THE HONOURABLE JIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10419, 17 April 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE HONOURABLE JIM.

BY R. ,1. CIIARLETON, Author of "A Successful Dramatist," "Hector's Cloak," "Margeryßutherford," " Wiildrington's Atonament," "A Lost Opportunity," "Castle KUnth," etc (COI'VRIGiIT.) CHAPTER XXVI.-/ Continued.) HACK TO THE BORDERLAND. Raoiiael Lkk's eyes sparkled with excitement behind the hedge as she crouched and listened to all this. Jnst as the younger of the strangers hnd repocketed his notebook, the voice of Michael Harvey was heard. "By Jove, Pegram, look here. Whab do you think? Here comes Mr, James Mintorn." The two Btrangore gave an exclamation of pleased surpriso, and started forward. Pograin lookod annoyed, and Rachel Lee, leaving her gathered sticks behind, climbed back through a gap in the hedf;e. Next moment James Mintern rode into the encampment and dismounted, giving the bridle of his horse to little David, who came running, attracted by the sight of the beautiful Bouncer. As Mintern strode forward, his huge figure erect, his blonde head thrown hack, and hie great flaxen moustache and pointed beard shining like gold in the sunlight, ho presented a stiiking figure, and, on seeing tho'eager advance of tho two Australians to meet him and tho look of concern on Pcgram's face, tho whole camp came clustering round. Instinctively each felt that something oub of the common was going to happen. The elder of tho two Australians mnrchod forward, his comrado close behind him, and confronted the Honourable Jim. "Are you Jamee Mintern, otherwise known as James Parker, late of Coolgardie and Hawke's Bay, and recently from Melbourne ?" " What have you to do with that?" cried Mintern, in his deep voice, stepping a pace backward and turning a shade paler, yet quite cool and collected. " I am a police superintendent of the Melbourno Force," said the other, " and I arrest you, James Mintern, alias Parker, for the wilful murder of Matthew Standish in Melbourno." As he spoke he produced a pair of bandcuffs, and the sun flashed brightly on their polished steel surface. Pegram gave a cry of incredulous astonishment and greif as he hoard his partner Standiah's name mentioned. Aβ for the Honourable Jim, he answered not a word, bub as tho officer advanced with the handcuffs he extended hie left hand, knuckles downward. The officer thought his task was over, and that he had nothing to do except clasp the steel bracelet on his prisoner's wrist. Not so, however; no sooner did he get near enough than the Honourable Jim, slightly drawing back his arm and clenching his fist, drove it with terrific force against that portion of |he officer's anatomy which is called by professors of the noble art of self-defence the "bread basket," with the effect of doubling him up and sending him to the ground writhing in agony. Before his comrade could move a single step to avenge him and secure, or attempt to secure, the prisoner, Rachel Lee, who had been restlessly prowling around and looking on with strange, wild excitement in her eyes, flung herself like a tigress upon the young man. She caught him unawaots and pinned his arms to his side, clinging to him with a desperate grip, which rendered him completely helpless for the time being. Meanwhile she kept ehrieking as if demented,

"Fetch the gry (horse). Fetch the gry, David," she yelled. " Mount and be off, James. Mount and be off. I'll hold him."

Hearing hie mother's voice the boy came running, leading the horse with him. James Mintern, after knocking the officer down, strode to meet the boy, and catching the bridle from him mounted into the saddle, and next momenb was galloping over the moor.

The fugitive had nearly reached the road before the older Australian regained hie feet. No sooner had he done so than he never heeitatod a moment, but running forward unhitched a horse of Lab's, climbed on its back, and started off in pursuit) of the fugitive Mintern. The younger officer now succeeded in free ing hiraielf from the dinging embrace o Rachel, and, entering the dogcart, whipped up the horee, and started oil in the wake of his comrade. Rachel, panting, dishevelled, and exhausted by her struggle, seized little David and smothered him with kisses, though never all the time taking her eyes off the chase. The child was equally interested in the same direction, and as enon as his mother released him he climbed on to one of the vans, and, waving hie cap over liia head, ecreamed with delight ae he saw the beautiful Bouncer still well ahead, and maintaining the lead he had gained at the start, ' From the encampment the country eloped downwards towards the valley in which, at about two miles distance, Glendyke Castle was situated, so that nearly the whole of the road could be seen winding aafoss the moorland, now and again lost behind a plantation of dark firs, or a clump of natural wood. The road looked like a white riband winding and turning across the dark surface of the moor, for it must be understood that ib bad no wall, dyke, or fence of any kind, but was quite open on either side to the moorland. Now and again a division wall of dry atone would cross it at right angle*, the point interaeoted being occupied by a gate, of ooune. Bo the occupants of the camp, from their point of vantage, had the whole nearly of the course beneath their eye§, and stood

filled with excitement looking down upon the chase.

At length, first Bouncer, next the grey, and then the dogcart disappeared behind a long strip of plantation which hid from view a considerable portion of the road, and the watchers stood waiting impatiently to see them reappear beyond. "I think that fellow had a piece of owdacious cheek," said Lee, speaking for the first time. "A pieco of owdacious cheek I call it to take away my horse and gallop him like that without as much as by your leave."

" Never mind, father," said Luke, " he can ride anyhow. Mo mistake about that." "That's all V9ry well," grumbled the old man; " but that don't help if he founders my nag. Look! there they are. And, by Jove, my grey's gaining. See if he's uot."

Hβ forgot all about foundering in the excitement of the race and the possibility of his own horse beating the other, and fairly beamed again, Rachel looked as black as thunder. What Lee had said was true. The grey had slightly gained, but still Bouncer was considerably ahead. The pace had told on the horse in the dogcart j it was hopelessly in the rear. "Now," remarked Michael Harvey to Pegram, " those are two dashed stupid police officers. But they lick me in one thing, I'll admit. I could no more have ridden off like that than I could have flown, No, not if the taking of a dozen prisoners depended on it." "I am anxious to seo whab comes of this," said Pegram. " Let's go on towards the castle." "Jump into the gig and drive then," said Harvey. Pegram made the driver get out, telling him to follow on foot to the castle, and took his place. Harvey climbed up, and they went off to see the result of the chase. CHAPTER XXVII. MICHAEL HARVKV TAKES CHARGE. Amos Pogratn was half stupefied with amazement and grief. His old friend and comrade, his partner Matthew Standish murdered, and by the Honourable Jim. He could not understand it. When he left New Zealand Matthew Standish was as well as ever he was in his life, and the Honourable Jim, so it was supposed, had gone off in the steamer for England. How then could it be? The brisk motion through the fresh, bracing air revived him, and by the time they crossed tho little bridge, and reached tho castle, he was himself again. Th»y found the two Australian officers standing in the courtyard, looking very crestfallen, "Slipped you, has he!" said Michael Harvey. " Well. I thought ho would. He's a bit too fly to be caught in that open-handed sort of way. You might have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you'd taken the ordinary course and applied to Scotland Yard for assistance. But I know how it is. There's a reward offered on the other side, and you thought you'd have it all to yourselves." The elder essayed to speak, but Harvey went on, "Never mind, it's not too late yet. As far as the reward goes, you are welcome to it. I don't want it. I'only want to have justice done to the ' Yard.' So if you want your man say the word, and I'll help you. If I don't you'll never see him again." Here ho took out his card and handed it to the elder of the two men, who was listening to him as if quite bewildered. " Oh," said he, as he rohd the card. "That's who you aro. Well, I own we've mado a mistake, but we're ready to accepb your offer, with many thanks. My name is Buglo—Superintendent Bugle, of the Melbourne force; my mate is Constable Bill Glyde of the same, and we accept your offer. What's to be done now?" " Where did you lose him ?" " He bolted into the house, and we followed him, and though we've searched the house from top to bottom there's nob a trace of him. His brother, the carl, says he's not in the house. He must have got out by some back wny or other, and escaped to those hills behind the houso, where it will be the devil's work to find him." "Vory likely," said Harvey, drily. "But this caee is now in my hands, I understand; at least it will be when I get my chief's instructions to act, and I will do bo to-night and ask him to wire. Tomorrow morning we will start work." "But," remonstrated Bugle, "ho may get ever so far away and out of reach' by then." " Never mind, leave that to me. Look here, you fellows," cried Harvey to a group of frightened-looking grooms and servants who were standing looking at them with wondering eyes. "Tell your master we have gone back to Newcastle for further orders, will you, and that we'll probably be back to-morrow." With that he led the way from the courtyard and oub of the grounds. " Lβ me see your warrant," he next demanded. Bugle produced it. " It'e a good job the earl did not ask to eoe this," said Harvey, smiling; •' it might have got you into trouble. You must go and get it baoked by a magistrate of the country at once, or it's no good. Where? Well, I don't know, but we'll ask. We'll turn back to the lodge gates and see where the nearest police station is, and then we'll get to know." The nearest police station was three miles away, and thither they went, the Australians seeming to have pub themselves completely under Harvey's guidance. The constable on duty gave them the address of the magistrate, who lived some twelve miles away, and thither Harvey despatched the two officers to get their warrant backed, with strict injunctions to meet him next morning at ten at the Castle Lodge. " They're out of the way for a while," remarked the detective. "And now we can get to work. I want you to assist me if you will. Bub perhaps this news has made a change in your intentions, and you don't care to bother any longer hunting up the honourable gentleman." "On the contrary," cried Pegram, "it has made my desire to see him more urgent still, my duty in doing so, at all risk, more urgent and more sacred." " That's all right. Now let me see where we are."

And Harvey pulled out a map, and begnn to etudy it, Pegrnm meanwhile gently walking the horse. "Here's a place culled Packinsfcon marked as a telegraph office, bub hanged if I see much'of a road shown to it). Merely a bridle path on the map; however, we'll try." Steering by Harvey's direction, Pegram drove the gig over some bleak moorland, crossing several streams, and nearly coming to grief in several bogs, but at length they found the place of their search, a village of thatched cottages with a public-house and a eSurch with a rectory beside it, which had at one time been a fortified peel tower. The place, though email, was the postal centre for a large and scattered district, and boasted a telegraph office. The operator got quite a startling sensation when be saw the length of the message which the detective handed in. It contained a condensed account of the case of the Honourable Jim and a full description of his person. Before leaving, Harvey wrote a long letter to his chief on the same subject, asking him to wire instructions to Glendyke on receipt).

" Do you think your friends the gipsies will give me quarters for the night!" asked Harvey. " Such as they have to give I know you will be welcome to." " Anything will do for me. It won't be for long, I want you to walk with me as far as the castle as soon aa the moon rises, I have a notion we may see something thereabout." "I'll go with you with all my heart. Especially if there ia a chance of coming across you know who." " You'll have to be precious careful how you come across him," said Harvey, seriously. "He's about desperate by this time, and the trigger of a revolver is easily pulled," " I'll take care how I approach him, that is if I hare the chance." So talking, they jogged on until they reached the camp of the Lees, who were all glad to see them and all anxious, especially Rachel, to know the result of the morning's chase. AH, too, seemed relieved when they heard the result, at) least so Fegram thought, and Rachel had, as noon aa she knew it, another fit of hugging and kissing little David, '"Twas a fine race, any way," eaid old Lee. " But that grey nag of mine was sore blown, I can toll yon, When one of the caiUe grooms brought him back I,could have called the young chap, only I knew it

was not his fault, but that other owdacious fellow's."

The old man and Michael Harvey got on famously together, and the latter unbent and made himself so agreeeable that the whole family were quite taken with his merry jokes and good-humoured ways. At length, however, supper was over, and the cump was wrapped in the silence of sleep. And the silver moon came up and flooded the lonely moorland with her pale light. "Come," said Michael Harvey, softly, as he nudged Fegraui. "Come, let us steal out and take a walk as far as the castle."

The two men trudged on ovor the heather and through the furzo bushes until they reached the hard road, and then they plodded along silently in the direction of the castle,

They pawed through the long black shadow cast by the fir plantation, and continuing on, at length crossed the bridge and reached the lodge gates of the castle. Here they stopped. The lodge was in darkness. All within had evidently retired to rest. No sound was heard except the rushing of the river they had crossed. "We must not enter here," whispered Harvey. "We must find some other way to enter the park than this. I want to get into the shrubbery in front of the house without being seen," " I can manage that," said Pegram. " I have been hero before and took stock of the place." " You have learned the lesson I taught you very well," remarked the detective with Borne pride, " to keep your eyes open and take notice of everything." " But it was before I ever saw you that I was here," said Amos, and his companion rather wiuced, and his air of pride vanished. " Follow me," said Pegram as he climbed the park wall at some distance from the lodge. Once in the park they made their way through the trees, and were soon amongst a clump of evorgreens, from whence they had a full view of the south front of the house with the terrace. A light burned in one of the ground floor windows. "1 must have a look through that window," said Harvey. "And please remember that whatever cornea, whatever chance you may have, you are not to discover yourself to Mintern to-night." "But," pleaded Pegrara, "if I could only have a word with him." "If you have no care for your own life, at least have some thought for mine. If be sees me he will shoot tor a certainty. Will you promise, or shall we go back ?" " 1 promise," ssid Pegram, reluctantly. "Come on, than." They cautiously stepped across the lawn, keeping as far as possible in the shadow of the shrubs, mounted the steps, and gained the terrace. Aβ Harvey was going towards the lighted window the figure of a man appoared within, and they hoard him undoing the fastenings. It was one of those French casements which open down to the Soor. Both men slunk back and concealed themselves behind a huge evergreen bush planted in & tub which stood on the terrace. The cusement flew open and the man stepped out, and was immediately followed by the other. They were the earl and his brother, the Honourable James JI intern. Pegram almost shook with excitement. The detective grasped his arm as a warning to be careful, and the two brothers began to pace the terrace. " It's a relief to get a breath of fresh air," said James Mintern.

" But about) this terrible affair, James, this terrible charge," began the earl. "Tell me it- is not true." " No, it's not true," answered the other. " When I came away he was alire. True, we had a dispute and I hurt him, bub I did nob expect seriously." " But they said wilful murder." "Oh, they are a couple of blockheads. But I can easily outwit them and get away." " What need for thai) if you are innocent) ? Look at the disgrace .you will bring upon our htiiiee and name should this not be cleared up and should ic get into the papers, Look up at the old house, with the moon upon it, and think how many of oar ancestors have boen born and hare died in it, and not one of them has brought disgrace upon it." "Pshaw !" sneered the younger brother. " Some of them did things much worse than what lam charged with. It's the disgrace you tear to the name. Better turn me oat of the bouse." " No, James, i'ou shall stay as long as you choose. You should not talk like that. But what do you intend doing? Better give yourself up and have it out, and clear yourself." "Never!" cried Mintern, fiercely. "I'll never give myself up; and as for what I intend doing, 1 intend staying here no longer than 1 can help. Let me stay over to-morrow, and as soon as it's dark I'll take my departure." r " Do exactly as you please, James," said the earl, mildly, " You know your own business best." At this point they walked away to the further end of the terrace, out of hearing, still talking together. On their return the earl re-entered the house, his brother saying he would stay outside a little longer and have a smoke. He lit a cigar, but no sooner was the earl sately within than to the astonishment of the two watchers he ran rapidly down the stone steps and across the lawn to the shrubbery. They allowed him to get within the shadow of the bushes, and then followed.

Nothing could be seen of him for awhile until at length they saw the red spark of his cigar approaching, when he was close upon them. There was a little rustic summer-house close ab hand, and into this they darted and concealed themselves. He stopped just outside the door, and the scent of his ciear filled the place. " Confound her I" he muttered. " What can the hussy want with mo to-night? Here she cornea." A female form glided from the shadows into the moonlight, and stopped when it reached him. " And have you no greeting, James ? No word of love to say after all these years!" Pegram, to his utter eurprise, recognised the voice of Rachel Lee. Mintern made no response, but calmly pulled at his cigar. " Very well then," she cried, beginning to grow angry before his stolid indifference. "Very well then. You won't as much as speak to me. You treat me worse than a dog. I came to offer you a means of escape from your enemies, a way to safety, but—" " Stop 1" cried Mintern, in his deep bass voice. "Stop! I don't require your aid. I reject your offered means of escape. I want nothing from you, and nothing to do with you. Begone!" " And this to me!" she flashed out, all on fire. "And this to me, James 1" she repeated, all in tears and heart-breaking sobs. " You say begone, and I go. Goodbye." And she vanished into the shadows whence she came. Mintern gave a bitter laugh, and walked off towards the house. " He's got a plan of his own," said Harvey. " A plan all out and dried, mark my words, or he would not refuse aid in that high and mighty way. Re's safe here for to-morrow ab least. That's a good thing to know." And they returned to the camp. (To be continued]