THE RIDDLE OF WRAYE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20866, 7 May 1931, Page 16

THE RIDDLE OF WRAYE.

(COPYRIGHT.)

By JOHN LAURENCE. Author of "The Pursuing Shadow," "The Double Cross Inn,- Mystery money, - etc.

A SPLENDIDLY TOLD STORY OF MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE.

CHAPTER XI. " There's never been anything buried there, at least not by Herrion. It's clay, and hard to shift. Herrion didn't have the time. Wherever he put the case it must have been done quickly. Daggs has got hold of .the wrong end of the stick. Let's see where he went. Here." Attray pointed to the broken twigs of an overhanging bush, to the marks of the feet on the pressed-down grass. The two scrambled up into the wood. Attray made his way unerringly through it, following tho signs made by Martin's pursuit. Twice ,he stopped and looked carefully at the marks of feet in the damp earth. " That's Shellwood's on top of the other," he pointed out. " Ah, someone's fallen here. Ho nosed round like an eager dog, while Parslow watched, • feeling completely out ot his element. Attray walked round in ever-widening circles from the spot where Martin had fallen. He looked at the spot where Tonnison had broken through on to the road and then came back into the woods and signalled to Parslow to follow him. This time he bore away from the road down a moist pathway 'which led alongside the winding brook. For ten minutes Parslow followed him in >a line leading directly away from the Inn, until the, two camo to the edge of the trees. Across the road, which wound round the wood. Parslow found himself looking upon a queershaped cottage, the roof of which on one side came right down to the ground. " Whose place is that ? " he asked. Attray's reply was to catch him by the shoulder ,and press him down. " Quick," he whispered. " Keep down."

Parslow peered through the bushes. Coming round the end of tho house was a' man whom he did not recognise, a man who walked toward the well in the garden, carrying a bucket, walked quickly, with the swaying gait of a, sailor. Attray put his month to his companion's ear. " That's Daggs." The two watched the sailor with straining eyes. The ground was cold and damp and Parslow felt, himself shivering. And then, without warning, he sneezed violently. " Get up and out on the rond. He doesn't know you." Attray's urgent warning was hardly necessary. Parslow had seen the sailor swing round, bucket in hand, and look toward the wood, and, without any hesitation, he climbed over the low fence and stepped into the road. "Good morning," he called out genially. " Going to be a fine day ?" He looked up at the clear sky and nodded inquiringly in the direction of the rising sun. •" Yes," said Daggs shortly, eyeing him keenly. " You've got a fine garden there," continued Parslow, " and a pretty old cottage, I should say. Don't often see a room come right down on to the ground." " Stranger round here?',' asked Daggs. "Yes. Got. a fortnight's holiday," replied Parslow pleasantly. Staying at Mrs. Mallinson's tottage in the village. Thought I'd do a little exploring before breakfast. Best time of the day to my mind. It was too dark to see much when I came down last night." " Staying at Mrs. Mallinson's," repeated Daggs slowly. " She'll make you comfortable.".

Parslow nodded. Hp had given the name at, random, never thinking there might, be a woman of that name in Wraye. He felt uneasy. Daggs looked at him, almost through him, with that clear, impersonal look men have who have travelled the wide seas all their lives. And that, too, did not add to the ease of l Parslow's mind. Daggs would know him again, whenever and wherever ho met him. He gave a short laugh as he turned partly away from that steady stare. " You don't/ sound like a native of these parts." he ventured. " Whore does this road lead to?" Daggs ignored the first sentence. " That way leads to the Badger Inn—and Mrs. Mallinson's." There was a grin on his face as he spoko and then he turned and pointed in the other direction. " That way's up t,o the foot of the hill and the village." Without another' word he attached the bucket he was carrying to the chain over the well and began lowering. The lawyer t.urnpd back .quickly, and strode along the road beside the copse, toward the inn. As he rame to the right-hand corner he looued bark. Daggs was standing beside the well, looking at. him, and someone was looking through .o.ne of the upper windows, someone whom he could not place «t that distance. He saw no> further sign of Mtray, and as he approached tho main road he stopped ,and leant over a gate. He had suddenly realised how cleverly Atfcray had got rid of him and managed to leave the field clear for dealing with Daggs. And with the thought Parslow turned back again. After all Daggs was only a sailor, and, if he could not outwit a. sailor, he would be losing his touch. Moreover, he .thought, it was to hjm that the letter Daggs was carrying was addressed. If he left Daggs to the tender mercies of Attray he would never see tho letter.

Parslow, as he hurried along the quarter of a mile of winding country road back to the cottage, tried to put himself in Attrny's place. Ifc was unlikely the latter would tackle the sailor singlehanded. For one thing there was someone else in the house, and Attray would be perfectly well aware of that fact. It was far more likely that Attray would fetch some of his companions from the white house and bring bruto force to bear. That meant at least three-quarters of an hour, assuming ho had left for the white house immediately after Parslow had stepped into the road nearly halt' an hour ago. At tho most, the lawyer decided, as he turned the corner once more and cnme in view of the cottage, he had a-quartpr of an hour to bargain with Daggs, and at the best, if Attray did not hurry himself, he might have much more. His hand was raised to knock at the weather-beaten door when it unexpectedly opened. x " Gome in, mister," said Daggs. A' 1 thought you'd come back." " You're Daggs," said the lawyer. " I want to talk with you." The sailor held the door open. Parslow made no movement to enter. " I'd rather talk to you outside. What I've got to say ig private." Dagg's reply was swift. His right fist shot out and caught the lawyer on the •point of the jaw. He had been in too many fights to make any mistake. Parslow might have been hit by a belaying pin for all the difference he felt in that smashing blow on his chin which lifted him off his feet and pitched him backwards a crumpled and unconscious heap. Years of hard training had, taught Daggs the value, not only of getting his blow in first, but of acting afterwards. Tho lawyer had hardly fallen to tho ground before ho was lifted by tho shoulders and, dragged inside the cottage. " Come out, you rat," roared Daggs, as he kicked the door to with his foot. He hauled the unconscious Parslow to the middle of the room. Tonnison stood by the inner door, his face like a sheet, his hands twisting and turning over one another. " My God, what have you done?" His voice was cracking with fear, his eyes almost starting from his head. All his life Tonnison been afraid of one thing or another, chiefly of his employer, and to see Parslow lying there so still,

broke his nerve completely. How often had he dreamt of hitting Parslow exactly as D&ggs had done. But in all his dreams he had never imagined himself knocking the lawyer unconscious, perhaps killing him with the violence of the blow. Tonnison had always imagined the blow being, just sufficient to make Parslow cringe, as he, Tonnison, had cringed all his life. Never once, though, had the wretched clerk ever raised his hand in physical violence against anyone. He was far too afraid of the possible consequences to himself ever to do that. Parslow had long _ ago found out the quickest way to bring bis clerk to heel, and many a time Tonnison had left his employer's room tenderly nursing some portion of his bruised body. " 'lt 'im, that's what I've done, •• said Daggs scornfully. " 'Aven't you nevxsr 'it nobody? 'Aven't you ever felt the squish of your knuckles on somebody's nose? 'E got 'is on the jaw. have shoved it out too much." " I told you he'd come back, ' wailed his companion. " You've murdered him." " 'E'd 'ave murdered you if he'd found yon 'ere," retorted Daggs. " 'E'll recover presently." Tonnison's eyes goggled at the thought. After nil it was better for Parslow to suffer a little inconvenience than that be should have seen him in the company of * * iSici you 'ear what he said ? asked the latter. *"E said to me, 'You're Daggs.' 'Ow'did he know that: Somebody must 'ave told 'im." .. • He looked suspiciously at Tonnison, who immediately shrank back against the wall. " If you want some soap for your ands you'll find it in the sink," said Daggs. "If you don't soap keep your bloomin-' 'ands still." _ " I don't know anything about it, Mr. Daggs," whimpered Tonnison. _' I truly don't. I wouldn't have had this happen for the world." " I daresay you wouldn't. You ve been and mucked it all round, seems to me, unless —unless " . , The suspicion in his eyes increased, and in one stride he was beside the terrified clerk. His fingers closed on the fleshy part of Tonnison's arm until the latter yelled with the pain. " Funny Jhing ' that bloomin* lawyer should be found 'ere at five 'o Clock in the mornin'," he growled. " Funny thing 'e knows Mister when I ve never 'ad a squint 'im in my life. 'You're Daggs,' says 'is lordship, and then I 'its 'im. An' you're 'is pot-bellied, slimy-mouthed little clerk, ain't you ? Tonnison wriggled and cried out. " You're hurting me, Mr. Daggs. I don't know how he knows. I don't know how he learns half the things he does. He's awful. I haven't seen him since I saw you." " Oh, you 'aven't, 'aven't you? An' I don't suppose you saw any money this mornin', eh? Oh, didn't you? "• "I didn't, I didn't, Mr. Daggs," protested Tonnison fervently. " I must have got it wrong. If I ha,dn't, Dr. Shellwood would have found it. I'ye made a mistake somewhere." . , Daggs' ham-like hand never released its vice-like grip as ,he considered this new point. There was a certain amount of truth in what the clerk said. If Shellwood had found the money then he wouldn't have been sufrh a fool as to chase Tonnison. Daggs had had no compunctiqn in knocking. Martin out. Now that he had found out from Tonnison that ■his one-time companion on board ship had not been exaggerating about the hidden fortune, Daggs would ha.ve no compunction in knocking anyone senseless who tried to stop him getting it.. Tonnison was terrified by his companion's silence. His arm seemed numbed. Suddenly ho began to pour out a stream of words. " Of course I've got 'it wrong, Mr. Daggs. Nobody would bury money in the bank of a brook where it might have got washed away. I must have stepped it in the wrong direction. It must have been in the other direction altogether. Luckily they won't guess that." " Everybody's not such a fool as you are," said Daggs candidly. " They'll dig the whole village up if they think there's a .quarter of a million of the best in it. Don't you kid yourself. You and me are going to 'ang together, if there's going to be any 'anging." • s - He grinned cheerfully m he saw the look on Tonnison's face. "If your old pal's a goner "he began. " No, no, no. Oh, my God, there's somebody coming." Daggs clapped bis suffocating hand over Tonnison's quivering mouth, and dragged him swiftly info the kitchen. There was no doubt about it. There was a, crunch of, footsteps on the path, the sound of men's voices. And the tone in one galvanised the terror-stricken Tonnison into momentarily asserting himsolf. Ho pointed frantically to the back door. " Through the wood. Keep the house between us and them," he whispered jerkily. " It's Mr. Attray. He'll shoot if he sees us. He was on the hill that night. Halcombe was one of them." (To be continued daily.)