THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14375, 21 May 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ABBANGEMENT.

BY HOLT-WHITE, . I Author of " The Man "Who Stole the Earth," , ' " The Destroyer," etc., etc. 1 I< COPYRIGHT, : CHAPTER Xl.—(Continued.) \ "Where are they?" Melun whispered ; again. . i " I decline to say," said Westerham. ' He might well decline, for he had • not the least idea. "I will make you tell me, you dog cried Melun. "You won't," answered Westerham j suavely. ' ' - i "By Heaven!" shouted Melun, "but ; I will. There are more unpleasant things done in this place than you ever dreamt of in . your philosophy. The times of 1 the Inquisition are not past for some people." . "It will take a little more than you to ' frighten me, you cur," said Westerham, in a low voice. Melun's face blazed with passion. He drew back a pace, and then struck Westerham heavily across . the mouth. On his part Westerham did not hesitate for a moment. He lifted both his fettered hands and brought his steelbound wrists down with a crash on Melun's head; and the captain went sprawling to the floor. " Look you here," cried Westerham to the dumbfounded ruffians . who stood ] watching the scene as though they were chained to their chairs. " Look you here; I deal with men, but not with curs such as this." v • He touched Melun with his boot. "You cannot deny," he continued, purposely dropping to a certain extent into their own jargon, " that I was game. , I was prepared to die, but I am not prepared to bo struck by swine like this. "Why," he went on, turning Melun's prostrate body over with his foot, " he is a liar through and through. " Did I speak the truth just now when I convicted Crow out of his own mouth? I did. I proved it. And surely Melun has now condemned himself in his turn. "Do you think.'' he went on boldly, fuss over a bundle of papers. if there weren't more in the matter than he ever intended to tell you? Not a bit of it." The men murmured angry assent, and Westerham felt that he was at last win-; ning through. ~ "Do you think," he went on boldly, "that 1 am the kind of man who de- N serves to be tortured to reveal the truth ? I say no; and so will you." , , Again the men nodded. " This fellow Melun says that I have betrayed him and you. Let him prove it. 1 tell him that ' the papers are not where they were.' He knows where he placed them let him go and see. I am content to abide here until he returns." It was now the turn of the bulletheaded man to speak. , " Get him on to his feet," he said, . pointing to Melun. '* Melun was dragged up, dazed and bleeding. .. • , • ■■■. "You will do nothing to this gentleman, " said the bullet-headed man, waving his hand with some deference towards Westerham, " ( until you have cleared /yourself. You will have to see if the papers are gone. But you don't go alone—not much Then Crow spoke up : Let me go with him," he pleaded. The bullet-headed man shook his head. You have almost as much to answer for as Melun," he objected. ■■- ■■_.-■:■ "No," he continued; "Rose is' the man. We can trust Ross." r .--•■> Ross came fbrward as though the task of watching Melun was not an unwelcome one. ;■ • :"; : , ' "Yes, boys," he said, "you can-trust me. I will go." Then pull him together a bit," ordered the bullet-headed man. \ Thereupon they roughly plucked Melun's clothes into shape, sponged his face ' clear of blood, set his hat on his head, and put his stick into his hand. By this time he had practically recovered himself. He gave one quick look of intense hatred towards Westerham and one quick, vindictive glance in the direction of the man with the bullet ' head. ', .'■:, ';'< ; ;.''■. "Very, well," he said, in a rather shaky voice. "If it must be it must be. You are fools, to believe your enemy, ; But I cannot prevent you. If you must know all, you will probably lose all; well—so much the worse for you." v , - He jerked his waistcoat down and assumed a certain air of bravado. In spite of himself, Westerham could not but admire the man. At this point Crow urged again that he should be allowed to accompany Melun. Ross made no objection, and he was given leave to go. The scoundrels round the table then watched Melun take . his departure with Ross and Crow. The room was very quiet, and Westerham could hear the men's retreating footsteps along the path of the canal. ' V 7 , When they had quite ceased to be audible Westerham turned again to the bul-let-headed man. ~ . ' . "How long do you suppose," he asked, " we shall have to wait?"- " ' • "Heaven knows," answered the fat man, with a shrug. ' . i,' " Then, if you will permit me," said Westerham, " I will sit down. And," he added, " I should be obliged to you if you will remove these." He stretched out his handcuffed wrists. One of the men laughed and knocked them off. Westerham thanked him and sat down. ■■ ./_' Without more ado he took out his cigar-ette-case and lit a cigarette.' As he smoked he turned things rapidly over in his mind. He was perfectly certain that Mejun, in spite of his protestations, would not reveal the whereabouts of the papers. Westerham even doubted whether Melun would take the trouble to lead the man on a bogus chase. For some reason which he was unable to account for he had a foreboding "of coming evil. He tried to shake it off, but in vain. : * * Time and time again he tried to think matters out and decide what Melun's probable course of action would be. But time and time again he failed to work out any theory which satisfied him. At last, when half an hour had gone by and the delay was becoming irksome, Westerham spoke up again. "If you will call for silence," he said to the bullet-headed man, " there is something else 1 would like to say." The bullet-headed man called at once for order. '. ■ , ~ "Gentlemen," said Westerham, addressing the men for the third and last time that night, " will you allow me to range myself on your side ? I really think I have proved myself sufficiently a man to warrant myasking this. "I will not take your oath, but if you will take the word of a gentleman, I will pledge it that, come what may, I will never reveal to anyone what has taken place to-night." ,". There was considerable grumbling at this, but the bullet-headed man forcibly expressed his favourable < opinion. ':■'■■' "Look here, mates," he cried, turning to the others,,." I know a when I see one, and I know that this gentleman is to be trusted. If Mel un wants to do his own dirty work, let him do it. . _. , ' ", _ ■' .:■■ :.- "In spite of all his boasting our hands have been pretty clean up to ; the present. . It is quite true that we have always been prepared to put a man out of the way if it had to be done, but we have never, done it yet. ' " And there is no reason, so far as I can see, that we should : begin now. Sclong as we know where to find this gentleman,: that should be good enough for us. j 1 am not much of a hand, at an argument., but ; one thing seems : to me pretty. ' ..■'.. v

• . '• "• '•• "-" 11" I' 111 I I . . ' .. plain. If this gent."—ha indicated Westerham—" had wanted -to give us away he would have given us away long since. Wo, you may 'depend upon• it f.-. whatever ■ IS his reasons may be he's got as good cause to keep silence as we have. Don't you < think that's right?" Again there was a good deal of grumbling, but 011 the other hand there was general assent. • " So I will tell you what we will do," continued the bullet-headed 'man, now cer- '; tain of his ground. We will let him go <.'■'•£ on one condition he allows me and another man to accompany him home. That seems to be fair- It may be taking a bit of a risk, but it is the- only thing to be done unless we want to do murder,: and that is not our game. I am not fusing any chances of hanging while there's 7 money to be got, and no, doubt but that this gentleman will use us fair." Westerham caught his meaning,- and.- for; the second time took out his pocketbook. - . " I said that you would not steal these notes, and 1 also said that 1 would not give them away. But I have changed my . mind. There they, are— I give you my word that to-morrow I. will take the - embargo off. It will be easy enough 1 for ' you to find out whether they are posted ...%; as lost or not. I can scarcely do more." To this there was greedy assent, and* Westerham realised that he was free. He did not even wait for the bullet-headed man's full approval, but reached out for his hat. , There was some dispute as to whom the notes should be given, and finally it was decided that Mackintosh—such, was the name of the bullet-headed manshould' keep them in his own charge. And then he and a second man by the name of Hicks accompanied Westerham out. 5' "■• In the main road they took a tram and travelled westward. At Aldgate Westerham hailed a cab, and the three men drove • through the half-empty city streets, past . St. Paul's, and up Fleet-street, into the ,' Strand.'. • '■■'' 7 ■ - ~ As they drew near Walter's, Westerham's quick eye detected a crowd round . the hotel. He thrust .his hand through the trap-door in the roof and brought the cab to a standstill. ", ' "Look 'here," he said quickly to the . other men, that crowd is outside Wal- ' ter's— that is where I live. ' ■ f . "You can accompany, me to the. door ■■■•'. if you like and see me■'; go in; but I , should not drive up if I were you, as you will only arouse interest, and possibly someone may see and recognise you. That would be awkward both, for you and for, me." .- ■■ _ . ;■ "■' ■ ."•; ■ Mackintosh/ gave a grin of agreement, " . and alighting, the three, men walked to*', wards'the hotel. -'.7 " , As they approached the crowd, Mackintosh and his companion drew: away from Westerham. ■-..'•■■.■•... ..... ; ,, ~. ,K "It will do if we see you go in," said , / . the bullet-headed man, . '■' we will, wait here." And he moved into a little opening on the side of the street opposite the/ '■..■■" hotel. • . Westerham struck across the Strand and pushed his way through the press. The hotel door was closed and guarded on. ( either: side by a constable. Through the glass doorway Westerham could; see the J' face of the hall porter, peering, out,: pale 7' and anxious and questioning. 7 '.'> ■.» He rapped on the door, and, the porter opened it, the. policeman making no- demur, seeing that the porter obviously recognised the new arrival. •■' At the further ; end . of ' (he ; hall were gathered, a number of visitors,' talking excitedly, but in low voices. 7 ■/- ,f' r Q, . < : Two immensely large and solid , men, were seated on a bench. They rose up as Westerham entered, l and he immediately "■ recognisd one of them as the- inquisitive Mr. Rookley from Scotland Yard. '■ '* Rookley, r with a stern, set face, walked . • forward :to meet Westerham, and touch-, ed him with a forefinger on his chest. ' "I have been waiting for you," 'ha said. > ' ' ' The sense of coming evil against which Westerham had struggled earlier;in* the evening swept over him again with re- ■•- doubled "forte. si He f made '•■ an 'effort to* 'shake it off, but again: failed to do so.' "What is it?" he asked," and his. voice sounded strange and harsh ; even to himself. * ' .' : Without a word, Rookley grasped his arm and led him up the stairs, nor" did he stop till he reached the second floor,-' ■ on which were situated Westerham's" sit-ting-room and modest bedroomOpening the door of the sitting-room, I Rookley drew Westerham in and \cloSed the door again. " Look here, Mr. Robinson," he said, "you gave us the slip last time, I -ad- « mit; and I admit also' '.that it' was" 'ordyi '. by a very dreadful miracle that I discovered your whereabouts to-night. For I was summoned here on an awful. piece of business. But we've got you now, and' I want an explanation." ,• ,■ , . ; . Westerham stared at him with a set face. •„, . . '. " Mow, one thing is : certain--! will give ' you that much credit" detective con--1 tinued—".that you are not th&: actual perpetrator of what has happened. ■ Perhaps, ; ■ too, it would be better to prepare you for; I a shock, though you look a "pretty strong-' nerved man. You'd better brace yourself, Mr. Robinson." "All right," said Westerham. quietly. Without more ado 'the detective pushed open the door communicating with Westerham's bedroom and led the way in. The room was in darkness, but Rookley, putting his,thumb on the electric button,.- 7 suddenly switched on the light. " And with' a cry Westerham stepped back and 5 blundered against the detective. ■■'*.- For on the bed was : stretched Ross, ; the man who had left him in -the company of Crow "and Melun ; and, driven hard) up to the hilt, straight through the man's heart, was a knife which Westerham - instantly recognised as one of his own. The detective seized him almost roughly I and hurried . him mercilessly up to the bedside. ? . ' "Read that!" he whispered hoarsely. • Westerham stooped and saw attached to the handle of the knife a luggage label which bore the name of Walter's Hotel.' And on the luggage label, was printed in j handwriting the following inscription :—= "So perish all traitors. :Be warned ill I time. The girl may be the next." _ • ■_■" i ; I . (To be continued, daily.) 777 7