A SEVEN YEARS' SENTENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21830, 19 June 1934, Page 15

A SEVEN YEARS' SENTENCE

A SENSATIONAL SERIAL

CHAPTER XVl.—(Continued) " It wouldn't bo fair to you, Sirs. Anders," said Jerry, gravely. " Suppose anyone came in and found you harbouring an escaped prisoner." " And who's to come? " she retorted. " Moor folk go to bed early, and anyway, now the bridge is down, there couldn't anyone come from the other side. No, you stay and get a bit of sleep on the couch, here. And I'll wake you in good time." She meant it. Jerry could see that she meant it, and truly the thought of that long tramp back in the darkness made him shiver. " Thank you very much," he said, gratefully. " I will do as you say. It will be a long time before I forget your kindness," he added. " It's not for you to talk of gratitude, Mr. Aylmer," she replied, " not after what you have done for us this night. Now I'll fetch some blankets and you can sleep sound. No .one will disturb you." Stretched on the big, old-fashioned couch, cosy in thick blankets, with no light in the low-roofed room except the red glow of tlio peat fire, Jerry felt a scnise of peace and comfort to which he had long been a stranger. This adventure, which had begun so badly, had turned out so * fortunato that ho felt new hopo. Brower—the more ho thought of him the more certain ho felt that he was 011 tho track of the real criminal. He began to consider ways and means of getting at the truth, but he was too tired to think, and suddenly was sound asleep. Next thing ho knew, someone was shaking him gently. Ho opened his eyes, drowsily, and saw Mrs. Anders fully dressed, bending over him. " It's half-past five, Mr. Aylmer," she said, " but I'm afraid you can't leavo yet." "Why—what's' the matter?" demanded Jerry, sitting up. " The weather's changed again," she answered, " and it's* snowing terribly." CHAPTER XVII. SNOW-BOUND " Snowing," repeated Jerry. After all, he was not greatly surprised, for lie remembered how cold it had turned as the fog lifted and knew how quickly the weather changes 011 the Moor. " Snowing—that's a nuisance." " It's something worse than a nuisance, Mr. Aylmer," said tho woman, gravely. " It's almost a blizzard. Listen to the wind." As she spoke, Jerry heard the shriek of tho gale in the chimney and felt the wholo house fhake. Jerry had not undressed' except to take off his coati He got up and went across to the window. Tho panes were covered with thiqklydrifting snow and outside the darkness was pale with the glimmer of snow. He whistled softly. " You're right, Mrs. . Anders. It's pretty bad. Still, there's one thing' in my favour. No one will be about on a day like this." " I don't think you understand, Mr. Aylmer. This is worse than the fog. There's not a living man could find his way across the Moor in a storm like this." " But I've got to get back," said Jerry, blankly. " I don't know where you are going, Mr.. Aylmer," she said, gravely, " and I'm not asking; but, by the look of you when you came in last night, you'd come a long way, and it's my guess you were hiding out somewhere on the High Moor. If it's as bad as this, here, think what it will be on the Tops. You'll'go to your death if you try to cross the Moor to-day." Jerry listened with growing dismay. He could not possibly stay where lie was, yet, if he did not get back to the | mine, he had 110 notion where to go. He went to the door, and opened it. The force of the wind slammed it back and in an instant the passage was full of feathery flakes. Outside, the snowwas drifted already a couple of feet deep against the wall. The whole world was white and the cold made him gasp. " You see, I am right, Mr. Aylmer." said Mrs. Anders. " You'll have to stay till this is over. But don't worry," she added kindly. " If anyone does come — which isn't likely—we can hide you up stairs. Now, you'd better rest awhile longer while I get breakfast." In spite of his anxiety, Jerry found breakfast a very pleasant meal. There was plenty of food in the house and Mrs. Anders was a good cook. The eggs and bacon were perfect, and Alec made capital toast over the glowing peat fire. The boy could not do enough for Jerry, and he kept on talking about his rescue from the flood. As daylight came, the fury of the storm grew greater. A howling nor'easterly gale drove clouds of fine snow across the great open expanse, and, minute by minute, tho drifts grew deeper. It was out of tho, question for Alec to go to school, so he and Jerry sat by tho fire and talked while Mrs. Anders busied hex-self about the house. _ These autumn storms on the Moor are often fierce, but they do not last so long as the winter blizzards. By midday the snow had ceased and tho sky began to clear. Yet, tho drifts, even here, were three to four feet deep, and that meant double on tho High Moor. Also the snow was soft, so that at every step a man would sink to his middle. No one could cross tho Moor until tho thaw came. That might be forty-eight hours hence, or it might be a week. Jerry's face was troubled as he turned to Mrs. Anders, but she remained cheerful. " You'll just have to wait, Mr. Aylmer, and you'll bo as safe here as anywhere else and a deal more comfortable." " But it may bo a week before I can get back, Mrs. Anders," 110 protested. " It isn't fair to you or Alec." 'v That's our business," sho said, calmly, " Anyhow, it's no use worrying over what can't be helped. We'll warn you in good time if wo see anyone coming, and no one will bother you up in Alec's room." So Jerry stayed, and by way of passing tho time, told Alec sea stories. He liked tho boy, and Alec becamo devoted to him. That night it froze sharply, and next morning tho surface of the snow was hard, enough to carry Alec's light weight. Ho declared his intention of going to school. Jerry had an idea. " Can you post a letter for me, Alec?" lie asked tho boy, and Alec said that of course lie could. Jerry wrote to Bill and told him exactly what had happened and asked hi 111, if possible, to get word to Joe. Ho asked Mrs. Anders to address tho envelope so that there should bo 110 risk of his handwriting being recognised. Then ho set himself to wait, but, meanwhilo, ho was ablo to make himself useful. Ho cut kindling wood and brought in peat and water for his hostess. Twice that day ho had to slip upstairs, once when tho postman camo, and later, when a neighbour from tho village struggled through tho snow to visit Mrs. Anders. Tho postman brought a newspaper, which Jerry devoured eagerly Tucked away at the bottom of a column was a six-lino paragraph headed " Escaped Prisoner," and saying that it was believed that Gerald Aylmer had reached London, and that the ports wero being carefully watched.

By T. C. BRIDGES Author of ."Watching Eyes." "The Other Man's Crime," " The Home of Her Fathers," etc.

(COPYIUGIIT >

"It seems certain that ho has not succeeded in leaving tho country," the paragraph ended. Jerry showed this to Mrs. Anders. " They're beginning to forget me," he said. Before she could answer there was a knock at tho front door, and Mrs. Anders started. " Serves me right," sho said, " for not looking out. You can't go upstairs, Mr. Aylmer. Slip into the kitchen and through into tho scullery. You'll be all right there." Jerry went swiftly and silently, closing both doors behind him. He was not greatly worried, for it was quite certain that the police did not know he was 011 the Moor, and in any case, Mrs. Anders' cottage was the very last place where anyone would be likely to look for him. A few minutes later Mrs. Anders camo after him. " It's Mr. Spangler," she told him. " He's in tho kitchen. You can talk there,without anyone disturbing you." The two men met with outstretched hands. " You old juggins," said Joe, with a grin. " Bill nearly had a fit when he got your letter." " You can call me anything you like, Joe," said Jerry. " But, honestly, tlio last thing I thought of was getting lost in the fog. Still, there's one good thing como of it. Mrs. Anders knows now that I didn't kill Anders." " That's something to the good," agreed Joe. "All the same you've put us in a peach of a hole. Wo can't get you back to the Dagger mine till this snow is gone, and that won't be for a week." " And I oughtn't to stay here," said Jerry, gravely. " Faul might turn up here any day." Joe nodded. " Faul's our worst trouble. He's fair raving about you getting away. He's told everyone that I did it, and he watches mo like a cat watches a mouse. That jackal of his, Bart Brower, has been hanging round my place the whole of the past week." " I believe Brower's tho man we want," said Jerry, and Joe pursed his lips. " Quite likely, but how the deuce are we going to prove it? And Brower ain't the only bad egg on this sido of the Moor. There's Gregory Mold." " I'd forgotten him," said Jerry, gravely. " But you're right. He's a bad hat, and since ho lives by poaching it's likely he had a down on Anders." " He's helping Brower to keep tab 011 me and Bill," said Joe. " You can't go back to Long Barton, Jerry, and my place is equally barred. I'd take you up to Bristol or London if it wasn't for this cursed snow. But tho roads sire 'blocked and the police are still watching all the railway stations. You're properly penned up." CHAPTER XVIII. I'AY TO THK ItESCUE For some moments the two men were silent, then Jerry spoke. " I'll have to try back to the mine, Joe. If 1 wait till night, perhaps the snow will bo frozen hard enough to hold me." Joe shook his head. " Nothing doing, old son. It's all of seven miles over the worst of the moor. Tho only way anyone could cross would be 011 ski, and we haven't any even if you could use them." " But as I tell you, I can't stay here. There must be some place where I can hide." " There's just one," said Joe. " That's Powder Mills." Jerry's face brightened. " That's a good notion. Tho old buildings are sound enough. There's wood and water, and if anyone came snooping round there's the old under,ground store. I'll walk up there tonight." " You won't," said Joe. " Not with Brower and Mold messing about, to say nothing of Policeman Croker." "Then how tho deuce am'l to get there?" demanded Jerry. "In the car. The road's open that far, for they've cut the drifts." " But if anyone meets us they'll spot me." " No they won't, for you'll bo squatting down in the bottom covered with a rug. Don't worry. I'll fix it up so you'll be safe. I'll come along after dark and you meet me at Nun's Cross. That's about as far as can get the car. Young Alec will go ahead of you and keep a look-out. If lie sees anyone you'll just have to duck down in a drift." , So it was arranged, and at dusk Jerry, still in Anders' clothes, said good-bye to Mrs. Anders and went off. It was a horrid night, thawing and foggy, and they never saw a soul. Joe was waiting opposite the old Stone Cross, and Jerry, after shaking hands with Alec and thanking him warmly, got in and lay in the bottom of the car covered with a rug. There was a sack of grain in tho back, for Joe used his old car for carting all sorts of stuff, and with the hood up there was little chance of Jerry being seen. Joe had to drive slowlv, for the roads wero very bad, but they saw no one until they were a mile or so past Long Barton. Then Joe spotted a man standing in the middlo of the road and waving his arms for tho car to stop. " I'll have to stop," he said over his shoulder to Jcrrv. "If I run past liim I'll only make him suspicious.-Lie still, and lio'll never sec you." Jerry lay very still. Ho was badly scared, yet he trusted Joe. Joe stopped the car and tho man came up. Jerry hoard Joo draw a quick»breath. " You, Bill! Good gosh, you had me scared stiff." " You'd a been worse than scared if 1 hadn't stopped you," Bill said. "That chap Mold is around 011 the road near the old mill. I'm thinking 110 seed me carrying in that stuff this afternoon, or if ho didn't someone else did and told him." Joo whistled softly. " This is a peach of a mess. What 111 tho name of all that's blue aro wo to do now?" " You'll havo to take him back to Mrs. Apders, Joe. There ain't no other place he can bo safe in." Ho broke off, then: " Watch out, Joe. I'd better get inside. Here's another car coming." But before Bill could get in tho other car was alongside and had pulled up sharply. " Is that you, Mr. Spangler?" camo a clear, swe<jt voice. " Good gosh, it's Miss Fay I" gasped Joe. " Yes, it's me, Miss Fay," he answered. " Is there anyono with you?" Fay asked. " Bill's here." " Is that all?" Joo hesitated. He.would havo told lies to anyono except Fay. " I think you havo Jerry with you," sho said, softly. " How in tho name of sense did you know that?" asked Joo in amazement. " 1 didn't know. I guessed. I knew you had him hidden 011 tho Moor, and I thought 110 was at Powder Mills. I drove past thoro just before dark and saw Gregory Mold hanging about. J was coming to'tell you." Jerry put his head up. " You were quito right, Fay. They were taking me there, but Bill spotted Mold and has just stopped us. I'm going back to where I camo from.' (To be continued daily)