THE GREEN ARROW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21731, 21 February 1934, Page 17

THE GREEN ARROW

By BEN BOLT Author of " The Purple Diamond," ~ Eyes Through the Maak," etc.

AN EXCITING MYSTERY STORY

CHAPTER, IX. —(Continued) The purr of the receding car grow fainter and faded into the night stillness ; and ho sat there speculating on its destination. Then thero came the sound of another car behind him, a noisy chunking and rattle, which proclaimed age and worn pistons. The flash of the headlights lit the road, and the car panted up the incline, and, a little to his surprise, pulled up alongside. Glancing at it he thought he recognised the crock which had been in the station enclosure. Out of it jumped his Jehu. " 1 got en, sir. Had luck to meet Jan here." The other driver handed out a twogallon tin of petrol, and Grandison's man waved him on. " All serene, Jan. Don't you wait, or that foreign gent of yours will sure go off pop." As he caught the words Grandison's interest in the ancient car quickened enormously. A foreign gentleman sounded intriguing in view of the aliens in whom lie himself was interested. He slipped quickly sideways to the driver's scat and stared brazenly through the open screen at the passenger in the tonneau of the other car. It was too dark for him to see more than a shadowy figure and a white blur that be took to be a face. Hut that jade—Luck, who after favouring him so nobly, had turned on him so scurvilv, once more smiled on him. Well up the road, where a by-lane connected with the main highway, a car hooted warningly; and then, as it came slowly round the awkward corner, heralded its approach by a great fan of light, which lit all the road in front of it like the beam of a searchlight. Jll the comparatively narrow road, shut in by the hedges and the overhanging trees, the glare was blinding, but itserved Grandison very well, making everything in the interior of the other car perfectly visible. For one brief moment, as clearly as if in the beam of a spotlight, he saw the passenger's face, very white in the glare. He had a vivid impression of a pair of dark eyes under thick tufted brows, of a nose and chin which reminded him oddly of the traditional Punch, but the effect of which was marred by an upturned moustache heavily waxed at the ends, and of a cheek that was scarred from brow to chin as if it had been slashed by a sword —the scar showing lividlv in the glare. More, beyond a Homburg hat with a small tuft of feathers in the band, he had not time to note the lights of the approaching car being suddenly dimmed. A warning toot of the klaxon thrice repeated, reminded the driver of the crock that lie was obstructing the way. He shouted a hurried goodnight to Grandison's driver, and letting in his clutch drew ahead, slowly and noisily. The advancing car came 011 and passed. Grandison's driver disappeared at the rear of his vehicle, whence presently came sounds which indicated that he was unscrewing the cap of the tank, and a moment later thero was a gurgle of petrol being poured into the tank. Grandison schooled himself to patience, and after an interval the driver stowed the empty tin in the back of the car and resumed his seat. " I don't expect we'll catch up with that big car now, sir." " No," answered Grandison gravely, repressing alike his annoyance and his inclination to laugh at the absurdity of the thought. " I don't expect we shall. You had better take me straight on to Deercombe." " Yes sir, that's what I was thinking." Then as he started the engine, the man chuckled. " An' I don't reckon Jan will overtake it neither

with that contraption of his." Grandison asked tho natural question, quickly: " Is 110 trying to overtake it, then?" " Dunno, but he is sure that hurried that you might think ho was. The man was savage as a boar when I stopped the car to ask Jan for the petrol and

swore worse than 1 could understand. Very unreasonable I call it, for if we can't help one another in this world 'tis a sail thing." The sentiment as Grandison was forced to admit was an entirely admirable one, but in the circumstances

his sympathy was with tho profane passenger about whom ho was very curious. " Whero did your friend pick up the man?"

" Station, and in a queerish way, Jan said. Seems that Jan was twirling his starting handle round for going off when the man popped his head round the corner, and signalled to him, then popped back again out of sight. Jan

went an' asked him what was the matter, an' the foreign gent said that lie wanted to sit there twiddlin' his lingers and .Jan was agreeable, but 'twas what followed that puzzled him. The gent slipped across to the old bus with his suitcase and got in, then ho bid Jan wait, as he wasn't ready to go yet. As Jan told me coming up, lie wasn't in 110 hurry, though why the fellow wanted to sit there twiddlin' his finger lie couldn't think. Then that big tourer moved off, and Jan's passenger gave a pleased laugh, and said he could start. . . Now, sir, I ask 'ee if it didn't look queerish." " Depends," Grandison said evasively. " Where was your friend's passenger going?" " There now, I suro forgot to ax Jan that?"

Grandison considered a moment, tlion lie said " I suppose you will have no difficulty in finding out." " No, sir. Jan and I use the same garage. As like as not he'll tell nie to-night without axing." Again Grandison considered, lie did

lot desiro to arouse the Jehu's interest unduly; but he had a feeling hat the man with tlio sword-cut denanded investigation. Tlio reasons for hat were perhaps flimsy, but Jehu

Jan's account of tho way in which his passenger had appeared and engaged the taxi was certainly " queerish." There had been something oddly surreptitious about his action. Plainly the man had desired to avoid observation, and for a guess, more particularly of Zyrinyi and his associates.

When they had driven away the coast was clear for his own departure, but not before.

His interest grew as he considered. Had the man, plainly not of English nationality, followed Zyrini and those others all the way from London? Was

he for some reason shadowing them ? Interested in their activities did he know what Calstock had known about that date November tho seventh? Who was he- —an agent of one of tho Balkan States? All that seemed likely enough; and as he reached that conclusion, another question sailed up in his mind. Did the man know Zyrinyi's present destination, and was he making for it? The last question moved him to follow a course about which he had been hesitating. " Your friend will tell you where lie is takjng his foreigner?" he asked carelessly.

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" Sure to. If he don't I can ax him." "Good! Listen. I want to know where that man is going—" " Lord love us! Is lie another you're after:'" " I don't know," answered Grandison, bra/.enlv. " But I want to know more about him. You can find out to what place your friend is taking him, and 1 want you to let me know as soon as you can, without breathing the matter to a soul- —even to your chum. If you can, telephone the place to me to-night at Major Harleigh's house; and there will be a treasury note for you." " Then it's mine for certain." Grandison took out his wallet, and slipped out a pound • note. "Here it is, in advance. . . You'll find Major Harleigh's number in the list; and when you ring up, ask for Captain Gr.'indison." " Yes, sir." " You won't forget the name?" " No, sir. . . Thank you kindly, sir. As soon as ever Jan shows up, I'll get you on the phone, for certain." They swung through the gates of Deercombo and two minutes later Grandison was being welcomed by his host. " The last arrival, Charles. We'd almost given you up. Train late?" " No," laughed Grandison, "My taxi ran out of juice, and I was left stuck outside a cemetery gate while the Jehu went a-borrowing." Major Harleigh chuckled. " Just tho sort of thing you might have expected. We're a leisurely lot down here. . . . But there are 110 bones broken, and you've ample time for a drink before you change." Grandison had his drink, was piloted to his room, and while he changed wondered what Zyrinyi's presence in the neighbourhood might mean. Had that harbinger of storm conic to the skirts of Exinoor because the Princess Wanda and her brother were at Deereonihc? He did not trouble to think out an answer to the question. His thought wandered to Wanda Korosi herself and stayed there. In ten minutes he would be meeting her. Would she wear that arrow pendant, the full significance of which still eluded him? Would there be in her golden eyes that challenging light that had beamed there on their fir-t meeting? He did not know, but at the mere thought of her his heart quickened with anticipation which had nothing to do with the mystery with which she was associated. He visioned her as he bad soon her bathed in light at the Zingari, radiant, exquisite, with the small head arrogantly poised; in her vivid loveliness of youth, the fairest creature lie had ever seen, and his heart began to beat tumultuously. He laughed at himself, at the anticipation which stirred him. Yet when the gong sounded and he went down the stairs to tho parallel hall, with its antlered trophies, he was conscious of an odd excitement. Ho saw her while he was still on the staircase. She was at tho foot of tho stairs. Her back was toward him, but 110 recognised tho small dark head, with its queenly poise. She was talking to Helcnburgh, who, despite his experience of last night, was plainly in high feather. As he reached the ball his friend took liis cue.

" Hallo!" he cried boisterously, as if in joyful surprise. " Here's old Grandison. . . . Princess Wanda, may 1 introduce. . . The girl turned swiftly. Grandison saw a flush of trouhled surprise in the golden eyes. It passed almost instantly, and as she offered her hand she cried laughingly.

" Mr. Helcnburgh, you arc—what is the idiom? Ah, 1 remember! You arc a day behind the fair. Captain Grandison and I are already acquainted." Grandison took the offered hand, lifted his eyes smilingly to the lovely faee, and as he did so, 011 her white breast, saw, gleaming like a baleful star, the green arrow of Sagittarius. CHAPTER X IMRK GOKS OUT Ho had time to do little more than express his pleasure at the renewal of their acquaintance when Molly Harleigh bore down upon him with Prince Imre in train. 44 Charles," she said gaily, " you have already met Prince Imre, so there is no need to introduce you to each other. You can fall to like brothers. I must take Wanda with me." The two men acknowledged each other with a formal bow, and as they straightened their eyes met. In tho prince's there was a keen appraising look, and Grandison, perfectly aivare of that measuring stare, wondered to himself what was in the other's mind, since be must have heard of last night's event sat the Cafe Rakoczy. He betrayed nothing of that, however, but laughed easily.

" So you have left London for the wilds, Prince Irme. I am afraid you will find them very tame after jour Carpathians." " Ah," said tho prince. " You know my countrv?"

" Budapest, fairly well. And I have shot both bear anil deer in the Bakony forest."

"A sportsman?" queried the prince, with a brusqueness that was not altogether free from disdain. Grandison smiled. " One must have some justification for living, and that is mine."

" The only one, Captain Grandison ?" Grandison was not sure whether the question was contemptuous or challenging. From the odd way it was spoken it might have been either; but there was a watchful glint in the other's eyes and lie was careful of his answer. Well," he laughed, " you know we are rather proud of that kind of thing in England. ' A good sportsman' is an epitaph that even a bishop might envy." (To !je continued daily)