"SHADOWS BY THE SEA"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20116, 29 November 1928, Page 20

"SHADOWS BY THE SEA"

BY JEFFERSON FARJEON.

CHAPTER XV. BEHIND TITE DOOII. As they fastened their boat to the chains to which Leonard Sefton and Bervl Haines had clung sonio seven hours earlier, a faint glow illuminated tho pastern horizon, and by the time tho two men had climbed on deck tho moon's yellow disc was rising out of the sen.

If the wreck's battered deck had looked grim in the late afternoon sunlight, it looked doubly grim now. Tho sun had permitted it to retain its rusty hues, but the moon repainted it in black and silver, picking out its outlines in shadows and ghostly light. The broken spars and funnels were mere dark shapes, and while some portions of the flooring were dazzling patches, other portions wero impenetrable enigmas, sprinkled with traps for tho unwary—some of tliom death traps.

On tho verge of speaking, Leonard suddenly desisted and laid his hand swiftly on his companion's arm. Something was moving on the opposite sido of tho deck, and moving quickly. They saw it as it Hashed across a moonlit patch, and then it was swallowed up in tho shadows beyond.

"Whew!" murmured Napoleon, strait) ing his eyes. " That was a nasty sight, wasn't it ?" " Could you make it out ?" askcid Leonard. " It looked liko a quadruped of some sort." " I think it was a man." "A man on all fours? That s worse than a quadruped !" " No, ho was crouching. We'd better go after him. Stick close behind me—l marked the spot where he vanished." "You bet I'll stick close behind you," murmured Napoleon. " Steady ! Not too fast! We'll break our necks!" They made their way across the deck, mid as they entered the shadow area which had swallowed up their quarry, the figure emerged again in another little oasis of light. Here it paused. Its attitude suggested indecision. Silhouetted against the rising moonlight, it revealed no characteristics beyond a tall, lanky frame, a beard, and an apparent dislike of standing up straight Suddenly it turned, and came gliding back The two watchers stood still, with held breath. But the figure did not see them, though it passed so close that they could hear its laboured breathing. As; it drew abreast, it swerved abruptly toward tho middle of tho deck, and was lost once more. "Shall I shout to it?" whispered Napoleon. " No, that would divert it from its purpose," replied Leonard. "Good tiling, I should say!" " Perhaps, but I want to know what its purpose ts. Conio along! We'll move, again. This way—and mind that gap!" They walked a few steps, and then suddenly, from somewhere below thorn, a tiny jet of light glowed. It was the light, of a match, and it glowed on the beard of tho man they were chasing. Jt glowed also on the oily black surface of the water ho was gazing into. Leonard thought he recognised tho water. He had noticed it on his first visit to the ship as it lay, dank and green, in a holo. "What on earth's he starin' at," whispered Napoleon. " Think he's goin' for a swim ?" Leonard did not answer. The man's wrapt attitude fascinated him. What did he see in the water ? Did he want to see anything? Or did he fear to sec it? Then the match went out and, with it, this odd picture. But a second match was struck, and the pictures again grew out of the darkness. The man bent down and, picking tip a stick, prodded the water with it. He went on prodding till the matchflame reached his fingers and ho dropped tho spent match with a sharp cry. No third match was struck. The watchers waited a full minute. Then Leonard sr.icl: " Get ready for things to happen. I'm going down there." "Know tho way?" asked Napoleon. We'll have to use the flash lamp." " Then we'll bo seen." " I can't help that. It may bo time for introductions." Napoleon nodded. Just as well to ccnie to grips, ho thought, and get the gruesome business over. Leonard switched on his torch, and played it on the water. '1 be bearded man was no longer watching it. Ho had vanished again. " That chap seems to know his way about this oid hulk," muttered Napoleon. ."I wonder what his game is?" " Our job is to find out." P'r'aps he's dropped his purse in the water." " Don't be an ass!" But tho admonition was kindly. Leonard was quite appreciative of his companion's quaint observations, although he never allowed them to divert him from his purpose. They made what speed they could, but tho water's edge could only be reached by careful stages, the last stago being a descent down an iron ladder. Like the bearded man, they stared into tho wafer; and also like tho bearded man, th.:iy prodded it with a stick—the samo stick which they picked up, still moist, from the ground. " Don't see any bodies floating about," gaid Napoleon, cheerfully, " But, of course, they weight 'em with stories, don't they?" " It has been known," answered Leonard. " Well —we've not done much good by coming here. I think wo must find our man again, and have a real heart-to-heart talk with him." " That will be lovely," responded Napoleon. " Lead on, Mac Duff." They reascended tho ladder, and on reaching the upper deck they noticed that tho moon s brilliance had increased even during these few short minutes. The shadows were now less than the illuminated portions, for as the moon rose higher, the shadows grew shorter. They made I heir way toward tho spot where thev had boarded tho ship, and saw no sign of tho man f hey were seeking. Leonard was just concluding that ho had gone below again by sorno other hatch-way when a sharp rry resounded from somewhere below tho deck. A few seconds later, while they wero hurrying forward, tho bearded man came leaping into view' for all the world as though ho had leapt' straight out of a holo. Agitated though ho had appeared before, his condition now was that of a man in a frenzy. He looked on the •verge of collapso. Beads of perspiration stood out of his forehead. His eyes were wi'd, and his lips twitched convulsively Then, abruptly, he stopped dead, and •tared at, Leonard and Napoleon. "What's the matter?" asked Leonard sharply. The man did no! reply. He continued to staro, as though this new development had quite numbed his mind. "Pull yourself together!" exclaimed Leonard. " What's happening dciwn there 7" He took a step forward, and tho ino've ment avvoko the man from his stupor. He leapt aside, ducking as Leonard matli a grab at him and tho next instant ih'as van ting over the deck with almost 'increcliblo swiftness. After him!" cried Leonard, and tl|iev Rfit chaso. But they were no match -for tills human antelope, who not only heat 'hem in agility, but who also appeared! to have the advantage of knowing tho c;nog aphy of the ship. llq dodged and

A FASCINATING AND ROMANTIC DETECTIVE SERIAL.

(COPrmcnT.)

CHAPTER XVI. QCTISTTONS WITHOUT ANSWERS

ducked, and finally disappeared round a deck-house.

" Con::'ound the fellow!" panted Leon ard.

" Talk about eels," gasped Napoleon. " Well, as we can't get anything out of Him, let's go below. lie shot out of tho unpleasant holo I went down this afternoon—"

' You mean tho place where you found that locked door!"

'Yes, I wonder if I've been a fool! Perhaps we ought to have gono there first . .'

An unpleasant damp smell assailed them as they descended. Reaching the bottom of the little stairway, Leonard directed his lighi, along tho passage head, which was now revealed to his eyes for tho first time. On his previous visit, ho and Beryl Haines had had to grope their way through utter darkness. They wero in part of the ship which, 1 oin its appearance, seemed to have been chiellv devoted to cargo, though it was difficult to conceive that order had ever existed among its bent and battered walls and its cruellv torn flooring. Walking along the passage, which was acutelv sloped, i.hoy noticed that the damp smell was increasing, and when tho passage widened into a large, empty chamber, thev saw tho reason. The lift side of the chamber, tilted downwai ds, was full of water, and only a comparatively small space on tho righthand side was high and dry. Leonard wondered how it was that ho and Beryl had escaped stumbling into tho water when th'»y had had no flash-lamp to guide them. "What a smash up!" muttered Napoleon. soberly " Pret v fearful," replied Leonard. " I'll be' there's a big holo in the sideof tho ship below that water-line." He paused, anu added, reflectively, I'd like to so* it.' " Arer't wo seeing enough? I think I am. Where's your door?" " A little way ahead there. The pas sage becins again beyond, and the door's on the right, 1 think I spot it. Now—steady."

I'hey advanced again, and reached the door. It was open. "Whew!" murmured Napoleon with a shiver. " I—l thought you said it was locked ?" "It was. 1 ' answered Leonard, quietly, and entered

On the ground lay a body. It was the body of the well-dressed man.

They stared at it without speaking for awhile. Then Napoleon laughed. " WhaVs funny?" asked Leonard. " Nothing," replied Napoleon. " That's why I had to laugh." " Quite right." nodded Leonard. "Trench logic We must keep cool." He stared again at the body, and tried to reconstruct its grim journey from the foot ot the gap to this spot. But all a* once he realised that this was not the moment feu conjecture —that it was time to be back again on deck. " We must r"turn to that lunatic,' ho exclaimed. " The wholo thing s tqo hopelessly contusing and we've simply got to catcii him, and to get him to talk. "Ther we'll have to hurry, responded Napoleor, as they turned. "ft wouldn t surprise mo to find that he s chucked himself into the sea. I say, Sefton—do you suppose he's had a hand in—in that?' " Who can say ? But there arc two tilings ir his favour." " What?' " First, we hoard him shriek. Murderers don't shriek. Their victims do. He may have come upon the dead man suddenly—as we did—and got- a fright. " And second ?"

" He's wearing a dark grey suit The man we re looking for has a bluo serge coat with a bit torn out, and a gold button missing."

Moonlight gleamed above them. They hastened up the steps, and glanced anxiously around tho deck. There was not a sign of life " It's going to be a devil of a search," grunted Leonard. " Particularly if he has jumped over tho side," added Napoleon. " What about having £. look ?" Thev ran to the side of the ship, and looked over Napoleon gave a shout. "My hat!" he gasped. "Our boat's gone!"

The ray of Leonard's electric torch shot down a< ross the water. It picked out from tile shadow of a rock a little spot, sonic fifty yards away. The spot was the Daisy, with its new occupant.

"Damn!" growled Leonard, fiercely. " Now we're properly " A shot spat out, It did not come from tho Daisy, but clipped the surface of the water in the direction of the boat. Leonard swung round with a cry.

"Look out!" he shouted. " It's all right," answered Napoleon. " I fired that shot."

"What!" exclaimed Leonard, ."taring at him : n astonishment. " Yes—l'm tho little cock robin," admitted Napoleon rather shamefacedly, looking at a revolver in his hand " I don't liko the things, but I thought it might come in useful. Do you know, if I hadn't had this in my pocket, I believe I'd have faded away several times. It helps me just to touch it." " But what on earth did you fire for?" demanded Leonard. "If you meant to kill him "

" I didn't," protested Napoleon " I merely meant to frighten him. You know. I'm a sort of Socialist when it comes to terror, 1 believe in tho sharing principle." Leonard smiled.

" Well, I dare say it's just as well you've got that thing," he commented; " but he careftd how you use it, and for goodnes.x sake, put it away now! You're swinging it as if it were a dead eat! We'ro not likely to need it for awhile, anyhow." he added erimlv " The only human thing on board besides ourselves :s already dead." " I devoutly hope so," responded Napoleon, as he slipped the revolver hack into his pocket. " But I'm not in a mood to lake a bet on anything " There was a short silence, during which Leonard reviewed their position Suddenly he said . Let's sit down somewhere and have a smoke. We're likely to bo marooned here fur several hours, and there's the deuce of a lot to think about." " Good idea," agreed Napoleon. " I always 100 l most brainy when I've got a cigarette in my mouth. I'll sit on this knoli Voii might try that useful lookin' spike over there."

You know, Fm triad to have you with me, rruelove," said Leonard, with a laugh. "Vou're o.k. in a crisis, and your conversation's cheering." " No, is it?" explained Napoleon. " Tell •bat to Mi;; S Hainrs one day. will you? I sometimes think she's doubtful." ley »at down, and n few seconds later oinr-.ictio ends glowed r omfortah]y. What odd picture we must niake he nut- m (ho moon." observ«d Leo--un. his mind relaxing a little as smoking on a battered old hulk-nnd down bejow bos a dead man." ' cs. it's n funnv position.' responded Nanoleon, scratching his nose thought Vrn ji• to be seared stiff hut lm getting sort of used to it. Hero wo aie, alofic with a corpse The ship may e bristling with corpses. Yet—well here we are!"

Hut cln ive know where we arc'" "Rketl Leonard - Let's try and find out. 0 y ou K ot a notebook on you ? Good ! limn jot down these questions, and then we 11 seircli for the answers." Napoleon fished out his notebook, and studied the first page. (To bo continued daily.)