THE BADGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20243, 1 May 1929, Page 22

THE BADGE.

BY BEN BOLT.

CHAPTER 'XXVII. " Yes. Mallinson is the man to try any key- for such a secret —horrors, torture —any black thing that was likely to halp.' I wonder if ho suspected that Frenchy had the secret. It was because Barns dale held part of it and had revealed his knowledge to Malhnson that he died, I fancy." " Well, we're coming to the end of the business, I hope. When we get to Dauvray ■"

" Ah'!" interjected Dorrington quickly. "What is it?" asked Darling. " Look there!" He pointed to a place where a few jagged stumps lifted themselves from an uneven stretch of land, and whero on a piled-lip bank brown thistles and rank weeds showed in the westering sun. " A trench. The tide of restoration hasn't swept over here yet. It mayn't have reached Dauvray which was among deep woods, and with little cultivation about it. In that case the task will be easy." "Heaven send you're right, old son!" said'the major fervently. In deepening dusk they swept forward, through a country where villages were not, whero the scattered farm-houses were few, and where the ravages of war were still manifest, and with the moon lifting itself/above the desolation, came to a ■wayside inn which had plainly been rebuilt by some enterprising proprietor, who welcomed them with the enthusiasm of a Boniface to whom guests were rare birds.

" But yes, messieurs. For the year if you like. The Auberge do Coq d'Or .welcomes all tho Avar pilgrims, and tho men wlio fought for our beloved France. You aro come to visit the old battle-ground? To fight the old fights again, to catch thß spirit of tho great roaring days? That is so, liein?" " Yes," said the major curtly. "To ' gee the Chateau Dauvray."

" Le Chateau Dauvray V As the man echoed the words there was a sharp chaiigo in his attitude. His eyes grew keen, his whole bearing alert, and watching him Dorrington was convinced that he was now regarding them from an entirely new point of view. "You know the place?" asked the

maj(/r. The innkeeper gave an odd laugh. Who that lives hereabouts does not ? , . „ The ghost of it lies a mile away." " The ghost ?" " Monsieur understands the chateau is no more—just a heap of crumbling stone, grown with grasses and thistles. Nothing to see —a desolation to flee from." Tho major met Dorrington's eyes and read therfe the suspicion that was in his own mindr This keen-eyed innkeeper would dissuade them from going to the chateau. Why ? Scarcely had the question shaped itself in his mind, when down the tiled passage there sounded the tread of firm feet, and to their fears there was . borne a masculine voice, humming a lively chanson of old Beranger's. And as the sound reached them the major saw his friend stiffen like a pointer-dog when tho game is afield.

For a moment, Major Darling did not move!, bat watched his friend apprehensively, fearing some explosive revelation, of the thing which he, himself guessed rather than knew. But Dorrington remained perfectly still, though there was a light in his eyes that told of intense feeling. The sound of feet receded, and only faintly came the words of the song: " Commissaire! Commissaire! [ Colin bat sa menagere " Then quite suddenly Dorrington laughed. "It is good of you to warn us, landlord. If Chateau Dauvray is a dust-heajj then I am content with The Coq d'Or. ' Lead the way to your private room, and set supper on the table, with the best wine in the house." The landlord rubbed his hands. "There speaks the voice of wisdom, monsieur. To sup at The Coq d'Or is better than to shiver at the ghost of an old chateau. In ten minutes you shall eat." He lead the way to an inner room, and almost immediately at his summons a servant maid hurried in and began to lay the table. Darling looked at his friend, caught again that light in his eyes that proclaimed excitement and tension, then in one o:t the girl's absences, he whispered :

" That man who went out?'" " Malliason! I recognised his voice. He must have chartered an aeroplane as we did."

• " And/ the others—the Englishman Career and that Grothe woman?" , " Heavnn knows ? He may have given them the slip or " 1 The maid entered the room again and he fell silent; but when she went out he whispered tensely: "The landlord knows something. He does not want us to go to Dauvray." "No! He may be in Mallinson's confidence." "Possibly! Pore Tabac was rather wellknown hereabouts, wasn't he?" "Yes!" The girl, came in again, and the conversation was suspended for a little whi.'ie, but when the opportunity afforded by her absence came, Darling whispered: " What &re you going to do ?" "Do! In God's name what do you think?" There was a concentrated passion in the whisper which startled the hearer, / then Dorrington laughed harshly. " I'm going to get that scoundrel, lie can't have been here long, and there's not a doubt that he'll go straight to Dauvray. Where the treasure is the heart goes. And I shall go too. There's no hurry, though. There's been heavy rain in this country in the last few days, the flooded state of the ditches show that; and any old trench will be half-flooded as like as not.. 111 will take him some time to find the place, and ho may as well do the navvy woik." " I daresay you're right. Lucky thing we were in that room when he passed." "Yon think so! I'm not averse from a meeting. 1 owe him quite a- lot —not v least for the bad hour I had in that gully last night, but I think ho will pay for it all in the moment when he i;ets eyes on me, and learns that I escaped the end ho planned for me." "Daresnv! But I wouldn't hurry that meeting. There may be some catch in the message about old Dauvray's treasure, some secret sign that you have missed and that he understands. You'll be wise to let him get to Dauvray and find " " How do we know he has not gone there now ? With his hand almost on that which he has desired for years, he will not waste time. And " The major lifted a hand. " Listen!" From outside the window came the sound of a sprightly whistle. Then steps .sounded in the tiled passage and passed up the uncarpeted stairs. " Ke has entered the house again," commented the major. " The air he whistled , was the one he sang just now. Plainly he / isn't going to Dauvray yet awhile—perhaps not until morning. Wo can eat in poace. Ah! Here comes the soup."

BRILLIANT ROMANCE OF BURIED TREASURE.

(COPYRIGHT.)

All four seated themselves at the table, anil while they ate, Dorrington spoke suddenly : " I wonder what has become of Walton ?"

" Must have lost Mallinson and followed Carver and the woman, whom Mallinson appears to have evaded." "Yes. That seems likely! Well, Mallinson's my game.. I'll get him at Dauvray ' Pie checked himself sharply and looked towards the door. Then he spoke in a quick whisper: "Open the door, Bishop. There is someone there."

Bishop moved quickly, too quickly, for he knocked his stool over, and before he could lift the latch from outside, there came a sound of hurrying, furtive feet. Bishop shot, an apologetic glance, and flung the door open. The passage, it seemed, was empty, but that there had been someone there was certain.

Dorrington smiled a little grimly. "So!" he whispered. "There is an eavesdropper in this inn " "The maid!" suggested Darling. " No. The landlord. The fellow is too concerned that wo should not go to Dauvray, for innocence. ' Well, it will inako no difference. Mallinson went upstairs, and I'm going " " Not after Mallinson ?" broke in the major. "Ho will bo desperate. You must, not try to take him alone." " I'm going to my room, when I've learned which is it. One of us must keep near Mallinson all the time now, and that's my part. He's upstairs, and——" He crossed to the door and throwing it open, shouted loudly: " Aubergiste!"

The innkeeper came running—from the rear of tlio inn as Dorrington noted. There was a sullen look of apprehension on his face as if he feared he were to be put to the question, but Dorrington ignored it. " I am weary," he said curtly. " Take me. to my room. My friends will follow later."

" Oui, monsieur! I will fetch the candle." " Quick, then." _ The landlord hurried away, and Dorrington spoke to his friends:

" I do not like that fellow. Keep an eve lifting and an ear open, and watch tho stairs. I must make sure Mallinson is still in the house."

The landlord came with the candle, and with quite unnecessary bustle led the way rip the wooden stairs. Half-way up, Dorrington caught his blouse. "My man, you make my head acho with your noise. Step quietly." The man after that made less din, and when they arrived on the landing, from a, room that was situated at tho rear of the house came a sound of someone moving. Dorrington glanced toward the closed door from behind which the sounds came. " This way," said the innkeeper. " Tho first client gets the best room."

" Not always," answered Dorrington, iieeing that the man was leading him to the front of the house. ""That room faces east, does it not ?" "Oui, monsieur!"

" I hate the morning sun. It intrudes on one's sleep. Put me at the rear of the house."

" s But, monsieur, the cowsheds are there. At times there is an odour "

Healthy, I have heard. Don't boggle, man. No sleeping man smells a stink. Which room ? You can give that one to one of my friends. This side of the landing for me."

The innkeeper grunted and led the way to a room on the desired side of the house, next but one to the room already occupied, but nearer the stairs. "Good!" said Dorrington, as the man set the candle down. " I shall sleep here sound as the dead; and landlord I must not be wakened before noon in. the morning."

" The call (shall be made on the tick, monsieur."

" Then close the door behind you. There will be a draught if it is open." The man banged the door noisily, and Dorrington s,tood listening until he heard the first thudding step on the stairs, then he 1 lew out the candle and moved quickly to the window. As noiselessly as possible he opened it wide and looked out. From, the next window but one a light shone on to the farm buildings opposite, and once the shadow of a man was .thrown there. He had no doubt whatever that the man was Mallinson, and he smiled a little grimly as he thought that the man could not leave the house unnoticed. Either himself at the window or his friends below watching the stairs, must know of atiy attempt to go outside. An, hour passed without anything happening, then on the stillness of tho night came a sound which made him cock his ears. He listened carefully. Yes, there was no doubt of it. Somewhere down the road was an automobile moving rapidly. He continued to listen while he watched the yard and the light reflected on the buildings opposite. The racing car drew nearer, changed gears rather noisily on the steep hill below the inn, then once more purred sweetly forward and, as the sound told him, came to a halt outside The Coq d'Or. He slipped from the window to the door, and was in time to hear the landlord vociferate that his inn was full. "But we can eat here?" asked a feminine voice, the sound of which made Dorrington purse his lips in a silent wniiitle.

"If madame must. But the hour is late."

Man, would you have us supperless as well as without bed? Whom have you in the house?" Four Englishmen. War pilgrims." " None other ?" " None, madame." That is strange. We had hoped to find a friend here. , You have had no other callers this evening—a tall man, instance, with eagle face and eyes*?" " No, madame. Had such a one called I must have seen him."

"Good! Then we are ahead of him. But lead the way to supper, aubergiste. We' will take 'it alone if you can find a room."

(( It will be a poor room, madame. " The Englishmen have the other " " What matter ? It will bo private. Lead on; The car can stand hero for the time."

Listening, Dorrington heard two people enter the inn at the landlord's heels, and made a guess at their identity. " Carver and the woman," he whispered to himself. "It seems the vultures are gathering. Well, so much the better."

He moved to the window again, and resumed his vigil, wondering if by any chance Darling would have recognised Madame Grotho's voice, and what ho would do if he had. He would have slipped down to warn him of the identity of the new-comers, but for the need of keeping a watch on the yard, by which way he was convinced tho man in. the next room but one would probably leave the inn. Two minutes later his long vigil had its reward.

There was a sound of steps in the cobbled yard, and .dimly in the shadows below lie discerned a figure which came to a halt under the lighted window. Tho'i there followed a faint rattle on the panes of that window—peas or corn us he guessed, and a second later the window opened almost noiselessly.

"My friend," sounded a whispering voice from the yard, " the man and the woman have arrived. They asked for you." "And you told them?"

" That 1. had seen no one like you. They believed tho tale. But they think you will come. . . . Also I refused them rooms, thinking they would go on." 1 "That was a fool thing to do! It. is better to keep them here. Offer the woman this room when 1 am gone. I shall not return, but in a week we will meet in Paris, These English warriors —where are they ?"

Ihree are over tho wine downstairs, and one is sleeping. His light is out." "Good! Then go to the woman with tho offer of the room; but first set the ladder to the window and put a spade against the wall." (To be continued daily,)