A YARN ROM THE YARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11621, 8 April 1901, Page 3

A YARN ROM THE YARD.

Just so ! Yoiiublic—Monkhouse, the old detective, sat bj with'the pregnant chuckle that always ried; attention—your public knew about attach of that affair as the ■i i Rajah himself ;id he' Went away blissfully unconscious thiScotland Yard had been . .holding its brei for a solid month. No, I shall give ncasno to the obscure restaurant, ; run byreigners, where the beautiful scheme wasought to a head. Enough that one evcninj was supposed to be dozjag over my papit one of the tables there. Yes; I was star .might and main at the gentleman for pose appearance I had waited a weekj man launched upon unsuspecting Londcby a set of fanatics, who jhoped to send, a rill shuddering from here right away to In., I had no tangiiiproof yet. All the same,* ■■■"'■ I was ready to ko my hard- reputation on the inset that tingled through me at first-sight?.-that wax-white, blackbearded face flash on to a mirror from the ' ; doorway ■ oppositfiEntering, ha sat down near the door, wpered for macaroni and . coffee, and begarolling a cigarette with • thin, nervous fiirs, while—l knewhe was mentally phtgraphing every detail in ..the room. And——yes, the furtive glance paused at myse. splendid! He was fresh from o ■ Continent, beyond a doubt; and I—«, it had taken me just one hour each d to "make up" as the - foreigner who slid have been there to meet him, but V>m we had thoughtfully prevented from <flg so. " The macaroni hue. He just tasted it, shuddered, sippeat the coffee,- and began r smoking hard, at a signal. Ihe situation was guisicely delicate. We " didn't want Lonft to send up a roar. Tne plot, and everyci- concerned in it, had to be traced homej strictest secrecy: a false ■ move now, and a vile tentacle thrown out oversea by the iarchist octopus might be instantly withdvn. Luckily, the newspaper could tejnothing about the intercepted letter inypher to Luigi Arboretti, , the clever scouijel who, handed across his own border a jr before, had found a re- . fuge in London the ferret-eyed correspondents could norind never really did—discover that thisitest plot of all aimed -at stirring up a rellion and hatred in India by murdering., English soil, one of its most powerful yviucial rulers— distinguished visitor, 1 Highness the Rajah Dim ; ' JDjaleen. .. ■".. .U ..Minute, after tvate went by. I watched him breathlesslyn the mirror there; he stared as s'teadiljiack. No life in his eyes yot; but —what is: he up to Twice he 'had held his cigaie at arm's length, stared fixedly at it, pi! the lighted end .in his mouth, and blov.-i; whiff,of smoke, in three directions. A ale* Tho letter had mentioned none. I -hi cigarettesbut I might make a fearful bhder that way. At my wit's end,.! Jookedown at the newspaper again. Somelhingike this stared up at • me: — ' ■ \ ; , "The Rajah DhDjaleon reached London late last night afi.. his visit to Scotland. : His Highness wasaid to be in the best health and spirit-sand proceeded ' straight to his suite at thokismopolilan Hotel. It is understood that,!though the Rajah has ' ' been received' in dferarice in the highest quarters, his .visit 11 remain a strictly informal one." Eic.j:tc. . 'In two, seconds had snipped out the item with -my tluufiiail, held it up as if in a yawn',-.rand therolled it into "a pellet. ' A backward fln>. d the pellet lay near . his feet. Would a bite? For another . minute I held myrealh; then—his cigarette dropped. Win; ho picked it up the "."" pellet was gone. Is"; it was a big bound my heart gave at le certainty that there sat the man seleeti to set an Indian pro-' :: vince ablaze and p a big blot on Britain. For a time he nev moved; then, almost before I knew it,ie was seated opposite me, and had cluted and pocketed that paper with the daiarous elimination. "Vous etes—" hbreatiied. ' " Aboretti Igs him back, with an ac- ' cent. "Keep toSngljsh hero. I have been shadowed, by faples and. Paris detectivesdared not gi you the sign openly. Why so late?".. 'i ; '.' "Ah! I was ' folwed; I know it. It took me the week i turn and twist and gat where I am. 'have carried 20 of the ;: oapsules, filled, wit nitro-glyceiine, in the false crown of this at the whole way. . . . You are not speahg. It is for to-mor- -, row?" . - ■•: ./'No; —say, Ttirsday." It wanted a .' tit of saying, as.hisot breath puffed on my .- t face. I was bourn to risk a feeler on my own account. * Thy was it to be the .Rajah? They cold not. have chosen a worse place that England— London. If these people had tv an idea, tHey would— , " Then, let.it befa-morrow?" He caught my hand tightly.' But I. say, —let it be over. It mig!/ mean madness for rtie; I have had the gnt struggle not to drown "■ my senses in cogrc. lam quite ready— - wait for - nothing we your plan. There is the hotel: show' e a way into it, and it is done. For mysf, I care nothing. To- , morrow, yes! Its, perhaps, the last good blow we shall slril. I, Marcschi, one man, will blow up thcrßajah— alone!" - "Hush—keep cm," I whispered.- "You are mistaken; I sill bo with you; I am no more afraid than jni. Then—to-morrow!" - I had, to say it, fc eyes had flamed up so '. dangerouslyand, if course, all our hopes / were based upon bat we might glean from ; this Mamchi. 8 far, we were all in the dark as to the nines and number of tho plotters orr this sib. "It is just the plan we" must consider mv —to get a way in, and -; keep it." I wait!, on the chance that he might kno\ - somdung of the real Arboretti's scheme; bii he only hung on my words with .hat lad, ',puzzling intentness. I was treading thetdge of a deep pit. "It is not to be Thursay, and so my best and safest plan falls tj the ground. . On thai; day ho attends a iception at an Embassy, •':>: and returns to ti hotel in time for—" Another pause. So; it seemed fairly clear that the final z.rrngements had been en- ..- trusted to that dpp Arboretti. i "Well, here is our second nd only alternative idea. Provided the Raja] sleeps at his hotel to- '. morrow night, it (innot fail. To-morrow- ; there will lie cases If game, wine, and other things carried in attiie rear of the building. ■Maro'chi, bend yrir headand I whis- , ■ pered a clever notin that had been agreed upon days before, jo designed that he and his confederates c(uld be arrested quietly on the very scone' rj the contemplated crime. "Yes, yes..: ' 15 simply nodded, and was on his feet again. i " I care not, so long as I succeed. You live all this ready? Then I meet you—where" ■'■ ■' Here was a stagger! What could I answer offhand. BeTond the establishment of his own identity 1 had ferreted out absolutely nothing of value. Where was ho staying, and with whom? A minute ito .; think! I got it ly calling for the billssettled both; and kl the way outside. I could simply risk .(another throw of tho bait. -I "It must not fail" I whispered. "Suppose I come back with you and talk it over with the other??" ,1 "The others'.'" he stared, vaguely. "No, •'•: each may work for himself. I shall spend ray night preparing he bombs, and"— 'with something neaj a choke—" writing to all these I left bvei therelittle Nina and the others. I want) to be alone. At eight o'clock I shall meet you just here, and you Will have the cab ready." He put a hand to his forehead and fairly .Walked away from ric. Hurry back to the Yard with mv report—or follow him on the chance of learning what we wanted before 'daylight? Follow him! He had struck ■'■ : along a quiet street leading farther west. Off I went. He vfas turning a corner. I ljung back a second or so. took a run. peered - round—and almost 'Bashed my face into the wax-white one with the black beard. Something or other in his brain had made him ; halt and look back. Before he could L Properly realise, ot shape any suspicion, I ; had spun him round, with an excited . whiter: -: "That way—quick! Wo were seen. Tomorrow night!" . . And off I sprang in another direction. Phew! Another blunder like that, and I might scare him into prematurely attempting What he as here to carry out. No, there was no real danger! When I loft the Yard, late that night, Very possible strand of the web had been drawn in. and : His Highness was as safe hero as he had ever teen at home—and. perhaps, more so. It now. only remained to arrest the plotters with all the proofs possible, communicate with the Continental police, and deal with • the organisation in such a manner aswell, " as would effectually turn the eyes of the ; extreme section "away from Britain for many * year to come.

The memorable day dawned: seven o'clock ; came round at last." By half-past, still as ■ Arboretti, I had reached the rendezvous and 1 stood wailing for Mareschi. A four-wheeler ' ' hovered close •nt hand. The driver was a , detective, a plain-clothes inspector , was boxed in under the sent in case of emergency, and two men were watching in readiness— one to carry the word and one to follow '■;.-■ ..>:■:. ■ wherever we went. The mine was under- > mined in every direction. _'; Eight o'clock! There was Mareschi. < :founding the corner. Puffing at his eternal cigarette, he, walked firmly up, deadly calmalmost smiling. "Good! But where is—it?" I whispered. "It" was always their word.

Close } _ by," he ■;' said, staring round. : "Don't think I was afraid was only careful. We ; will step back for it, and return here for the cab. This way!" > : That was unexpected, but it mattered no-. thing—might : lead 1 to something good, -v We should be closely followed, :in any case. Not another word-passed, between us, but as we -went I managed to scribble on my linen cuff : "Have house searched moment we leave it." We were going towards Soho, as I expected; and barely ten minutes had elapsed when our man stopped, looked up and down, and whispered: "He-re it is!" I just had time to flick away the cuff as he turned his key.. Next minute I was following him up a dark,* narrow staircase. How did it happen? He had pushed open some door; simultaneously he turned back, with a husky cry: " The police! Run run!" There was no time to think; he was dashing for the staircase, he might get away even now. I just grasped the possibility in time to grip the man by the shoulder, and then A rush and a scuffle. I heard someone flay, "Got them both," and found myself dragged bodily through the doorway. Kicking, shouting, I tried to keep my hold on Mareschi. No use; in less than a minute I was ov-->~"nwered. Two constables had my arms, and a third stood holding the door. A candle burned on the mantel-shelf; I could make out nothing else. "You raw fools!" I gasped, ready to dance. "What are you doing? You've let him to. Mareschi! ■ That's Mareschi, our man!" "He's safe. We've got Arboretti, at any rate," the doorman says, coolly as you please. I never .felt nearer choking. For the .V'ard to put these clumsy idiots on such a ticklish job, and without my knowing! " Arboretti!" I get out. " Who : posted you here? Let so, will you! I'm not Arboretti ! I'm So-and-so, of the Yard, in charge of this business. You madmen!" I burst away—to start back in cold horror. I admit. Tho man at the door dashed off his helmet, dragged away his tunic, and I saw— policeman, but a swarthy foreigner, with teeth savagely bared. I reeled back against tho"-.wall. Heavens! was I dreaming? They were all three foreigners, and 1 had been "gently walked into this incredible ' tran by the simplest— Ah, yes! The door half opened, and there stood our Mareschi, a sneer on his wax-white face that I could never describe. ';.'■'[ '--.-. "Out of your own mouth! I thought it —I knew when you tried to follow me. You, Arboretti—you! You meant to die. with the Rajah—with me. You shall! You shall live just long enotir-h to know, that we have a way of our own.". That was it: I'll own that the bare shock of the thing left me as nearly paralysed as makes no difference. In-a breath I had given the whole thing sway, and Mareschi was gone—in all probability by a rear exit. I heard no dcor close my man would Viang outside there in nernlexed ignorance-, and— saints alive! it looked as if these determined scoundrels, in heir extremity, had stumbled on a plan so subtle pi to baulk all the Yard'' careful.. manoeuvre's• More than that: did I manage to get away, I htood to risk becom- . ing the. !ai.icrhine-?took for life anion? those ■ who knew of- the. plot.- Thinking of that, arid realising what might bo involved, I set my teeth and made a sudden rush for that door only to stumble back .before the steady • ban-el of "a. six-chambered Colt. ; My own— it had.been whipned from-my pocket in that struggle. I far-ed roundtwo pointed knives v;o r e between me and the window ' "You must stand there," said the doorman, deliberately ;." ire -minutes too late, ho is well on- his way Failure or success to-night,' you', at least, will never go as .3cu came. Wo are sure of ; one blow—if not two." ■ :■', ■ -,s -" ' f • - •"' "-'■•' ■"' ; ■ • .-' They meant it!' Hard as my brain worked in those first few minutes, I could see no alternative for myself whatever might happen outside. Did my man suspect something and force the door down there, it was still one blow and a kick against two knives and a revolver. ■■-.''■'■- ■'■ . . Tt seemed we were simply waiting for a distant exnlosion, and shouting that should what"it told. I was feeling faint under the awful strain. . . .'By now Mareschi would have reached the hotel. That candle over there! It was burned half. down. .If —if it .would only go : out of a sudden! If only— ... ..* ~. : , . The inspiration came without my knowing it. My slouch hat lay near my feet; i;v a flash I had picked it up and flung it. Brsli! Tho candle was knocked, 'no ' one knew where. Sudden darkness! ' Now for lifedear life! '-" A jabbered cursea simultaneous rush. I recollect how every hair on my head sprang up like a red-hot wire as I took two stealthy strides to the right. A hand blundered out and gripped me; I struck back convulsively. ; and met a grisly chin. One man crashed down. They had no matches—or, feared to leave the door. One more desperate sideswoop I made, collided with a body, staggered away, struck at the wall, and crippled my hand—and suddenly remembered'something just as'death seemed clutching me by the 'throat. My whistle! I always carried one. ■'■-■'■-■'■'. It was out. One deafening, piercing signal thrilled through the house. I made a "huge bound, just avoiding their arms. I ; sprang from side to side, kicking, shouting, 1 blowing the whistle, until the place seemed a very pandemonium. Now—now there was i a thudding at the door below— a crash and shouts. One minute more, could I ! keep un that mad maze, and I was safe, and : had turned the trap for one into a trap for three. The door— door; I had heard it open. Another frantic rush, and I was struggling with the man who had held it. The pistol went off, once, twice, flaring in the darkness, and then, with my very last effort, I had dashed him sideways, and was out on the landing. A glare of lanterns; my man, with two constables, sprang past me. One of the scoundrels lay unconscious, another took flight, and the third was seized as he swung up the revolver again. Safe! I just waited to make sure, got my nerve; and went off like a man possessed. I reached the Strand—that I had never thought to see again". Nothing had happened • peoole wore bustling along as unconsdouslv as ever. A cab—the Cosmopolitan Hotel"! Five minutes later, as it swung round the Piccadilly bend, I caught sight of my chief, just about to cross the road. J shouted ,to the driver, and leaned out to whisker one word. "Halloa, where have you been? he asked. " You're white enough ! Got him? Yes. to be sure, twenty minutes ago, bomb and all, with just the papers on him we wanted. The man's mad; he made a clean rush for the front entrance. It was .11 over quietly in one minute. Meanwhile," with a, chuckle, "the Rajah is not due # in London for another two hours-change in^the .programme that was not announced to the Papers! There were only, five in it, it seems. Arboretti and himself wevo got, and the other three—" - "Are safe in the cells, I said. And then, for the first time in my life, 1 dropped back into the • cab and quietly fainted. __ - .—i»