"SHADOWS BY THE SEA"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20115, 28 November 1928, Page 18

"SHADOWS BY THE SEA"

BY JEFFERSON FARJEON.

CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) Thero was just room to move sideways through the narrow passageway. Beyond the space widened, and an inner cave was revealed. It was considerably smaller than tho outer cavo, tho roof was lower, and tho floor more irregular. Leonard flashed his light around. Tho placo was empty. "Cheerful hole, isn't it?" commented Napoleon. "If anybody was in tho outer cavo and wantod to bottlo us up in here, it would be easy." " Why should anyone want to bottlo ns up in here ? " enquired Leonard. " I don't know. I just said it would be easy, if they did want to. By tho way—what's that ' something else ' you're looking for? " " Can't you guess? " asked Leonard. " I can, but I don't want to. I s'pose it's that johnnie who was murdered, and who has disappeared ? " " Quito right. When I was searching before, I didn't strike this spot." "And were possibly spared a gruesomo sight." " I wonder! But it would havo to be n pretty hefty fellow to carry such a load all the way from tho foot of the gap." " And to carry the load away again afterwards," added Napoleon. " Because, you note, tho aforementioned load is not here." " Yes, I'm quite aware of that, Truelove —I've eyes, as well as you. The question is, where has the load been carried away to ? " " Assuming it was carried hero at all. Well, wo don't know. We're knocking our heads against a brick wall. Does it occur to you that tho beds at the Mcdmaid Hotel aro wonderfully comfortable, and that—oh, Lord. Now what is it?" Leonard was staring at a sharp knob of rock that protruded from tho wall near the passage. " Hallo —I havo found something," he murmured, bending forward. "Cheers! What is it?" " This.'' Ho stretched out his hand, and took something off the pointed projection. Napoleon advanced curiously, and regarded the find. " Bit of dark blue serge, isn't it? " he said. " Yes," nodded Leonard. " Someone's coat or sleevo barged .against that point, and left a portion of it there. What sort of a suit do you think this is n part of ? " " It might be a lounge suit, or a sea merchant's uniform —" " The seaman's uniform, for instance, to which this was once attached ? " Ho took from his pocket the gold button which ho had found upon tho cliff top. " Ah," replied Napoleon, reflectively. " That's the button of the chap who's supposed to have pushed our mysterious stranger over the cliff, isn't it? Reconstructing tho gruesome episodes, someono pushes the poor chap over, leaving a button behind. Tho same someone conveys tho corpse to this cave, leaving a bit of his coat behind. It's a sort of game of paper-chase. Then the someono carts the corpse off again, and when wo get to tho next spot we'll discover that he's left a collar or a boot behind! The heavier the loud grows, tho more ballast tho carrier stieds." " But has it, occurred to you," interposed Leonard, " that possibly our ' someono ' never had to carry a load at ailthat, his victim wasn't dead : " " You know, old chap," observed Napoleon Truolove, after absorbing this siuggestion, " your ideas aro just too sweet for anything." CHAPTER MY. TILROUUU TIIK IIUCKNLSS. " I may have' sweet ideas, but returning to a comfortable bed at tho Mermaid Hotel isn't ono of them," said Leonard Sefton. "T. mean to find a boat, Truelove, if I havo to search the beach the whole night through." " Well,, if you jolly well think you're going 'to search alone, you're jolly well mistaken," responded Napoleon. " But Jook here, I say. S'poso wo don't find une ? Do we build one?" " Whilo wo'ro about it, why not a couple?" smiled Leonard. "Then we'll havo one each." After a final glance round the lugubrious chamber, they retraced their way through the narrow neck into tho outer cave. Thero was no sign of tho intruder, hut for all that they walked cautiously to tho cave entrance. Peering out, they saw no form and heard no footfall. The darkness was unpopulated saving for themselves. "Bo careful where tread," ad;vised Leonard, as theyCfeft tho cavo and stepped once more on to soft sand. " What, aro thero any bombs about?" replied Napoleon. " No, but thero arc footprints. Wo don't want to obliterate tho footprints of that person who followed us into the cavo just now." " Oh, I see. Aro you really going to put Jim on the scent?" " Certainly. It'll do no harm, anyway. Which way shall wo walk? Left or right?" " Shouldn't think it'cl make much edds. It's guess-work, anyhow." " Not entirely. I want to know which way leads us soonest to a, village. If we go to tho right, thorn's Craverley, huh that's about two miles off, isn't it ? You know (he geography of these parts hotter than I do." " Yes, it's a devil of a way," answered Napoleon. " Everything's a devil of a ■way from hero—station, church ,and thops." Is there any village nearer?" "How many huts make a village? There's a cluster of seven or eight a little way round the point." "Are they fishermen's huts, bv any chance?" Shouldn t be surprised. Yes, now I come (o think of it. 1 have spotted a boat or two on that beach. Thev're hlilck, tarry huts. You know the sort of tiling. If tho world's going right with you, you say, ' Oh. what a lovely smell of ozone!' hut if it's not you sei/.o your nose and cry, ' Bad fish !' " I like the sound of it, commented Leonard. " Let's try it." So they turned leftward, and retraced their way over the heavy sand to the gap. On their right, the sea whispered gently through tho darkness. The light Jrorn the wreck no longer glowed. At tho gap, they paused. "Can wo get round tho point?" queried Leonard. "We'd have to climb over some jutting out, parts," replied Napoleon. "The tide's going out, but it's not low yet. Not a mco climb in the darkness, exactly!" "Can't we get to your settlement by road, then? It, ought to be easier, and we'd cut the long trek round." "Good idea. I think I know the way. It's up tho gap and then straight on instead of bearing to (he right, and then wo strike off somewhere to the left, Yes, J helicvo I can hit it." They ascended tho steep path, and, veering away from tho hotel lane, made their way across tho neck of land that separated them from the north shore. Napoleon, to his own surprise oven more than to his companion's, identified tho correct lane that ultimately led to the little fishing settlement, and when they reached it ho smiled triumphantly. "Pretty good, eh?" ho remarked, patting himself on tho back. " Though, of course, all ,011 c had to do was to follow we smell and traco it to its source." ,

A FASCINATING AND ROMANIIC DETECTIVE SERIAL.

(COPYIUGUT.)

" Yes, tlio smell's certainly strong," agreed Leonard, " but I rather think the world must, be going right with mo at this moment. I like it."

Eight or nine tiny black cottages nestled near the shore. Only one of them showed a light, a feeble, yellow gleam, betokening a waxy origin; and as they approached even tins winked out. But they wero not interested in the cottages. Their eyes wero skinned for other things, and, all at once, Leonard gave a low exclamation of pleasure. "There we are!" he whispered. "I said tho world was going right! We're in luck." A black shape grew out of the sand ahead of them, its outlino was unmistakable. It was a small boat. " Splendid." replied Napoleon, with a pang. "Now we're for it!" The beach was utterly deserted, and tho boat, fortunately, was not far from the edge of tho water. Tho sand shelved more steeply here, and tho distance covered bv the tides was less extensive. Regardless of the law of possession, they ran the boat to tho water, and, obedient to Leonard's instructions, Napoleon climbed in. "By the way, T suppose you can row ?" queried Leonard, just before pushing off. " On tho Thames," answered Napoleon " Well, when we're beyond these little waves, wo won't notice much difference. Get tho oars out. You're going to do tho work, while I navigate. Ready? Right! Heave-ho!" Ho gavo a shove, jumped, and the next instant they wero gliding out into the mysterious velvet. Distances and dimensions aro exaggerated by night. Napoleon was astonished •—very pleasantly so—by tho smallness of the waves, which had seemed so large while he had viewed their gleaming ridges from the shore. After a few strong strokes they were beyond the breakers, and began to purr over an inky smooth expanse. "By jove!" murmured Napoleon. " I'd 'bo 'perfectly happy if only thero were a moon." "And if I were somebody else? queried Leonard. ~ " Yes. von could lie improved on, admitted Napoleon. " All the same. I'm not complaining. But, look here. I say —what about our direction?" " Yes, that's going to be, our chief difficulty. . You see, Truelovc, we're not starting from tho spot I'd counted on. My compass reckoning has gone to pot. 1 expect we'll havo to hug the shore a bit—" " No, we won't," exclaimed Napoleon suddenly. " There s the light again! Look!" " So it is," murmured Leonard, gratefully. " That light is just going to save our lives!" Ho whipped out his pocket compass and got his bearings. Then, while Napoleon rowed, he gave directions. The compass was a luminous one, and he did not have to uso his flash-lamp to see its face. Napoleon rowed steadily. He decided not to think of the coming moments, but just to be satisfied that, so far, thev had not come. When his companion told him to pull to the right, he generally pulled to the right. Occasionally he forgot which was his right and which his left, however, and then fresh bearings had to bo taken when tho light from the wreck reappeared. _ " They're, not over-careful with their lights, I must say," observed Leonard .presently. " I should have thought they'd 'have been as careful as ihc deuce." , , ... " That's assuming thev have guyty consciences." retorted Napoleon. I erhaps. von know, they haven't." " It* isn't- usual to visit a wreck in the dead of night," Leonard reminded '""It r.iav not be usual," agreed Napoleon. " But (piite nice, people do it. Have you noticed, the name of our boat | is Daisv ?" I " Left!" shot out Leonard. >o, no —left!" , , , "Well, isn't this the left—oh, no—mv mistake," said Napoleon. iou know, that's the trouble with rowing. You have to sit with your bacK to where vou're going .Idiotic idea. I hat s wh\ I prefer punting. Oh—a punt, and Boulter's lock ! ' . Thev fell into a silence. J bey could not see the wreck, but they knew thev were getting nearer every minute, and *nperlhiO!T, , » conversation became undesirable. Not only might, their voices be heard, but it now became more necessary to concentrate on their task. Ihc light had not, glowed for some while, and Napoleon had been warned that he must keep as straight a course as was humanly possible. , , " With the light would turn up again." be murmured once. " Between von and me. I m rather glad it hasn't." Leonard whispered back. " It mav mean that whoever are on that wreck have moved to another part of the ship. Down below, for instance. "Or it may mean they've spotted us and are watching us, added Napoleon grimly. . ~, " Who's getting the sweet ideas now . retorted Leonard. " But, of course, yon mav bo right. We're taking chances. Five minutes later, Napoleon paused in his rowing. . . "I can hear something," he muttered. " It's tho breakers." said Leonard. "We're near the shallows now. Wevo got to go slow." , " You mean we've, got to wriggle our wav through rocks and things. "Yes. But we'll bo all right. See that long white line?" Napoleon turned his head and looked. " We want to avoid that, dun t we .' lie observed, sepulchrally. "We do. But I'm not sorry to see it. I recognise that beggar, and it gives me my bearings again. But Ive got to use mv light now-it's a nuisance. " They'll spot us, then, fur certain . " Not if they're below, old chap. There's a chance of that."* " Yes. s'pose they do spot us. " Well, maybe we'll spot them, too. " I see. That'll be jolly." " Cheer up," remarked Leonard, bending forward and patting his companion's knee. " After all, it's not likely they II try to murder us." Nanoleon swallowed. " You know, you're so comforting, he said. " I think I'd like to live with you for ever. May I call you Lconaid . He resinned his rowing. His strokqs were careful and slow. A minute later there was another pause, while 4hey tied handkerchiefs round the oars where they met the row-locks. I his appreciably muffled the sound of their approach, which was further deadened by tho dull roar and splash of tho breaking waves. Leonard recognised a big. oddly-shaped rock, arid found it. another useful direction post. Once or twice their boat scraped against, submerged ledges, but the smoothness of the water where there were no breakers and the slowness of their pace rendered a catastrophe unlikely. Now the breakers seemed to be all around them. Some were close, others distant. Napoleon drew a big breath and kept his head. He, stopped making mistakes. He answered Leonard s whispered fhrectious unerringly, through necessity rather than skill, with a queer sensation that ho was up against a spiritual as well as a physical wall of darkness. What lay on tile other side of that wall? What events? What emotions? What ultimate results? He longed for (his nerve-racking trip to end. and his familiar desire to shout gripped him. But ho resisted it, just as a man who is unused to heights has to resist temofatio;) to throw himself over. All at once he paused, and look a quick glance over his shoulder. " Funny thing," he muttered. " There's breakers all about, but none ahead of us." " Yes, there are old, old chap, but you can't sen them." replied Leonard. " I hat s tho side of tho ship you're staring at." (To bo continued daily.)