands,' sed Louis. "Some people don't mind it. I do. Stick to yer own table, and show us yor hacks," _ 11 Wot are yer makin' a row about I' arst Morgan. "We don't want to 'ave nothink to do with yer." Upon that we turned our ch*irs bo as we couldn't ketch sight of the other table, and it wos only when Louis and Maxwell spoke out that wo could 'ear wot wos goin' on. "I .shan't be sorry when it's over," whispered Morgan to me. " Moro shall I," said I. If Louis 'ad carried out 'is threat of waehin' his 'ands of us then and thero it 'd been better for 'im. But 'e couldn't guess what wos going to 'appen no more nor we could. We all went on playin', and sometimes the room wos so quiet that you could 'ave 'eard a mouse walk across the flore. VI e wosn't surprised when Louis sed 'e'd won six 'undred ; it wos part of tho plot to let 'm win at fust. It's an old trick, yer know. From clianco words wo caught now and then wo know the luck 'ad turned, and that it wos Maxwell now as wos winnin'. "That, makes fivo 'undred. Eight fifty. I Double the stake if you like. Thirteen 'andrcd. Another rubicon. Twenty-four 'undred. Luck wos agin me last night; looks as if it wos turning. Your deal. I've got six from tho king ? Good? And sixteens twenty-two. And four queens, ninetysix." It wos Maxwell as spoke from time to time, and we knew that things wos goin' on the way they'd been planned to. Later on, from wot we could make out, Louis gob tired of piquet. 'E cussod the cards, and cussed 'is luck, and cussed the company he wos in; and then proposed to play cribbage, the best two games out of throe, and go double or quits. Maxwell, arter objectin' to sech a 'oavy stake, give in, and they got out the cribbage board. "It'll soon be over," whispered Morgan. I nodded, and looked at my watch. I can't be sure o' tho time, but I think it wos about eleven o'clock. " Fust game to me," sed Maxwell. They went on with tho second, when all ol a sudden Louis cried, " Stop 1" so loud that wo 'eld our breaths, wonderin 1 wot was

comin'. " Wot's the matter now?" arab Maxwell, as gentle as a lamb. "Wot's tho matter now I" screamed Louis. "You're an infernal scoundrel, that's wot's the matter. I've done with yer —and my inothor shall bo douo with yer. I sor yor palm thorn two fives. And look 'ere—aud 'ere! The cards are marked. That's 'ow you've been swindlin' ma all along!" Morgan put ono of 'is 'ands on mine, and the other on 'is lips, as much as to say, " Lot 'em alone. We shall make it wuss if we put our spoke in." " You'ro out of yer senses," sed Maxwell, without raisin' 'is woice. " I've won the

money fair." " You're a common cheat," cried Louis, and you lie " Don't say that) again," sod Majwell. "You lie—you lie—you lie!" screamed Louis. Morgan and me both started to our feet, but we wos afraid to turn round. I wos so scared that 1 wished myself well out of it, and from Morgan's face I guessed he wished the same. Wo one spoke tor a little while, and then it wos Maxwell wot led the way. " Yor'll 'ave to upolergise to me for this," 'e sed ; " I'll wait till yer cool." " Yor'll wait till yer in yer grave, then,' sed i.ouis, "and I'll see yer in — fust. | " Aro yer goin' to pay wot yer owe me?" aval) Maxwell. " Not a brass farden, Louis answered, " and I'll seo if I can'b git back wot yer'va robbed me of already. I'll have my revenge on yer gome'ow; I'll mako a public exhibition of yen . You're a blackleg and a swindler, and I'll take these marked cards to prove wot I say." "Drop 'em," sed Maxwell, "or it'll be was for yer." " Try and make me, yer blackk-,!" cried Louis. "You, low-bred thief, you shall die in the 'ulks !'* " You fool," sed Maxwell, " take that for yer pains 1" And then there come a scream that curdled my blood. Morgan and me turned and rushed towards 'em, and at that moment Louis dropped to the lbro with a knifo in 'is 'eart, "Good Gawd l" cried Morgan. "Wot 'ave yer done?" ■ • Them was the last words I 'eerd, for I run like a madman to the door, and flew downstairs quick :as lightnin'. . Wot I wanted woa to gib out of the 'ouse and 'ide myself somewhere. I'd never been mixed up with anythink like that afore, and I wos frightened out of ray life. We uson't to 'ave a light in the passage, so it wos quite dark; but I made my way ' to the street door, threw it open, and rushed out. I'adn't time to take a step afore 1 found myself in the arms of ft man who was just outside, and there I wos, strugglin' and fightin' with 'im for dear life. • Wot flashed through mo woa that Louis scream'd been 'eaid, and that 1 should bo taken up for murder. The man I wos fightin' with sod somethiok under 'is breath, : but I didn't ketch the words. I struck into 1 'im, and struck Into me, 'arid the siifiw 1 seemed to bo the coKmr o' blood, Then 'e dragged me back into the passage, and we wont on fightin' like wild cats. 'Ow long it lasted I can't say. My 'and wos on is < throat, arid I 'is 'and on mine, and there wo kep' on tearing at each other 1 in the dark passage till 1 'eerd 'im Rive a groan. Thoh I flung'im off, and 'o fell agin the stairs I think, and laid there quiet.'

I didn't stop, yer., may bet yet life. The minute I woa free I run out of the 'ouse and through the snow, as if a 'underd devils wo! fib "my 'eels. : 'The next. thing thpb I remember wos that I wos at the railway station, taking a third-clans for London.. • That's all I know about! it, guv nor. Wot I've sed I'll swear to. It's the truth, the 'ole truth, and nothink bub the truth, so 'elp me Gawd 1