WOLVES AMONGST THE HONEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21617, 9 October 1933, Page 17

WOLVES AMONGST THE HONEY

By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM Author of "The Wrath to Come," "Into the Mists"

CHAPTER XXII \t a few minutes belore twelve that Vlit Hoger brought his car to a standvtHl in 'the little embrasure of the Cornicho where he had left it the night before. Ho was well out of sight even of the turning which passed the hotel, and tllu ,10tcl itscll, 1,1,(1 1,0 I ,aMSO(I f„r a moment to collect his thoughts an d smoke a fmal cigarette. His part in the scheme which Thornton and he had worked out was from now on an insignificant one. There were probably already two gendarmes stationed immediately below the hotel and two at the first bend past it. He himself was to take his place in the stretch of wood exactly opposite the bar, and two more gendarmes were presently to fall in and guard the spot where the road forked. U a quarter past twelve three carloads of gendarmes with Thornton were to arrive from Monte Carlo. Half .1 dozen of: the men wcrj to remain in the bar and guard the hotel, the rest were to; explore the garage and discover the hiding place from which Savonarilda and Sam had issued. It was all' VCI T simple, and with the

score of, men whom Thornton was bringing and the conimissairo himself, if, scarcely seemed possible that there trotild be any serious resistance. Roger gave a sigh of relief as he threw away his cigarette and started forward for his post. Despite his love of adventure, he was glad that this was the last night. He followed out the plan precisely, entering the little wooil where a portion of the grey stone wall had fallen aVay exactly at the junction of the by-road and tbe Corniehe. For about 10 yards he made his way carefully ahead, skirting the wall but keeping inside the wood. Exactly opposite the bar door he paused, crouched down until he lay almost flat upon his stomach, and with a sigh of satisfaction blessed the clouds which were rolling down from the mountain bringing with them almost complete invisibility. From one pocket he drew out and placed in a convenient position by his side a fully-charged revolver, from another he produced an electric torch and placed it also within easy reach. Then he settled himself down to wait.

(corrniuuT)

Opposite to him the liar, and the hotel itself appeared to be silent and unlit. That was what lie had expected. Such life as might exist within the place lay elsewhere, as he had already discovered.. He felt himself pleasantly excited, thrilled, even, with expectation. It was the denouement toward which lie had worked. In a few hours the whole Principality would be liberated from the shadow which had been hanging ovfr jt, and he himself would be free to follow to the end this; sweeter and more joyous adventure, the very anticipation of which sang in his blood by day and by night. A romantic fool he was becoming, ho told himself with a half-stifled chuckle. On this one night, above all others, he must keep Jeannine out of his thoughts, In half an hour's time, without any sensible lessening of enthusiasm, ho realised that he was stiff, that his limbs were cramped, that the chill of the low hanging mountain mists had penetrated some parts of his clothing. There had been no sign of the approach of any inotor-car, no lights or vehicle of any sort had climbed the hill from Monte Carlo. He looked at the two corners of the road where the outposts were to have been placed but saw no one. This' in a way was understandable, because they woidd probably keep under cover as he, himself, was doing, but the late arrival of the cars perplexed him. He felt all the sick impatience of a crisis deferred. By now he had hoped that the affair might have been almost over. He realised with a sigh that it had not begun. There could have been no mistake. The cars, with sixteen gendarmes and four soldiers, were to mount the hill together and arrive at the strip of road fronting the hotel at a quarter past twelve. From up above La Turbie ho heard the chiming of a clock. He listened intently. One o'clock struck. Three-quarters of an hour late! Practically the whole of the . time it should have taken the expedition to come from Monte-Carlo. There was still neither movement nor sound from tho dark block of buildings opposite. Suddenly he forgot all his sick discomforts. There was a thin chink of light issuing from the door of the bar. He stretched out his hand cautiously and gripped his revolver. If news had arrived by telephone of tho departure of the gendarmes from Monte Carlo this might well bo someone planning to escape. Through a gap where two or three of the topmost stones had been dislodged he had a perfect view of the place. The light increased in brilliance, and he became Ware that the door was being slowly opened. It was drawn back at first by si unseen hand, then a figure draped from head to foot in. sombre black Crept into sight. Finally the door stood *ide open, and the old man who Played the guitar to his wife's plaintive Neapolitan songs stepped across the threshold on to the strip of pavement outside on which ono or two marbletopped tables were placed. He stood there motionless, a gaunt, strange fy?"re, leaning forward and peering earnestly into the wood opposite. No Word passed from his lips; indeed, ho seemed to be taking as much pains to j\eep silent as Roger hirtisclf. All tho time, though, Roger realised that tho j"an was not, only looking straight into j>e darkness, but lie was looking "iraiKht at the spot where he himself *? 8 crouching. His face was distorted 'th some sort of emotion. Finally, 8s though ho could keep silent no longer, ho broke into incoherent speech. Peri ] r>'' u ' Fartito presto! Before Roger could replv there was crash of a revolver behind him, n f r ° heard the swish of a bullet rP. ™ r from his left enr. In front lie the poor old musician throw up {V s arms, heard the gurgling in his ™t, the half-stifled cry, saw him apse as •though bis legs had been irur I ), "" aTS °f si.rnw. A honr.se ,Or " V ""pleasant whisper reached ais ears. Give him the cloth, quick. There's B car coming." f,X oreu P°» Ro « cr smelt a sickly and uliar smell, struck one blow into the j • gave one gurgle, and collapsed. f ,v e o'clock that morning Jean J' , e,lt > a vegetable grower in a small Rtiloli "'i'" 6 "Pl'er tlopes of Beau- ' i sco V orf> d that he had a most " a . magnificent crop of nrti]in„. W| th which ho had already, .r A \ er * s,| P|'licd the principal hotels til-o ?'• Ho was inspired to 1 Products into Nice market by loner road, but he had scarcely

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"This," the jsergeant remarked, " appears to bo the case. Do you know who she is?" *

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travelled a hundred yards from his front gate when the sight of something lying in tlk? road caused liiin to bring liis car to a standstill by the side ot what had seemed to be in the distance a bundle of something or other wrapped in a black shawl. The something or other, however, turned out to be the body of an elderly woman, whom he at first thought to be dead. Dead or ali.ve, however, he saw the necessity ot removing her from the middle ot the road, and, lilting her trail body in his stalwart arms, he placed her in the car. She rewarded him with a groan. "Kb bien!" he exclaimed, bending over her. "It is not so bad then. Madame feels better?"

The old woman opened her eyes, but she was powerless to speak, .lean Laurent scratched his head. He was a strong man and a willing worker, but he knew nothing about looking after an elderly lady on the point ot collapse. He suddenly thought of the llask ot red wine, together with his lunch, which occupied the spare seat. He uncorked it,'poured 'a little into a mug and forced some between her teeth. It might have killed but, as a matter of fact, it revived her. She opened her eyes. " .lea' nine," was the name she murmured. " Mademoiselle Jeannine."

" Is that your daughter or someone?" lie asked. " We'll find her down in Mi nte Carlo perhaps."

The woman had' closed her eyes as though the effort had been too much for her. .lean Laurent started up his engine and, with one arm propping up his passenger, he drove skilfully but wheezily down into Monte Carlo. Arrived there he pulled up outside the gendarmerie. " This is what has arrived," be announced. " 1 have picked up an old lady in the middle of the road, .lust about a hundred yards outside my gate she was. What 11111 I to do with her?" The sergeant looked at, liiin keenly. " Picked her up, eh?" " That is what I said. She was lying in the middle of the road." " You're sure vou did not knock her down?"

Jean was strikingly eloquent for several minutes. The sergeant followed him out into the street. The old lady was beginning to groan again but she was showing more signs of vitality. " What is the matter, madanio?" the sergeant asked. " Did this man knock you down?" " Nobody knocked me down," she replied faintlv. " 1 could go 110 further and I fell."

" Where did you come from?" " From the Hotel du Soleil," she faltered. " Mademoiselle Jeannine, they have killed him.". " Killed whom ?" " M v husband.'f

" I had 110 idea." Jean Laurent answered, " until she mentioned the Hotel du Soleil. There was an old couple always hanging about the place, the woman singing and the man playing the guitar. 1 believe this is the woman. Can .1 leave her here?" he asked. " I have the finest artichokes in the world but they will be wasted unless I can get them into Nice market by half-past six. My name is Jean Laurent and I live at the Villa Laureut." •

The sergeant copied down the name. " Help me in with her,",he assented, " and you can go."' ■ .■ They established her in aiVkniall room behind the bureau. The sergeant's wife made coffee for her and life came flickering back. She made a determined attempt to tell her story. " They have killed my husband," she began. " They shot him while he was trying to warn the young American gentleman to go away." " Who are they?"

" The wolves of Monsieur Viotti. They mean to kill Mr. Koger Sloane. a rich young American gentleman," she went 011. " They have him up there at the Hotel du Soleil. I can—l am the only one who can—save him. I want Mademoiselle Jeannine." They put her into a police automobile and they motored up to Madame Vinay's. Madame Vinav came downstairs, a little cross at being disturbed so early in the morning, but alive with interest as soon as she saw the police car and the gendarme in uniform. " It is for Mademoiselle Jeannine," the latter announced. " We understand that she lives with you." " Until last night," Madame Vinav announced. " Last night she moved to the villa of the aunt of the, young gentleman she is going to marry—the Lady Julia Harborough at Cap Martin. There is no trouble, I hope?" The sergeant merely saluted and they drove off. In twenty minutes they were on the terrace of the villa at Cap Martin and five minutes later Mademoiselle Jeannine appeared fully dressed.

" Tell me what i-s the matter, sergeant," she implored. " Is it of Mr. Sloane you bring news?" " .It is this old lady who brought the news. Mademoiselle," the man replied. " She was picked 11 p in the road at Beausoleil this morning, trying to reach Monte Carlo and find you. She is telling some queer story of her husband having been murdered up there this morning." " I will tell my story," the woman interrupted. " Mademoiselle, you came with the young American gentleman to the bar at the Hotel du Soleil. We sang to you Neapolitan songs and my husband played the guitar." " Of course, i remember," Jeannine assented. " Tell me the news you bring. I bog of you. I ain very anxious." " Mademoiselle, they have him, that dear young gentleman, in that evil place. I know nothing else and.my head is going round. They have killed my husband who tried to warn him. I. left him lying there in the road." " You hear what this woman says?" Jeannine cried, turning to the sergeant. "Mr. Sloane went there last night, I know. He believed that there were some desperate criminals hiding there. We must get together some gendarmes!" The sergeant's attitude was noncommittal. (To bo continued dnily) INFLUENZA OR COLD WILL BREAK RIGHT UP NO EVIDENCE OF DISTRESS IN A FEW HOURS Bayer gave Aspirin to the people of the world. In 1900, Bayer gave Aspirin its name and introduced Aspirin to the medical profession as a remedy for Colds and Influenza. At the first sign of influenza or cold, begin taking one genuine Baver Aspirin tablet every two hours with half a glass of water. After the first dose all the headache, stuffiness and distress end. and after the second or third dose the cold and fever are usually broken entirely. Be sure you obtain o'nlv the genuine Bayer Aspirin, which does not affect the heart, derange the digestion or form a habit.