CONFLICT AND CONQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 5

CONFLICT AND CONQUEST.

BI FBANKLAND AND STEWART.

' COPYBIGHT.

CHATTER XVUI-lOontinued.). :> Jdmhui. Dawson's reply was long and v' deeply interesting, but very technical. lii ■j: his opinion, no better position than the ■ one they occupied . was obtainable. When

.'he had finished Dair and the others sub- ':;: jected the little admiral to a searching -cross-examination. This over, Dair ■--- thanked and dismissed the naval expert v with a pleasant smile. Then came John '/ Coot. '

:■; "Yon must excuse our inqnisitiveness, Mr. Coot; but the fact is, we have reached a stage in tho disposal of _ our ships where wo must leavo nothing to chance. Wo must bo clear as to every detail. Our very existence depends upon there being no weak link in pur chain ->f procedure. So you will understand thai vrhat we ask you is not asked casually, but as a matter of serious concern to our future well-being."

. . "I fully understand that,'* said Coot, "and I will answer your questions seriously and to the best of my ability." " Good! You are now , engaged]! I understand, upon the invention of an mportant new weapon, which you call the lightning pun?" "Yes, Mr. Dair." "The Syndicate would like to hear all about it, and what progress you are making. Miss Dubarry, please take down every word of.,Mr, Coot's statement." ." The machinery necessary to work the gnn is not yet finished, but is similar to that of an ordinaly Maxim, with a few improvements upon which I am now engaged. _, "Tho shell is the critical part of the Invention, and is of absolutely new design. I may say that this part of the affair is perfected; but the details of sue- ' cessfully firing it have yet to be fully worked out"This novel shell, or lightning bomb, consists of -an .aluminium case, from which projects a three-inch cap of thin elastic rubber. The shell is loaded with certain gases and chemical fluids in separate compartments. When the shell, projected without noise or smoke from the lube, strikes against an object of sufficient reu'stance, the thin rubber cap of the missile bursts, allowing the gases and fluids to mix; and these, instantaneously combining with the oxygen of the air, produce an electrical explosion that is fully as destructive as natural lightning. Every object within a given Tadius is utterly destroyed." "For instance," said Yamagashi, who was leaning forward with his elbows on the table, following- Coot with deep interest, "what would be the effect upon a Dreadnought if your new lightning bomb were to strike it. fairly 5" ; Coot smiled faintly. " The freaks of lightning are a little difficult to forecast," •he replied. "Among the possibilities are ; the simultaneous death of »L' on board struck by light ling; or the fusing of the entire vessel; or its perforation through and through with a perfect clean hole, or well." The other .-members of the Syndicate looked at one another aghast.

" Well," said Dair, " it is very wonderful, but also a little disquieting. We may have to hold a special council of wax to determine whether we ought to use so deadly a weapon. t In the meantime, go on and finish the. infernal thing, Mr. Coot. You shall have every facility you require, and our best wishes for your success. Of course, you will favour us with a harmless demonstration when you have the gun in working order " " I will indeed, sir," replied Coot, in his quiet way. "I will push the matter as quickly as possible, and perhaps the news that we have such a weapon in reserve may save us the painful nwessity of demonstrating its value in warfare." "Now, gentlemen, Miss Dubarry , will kindly'read the various schemes suggested to decide our movements for the nei:t few weeks or months." Gilderstein dropped back into his chair, and calmly thrust his thumbs into the arnhoies of his waistcoat. •" We are all attention, Miss Dubarry." After the reading Gilderstein again rose. "You have all heard the different proposals. I now ask for a vote to be taken, when the idea approved by the majority will at once be put as a practical proposition. Of t course, a shareholder must not vote for his own scheme "

The vote having been taken, a murnrar of applause greeted Gilderstem announcement that Marion Dair's scheme, which she had scribbled on the back of a telegram form, was approved by a clear majority. Gijderstein, in particular, was delighted at this result, and he proceeded to read the scheme again to the shareholders, with a view to its possible amendment. It ran as follows, in Marion's careful, minute handwriting

" That the passage to the harbour be at once widened and every dangerous obstruction removed. That accommodation be erected on shore for the sick and injured. That provisions, medicines, and every other necessity be obtain**!, in view of a prolonged stay upon the islands. That Germany and France be again approached as to the terms of the surrender off Singapore, and pressure applied to the British Admiralty to compel those nations to re ?pei:t the conventions of surrendered Powers. That two Leviathans be at once detailed for special scout duty in patrolling the coast, and to form our first line of defence."

" A comprehensive plan," said Grantley Dair, "covering all matters of the first urgency. Can anybody add to its completeness?"

"Carried unanimously!" cried Gilderstein, after leading the show of hands in favour of the scheme. "We entrust you, Grantley, with, the responsibility of seeing that the scheme is duly carried out."

CHAPTER XIX.

The. northermost portion of the group of if.lands was of decidedly volcanic origin, and volcanic- action had been so recent that vegetation had barely begun to gain a footing on the disintegrating lava rock. On the main northern island, which was "several miles across, John Coot had had erected a rude,shanty of driftwood. Here, without a single companion, he carried on his experiments with his lightning gun. This particular island was admirably suited to his purposes, and he had fixed upon it unhesitatingly at first sight. /The coast of this island was the most inaccessible and perilous in the entire group. The booming breakers rushed in worn the sea. over many miles of jagged Mack rocks. ' Close in to the shore a thousand miniature whirlpools raced and .Swirled furiously downward into the black recesses of mighty sea-caverns driven far into the. mountainous rock that composed 'he greater part of the northern portion Of this island. Evidently the island had °ace been far larger. The cliff along the shore' overhung the 6w ; rling waters, *nd a landing-place was not easily to be found.

■ An hour's cruise in a stout surf-boat, .however, resulted in tho discovery of a Kaall creek' into which the boat was : feuded, not without danger; and John Coot and his experimental apparatus were ,''landed at last without mishap. High up on tho cliffs was an unusual ; quantity of broken spars and matted cordage,'giving evidence of the fate of many a :■ Jjlp that had met with misfortune in ■ : j these waters, .... : . After erecting the rough hut, and other- '--: ; :':.? 18 ? fleeing to the convenience of the . inventor, Grantley Dair and his crew left '. i nun to his own devices, as ho had begged ...them to do. Three days of strenuous labour had en- ' ablcdCoot to reach the wiahed-for stage .."i llie evolution of his wonderful weapon • m he had signalled to the Syndicate that . " was now ready to return to the Ror- ■ • W* at their convenience. , • Having given the signal, Coot returned J° his hut, and began packing up his -■;, . wis and the parts of hi* gun in his usual •; Methodical way. .... .The hut tad" aperture that served the 7 j? o3 * purpose of door and window. He . ~ *a M taMing by this, with his back : to- - uf the opening, surveying his packed *», and calmly smoking his pipe, when

something like a thick blanket suddenly aMcwdei-upbjt him, and he was Seised andpbound■ before ho could think of; otter,n ™o slightest resistance, ■• . . ■.■<>■' :'- ■- ;.uNow', boys, look alive!" his hoard a strident ;; voice call;? out -iin;{eager .h tones; Meres a; boat'coming through :ti|e surf at ,top .speed, and we must get him away at once.'', . • , ; ° .-. -, ~" ' Strong hands lifted John Coot from the nut and carried him swiftly/over the rough rocks. He then felt himself being hoisted upwards, to repose finally'upon: something that felt like ■&■ hammock. *. " '• -,-, ,„ "ket all go!" came the sharp order, toot felt a curious,' swaying, gliding mo-

■ -.■ Head her north-east. Get among the clouds as quick as possible;: We must not be seen, if we can help it." ■ With unpleasant suddenness, John Coot realised the, truth. He was a. prisoner, and m an airship ; bound, . presumably, for America, and controlled by Ward, whose voice.he recognised. Beyond this he could deduce nothing certain, and his .thoughts reverted ,to. his new gun. :, ° Twenty-five minutes later Grantley Dair and. Admiral Dawson, with a picked crew °* , en , l sailors, ran their surf-boat into -he sheltered creek, and stepped off on to ho shelving rock.

I expected to find him awaiting 'n, here, but I suppose he has not iinishec packing," said Dair. t( " I'll take a few men, ; and go and give him a hand, if you like, sir?" "All right, admiral. I'll have a look round here till you return. Thews caves are very interesting." When the admiral reached the hut ho was greatly surprised to find it empty and deserted. Not only was John Coot invisible, but also his tools, experimental machinery, and other accessories were missing.. The hut was practically denuded. Leaving a guard at the hut, Dawson hastened down to the shore.. and briefly acquainted Dair with the state of affairs; "Coot net. at the hut?" ejaculated Grantley, in alarm. "That's strange: Then ho must be somewhere else on the island. Organise a search party at once. Come on! let us hunt him up." The crews of tho various leviathans promptly came round in their surf-boats in response. to the urgent call for assistance; and in less than half an hour the male members of the Syndicate, each at the head of a search party, were scouring the island in the fruitless. attempt, to find some trace of the missing inventor. At length Grantley Dair, worn out and thoroughly disheartened, reluctantly gave the order to withdraw. To continue the search was hopeless. Not the faintest trace of the faithful and intrepid John Coot had been discovered by any of the parties. ■..-■'• I

"It's no use looking further. The earth must have opened and swallowed him up, so quickly and completely baa he vanished. Hullo! what's this?" . A eailor who had just rejoined the weary searchers on the beach was holding in his hand a small silver-plated tube, which he' handed_ to Dair, with the remark • " I found it on the rocks over yonder, sir. I noticed that the surface of the rocks was scratched as if by something sharp. Looking more closely, I found this thing among a lot of pebbles." "What is it, GrantleyY" asked Gilderstein, looking at it with a puzzled air. "A height-gauge used ; by airmen. By thunder! we've solved the mystery at last. Take us to the place where you found this. will your The sailor quickly led the way, and in a few minutes an excited crowd of officers and sailors, together with the members of the Syndicate, were examining the :treshlymade scratches on the rocks

"These marks have. been made by the grappling-irons of an airship. Just look, Isaac, where they trailed the anchors over the rocks as they got up speed. Now, I connect this with the airship that followed us when we were first nearing these islands. Curse them! Is ill-luck going to dog our steps for ever? I dare stake my life that the villain Ward has bean at it again!" Leaving a guard on the island, in case of even 60 unlikely a contingency as the return of the airship, the Syndicate members and sailors set out at once for ' the lagoon where the fleet lay at anchor. A hurried meeting of the shareholders was held, at which, it was decided to issue a strong protest against the action of the hostile Governments, whom they held responsible for the kidnapping of John Coot. Coot, it was pointed out, was & British subject, against whom no complaint was made, no warrant for arrest taken out; his capture was, therefore, the unauthorised act of a private person, and amounted to a false iraprisinment. His immediate . release was demanded, with the punishment of those who had illegally, effected his capture. .'. ■" •.

CHAPTER XX. , | A month's incessant, well-directed toil! created a wonderful change in the aspect of the Syndicate's island home. The dangerous and difficult main passage from the sea to the lagoon, under the skilled supervision of Admiral Daw6on, had been widened and otherwise improved. A strong boom of chains and a cleverlyconstructed pair of raft-gates, moulded and painted to'resemble rocks, closed up the entrance close to the lagoon. This from a distance at sea rendered the passage undetectable, and was intended to deceive in this way any of the Syndicate's enemies that might be prowling in the vicinity. It was also carefully designed so as to be similarly 6afe ' from detection by an observer on an airship. For, in order to ensure perfect safety, it was necessary, tnat the entrance to the island stronghold should be kept a profound secret.; On the highest points of the rocky coasts guard-stations equipped with wireless plants, searchlights, life-saving apparatus and machine guns had been erected. The coastguards were thus enabled to keep in close touch with headquarters, and with one another, and so to co-operate effectively in case either of shipwreck or attack. For accommodation of the Syndicate and its officers and men a torriporary village had also been built on some nigh ground near, and overlooking the lagoon harbour. Wood was plentiful, and the erection of the houses, which" were built after the fashion of Dutch cottages, was soon completed. While all these operations were in progress one of the leviathans, the Narwhal, had cruised to .the coast of New Zealand, and had hastened back well laden with food, live stock, and many necessary supplies. The New Zealand Government, it is true, had shrank from supplying the supposed pirates with the necessaries and comj forts tliey desired; but when the largo and . flourishing seaport of Wellington realised that it lay at tlio mercy of the enterprising commander of the Narwhal, the authorities were wise enough to submit under protest; and, since all that was taken was paid for in ready money, the shrewder business men of the port were inclined to wish that such piratical customers would come their way more frequently. Another of the Syndicate's vessels, the Cachalot, had visited Valparaiso, and, meeting there with most courteous treatment, had returned with a large and varied stock of indispensable stores, for which also prompt payment had been made. .The members of the Syndicate, indeed, had taken measures that enabled them Jo smile at the confiscation of their property by the British Government. Secretly they had deposited vast sums in various foreign banks, and they bad preserved full control of their largo investments in foreign securities.

It was a beautiful,tropical evening, with a clear.; starlit sky, and, whilst; Grantley gazed dreamily. at the shimmering waters of the lagoon reflecting back the stellar glories of the heavens, a strong desire came over him to spend an.hour'in rowing over its calm, limpid depths. . Stepping into the boat, he cast oft' the mooring-rope, and, seating himself amidships, took up the oars. After passing. the huge leviathans he steered his .boat through one of the newly-cleared channels and entered a smaller lagoon, in which were anchored several small rafts and boathouses used on the harbour constructional work.

On reaching. one '. of the boathouses he drew the boat alongside, and secured the painter to the mooring- chains, :.

Clambering up on the flat, deserted deck, he entered the rough shed, or apology for a house, and seated himself on one of the rude benches along the side oil the wall. . From, this place Dair could see through the doorless opening. V- Lighting, a cigar, he leant ; back against the wall and lei his eyes drink in the beauties of the moonlightbathed scene before him. ' : •

. On shore'" there was'scarcely; ft breath of air, and the coolness of the sleeping waters of. the lagoon was inexpressibly restful and 'refreshing. . /-' \ .; The occasional screech of a water-heron, or an outburst of merry human laughter, mingled withi the scraping of a violin, were the only sounds that broke on 1 his solitude. A party of the crew of the ] Rorqual was holding a ; "free-and-easy"; on the upper deck.

After ; nearly two hours spent in dreamy communion .with his own thoughts, Dair rose : from the bench and ; stepped out on the, deck, preparatory to leaving] the boathouse. ' ,

J r Stifling a yawn,' he bent down to loosen the painter of the, row-boati when a slight rustle behind : him :> drew; his 'attention. Before he could straighten himself, however, a sandbag wielded by a pair of brawny hands struck him across the head, 'without a cry, he : fell a senseless, huddled heap upon the deck. Two men, one a perfect giant in stature, the other a slim, smartly-attired roan in an aviator's outfit, lifted tho . senseless : Dair from the deck of the; boathouse into the row-boat, , They then rowed off through one of the. intricate channels .between the islands, finally bringing up; beneath a cluster of frowning rocks, some three miles from the lagoon harbour. ■ Carrying Grantley Dair, • still senseless, up tho rugged eminence, they laid him upon a ; bare, wind-swept . plateau that formed the summit. ',• ■ ; '" - . '

The man in the aviator's attire drew a small, curiously-shaped lamp from his pocket. Pushing back the slide from before the bull's-eye, for a moment he waved the light to and fro. , ; Then he extinguished the light and dropped, the lamp into his pocket. This, evidently, was a signal, .for a few moments later a largo airship hovered over the rocks.

"Lower a net!" called out the man who had waved,the lamp. * ..'/:'. ■:■[ - •:-..

A large sling net was quickly lowered, and Dair was placed in it and drawn up to the deck of the airship. The two, men then clambered up a rope ladder, and stepped briskly on the deck.

"'All things come to those who knpw how to wait,' " quoth he of the aviator's suit to a tall man, evidently an engineer. " We have been handsomely rewarded for our three weeks' vigil. Set a course for our native wilds at once, Politzer." ■' The engineer stepped into the engineroom, and, in a remarkably brief space oi timo, the airship had vanished in the star-studded heavens. (To be continued daily.) ■