THE LAW OF THE KNIFE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21991, 24 December 1934, Page 17

THE LAW OF THE KNIFE

CHAPTER I.—(Continued) " Oh, you women, you women, when shall we ever understand you?" " Do you think you ought to try?" Dorothy asked. " There's something in that," 1 admitted. She nodded and smiled. Killing my pipe, 1 strolled round to have a look at Old Fred. He greeted me with a wave of the hand and a welcoming grin from toothless gums. He was as brown and wrinkled as an old elm, and just as hard, though he would have it that he was fast going down the hill. I never knew him when he wasn't. What with his lumbago, sudden frosts, blights, caterpillars, the foot-and-mouth disease, and heaven only knows what not, his life was a perfect torment. 13ut in his broad Sussex burr lie mumbled that he was mighty glad to see me. though he reckoned 1 couldn't ha' conic at a wuss time. Albert, in his shirt sleeves, a pipe in his mouth, was already hard at work, under the strict supervision of Fred, be it understood. No one touched a thing in that garden without his permission. For fifty years it had been his pride, and he had already staked out a plot in the far extremity, where nature was allowed to run wild, in which he often expressed the wish to be buried. " How's Floyd getting on?" 1 asked. Albert, being within earshot, looked | round slyly at tins. j " Well, sir, he be willin' enough chap; what do they Cockneys know i about gardens! 1 don't suppose he ever I seen one till 'e come 'ere." 1 told him j there were some fine gardens in Lonj don. " Maybe, sir, you're right," he agreed; " but I've 'card as though they're most in winda-boxes." " I'm no Cockney," Albert called out, " 1 come from Kent." " Then maybe you know more about 'oiis, 'specially when them's brewed." Albert found no answer to this, and | Fred grinned in toothless triumph. I " Thought themselves smart, didn't | they, them London chaps; yet even ! when they seed 'em growin', they , didn't know wheat from barley or cab- | bages from turmots." CHAPTER 11. A LBKUT SKKS A GHOST Then it came on to rain. Heavens, how it rained! The grev Channel seemed to rise from its bed and fling its grey waters over us. Ihe Downs were blotted out; Lewes vanished in an impenetrable mist. L" lower-beds were destroyed; miniature lakes formed in unexpected places. The girls flattened their noses against the windows and gazed sorrowfully out at the deluge. Old Fred was unapproachable. Occasionally I caught a glimpse of him in sou - wester, shining oil-skins and high boots as he pottered about among the wreckage. Albert passed most of his waking hours trying to teach Jupe new tricks. He couldn't even visit the cinema over in Lewes, which irked him immeasurably. If he had a weakness it was for the" pictures, and no matter how infantile they were he always found excuses for them. ." Sorta take you out of yourself, he used to explain; "and they don't matter anvwav. Silly isn't the word for most of "the stuff, sir, but when it's cold an rainy outside they take you to the South Seas, an' when it's hot they bundle you off to the Arctic but not always. Sometimes they'll show you snow an' ice when the theatre is as cold as a refrigerator, or the desert an a blazing sun when it's like an oven. Any old thing that comes along they I throw on the screen irrespective of temperature. But it don't matter so long as you can keep your pii>e goin , and the people behind don't kick at the back of your seat, or beat time with their feet to the music, or ( laugh too vacantlj T at the feeble jokes." For a man who had so often come to grips with real difficulties 1 often wondered how he could tolerate the artificiality of screen adventures. Probably he enjoyed criticising the futilities flashed before him; or the lovely ladies may have supplied him with an occasional thrill, even though they were nothing more than shadows and would ever remain so to him. But lie always had his pipe. A man and his pipe may journey far together without quairelThe weather caused Edna great distress; one might almost imagine she blamed herself for it. lhat it should develop so wickedly upon my homecoming added to her dejection. She took pains to assure me that it was quite exceptional, that it coiildu t possibly last, and that she supposed it rained "in London too, sometimes. Iho dear! I assured her that it did, in most outrageous fashion. But whereas in London it was rather a nuisance, in the country it was an undoubted blessing. Think how it would rejoice the heart of the farmer. She did not appear to find much consolation in this. Dorothv Meredith bore the infliction with astonishing equanimity. B C, "P a girl of an equable temperament nothing seemed unduly to ruffle hei', which it its' way was a pity. I knew anyone so complacent without suggesting conceit. She could smile as she flattened her nose against the window and gazed out at the waste of dreariness. And she had a nice nose, one of those noses 1 call essentially feminine. There was no suspicion of a hook about it, 1101 was it straight after the Greek manner. The curve of the bridge was fine and delicate, the nostrils rising from it provocatively. Edna thought she was lovely, and seemed eager that L should agree with her. Ingenuous little schemer! Didn't I think Dorothy was this and that? And so domesticated; loved home life, and all that sort of thing. Exactly what I thought. Make a "ood wife and mother; look after the house and bring up her children with a due regard to the proprieties. But sweep a man off his feet J thought not. -Aiorover, though I confess it with shame, such women as may have impressed me were not of the Doiotiij species. I knew her value, appreei a ted it, and hoped one day to be blessed but did not think she would confer ' that blessing. Starting comparativelv early, 1 was old enough to be her father; and, to put it midly, 1 could claim no monopoly in good looks. If some smart young fellow of her own age were to come along my obliteration would have been swift and inevitable. Albert bore the deluge with his usual philosophic calm. Jupe, who proved an apt and intelligent pupil, was already : tottering ori his hind and fore-paws at, | the word of command, and his instruc- j tor prophesied somersaults before the j month was out. Edna and Albert were j great friends. Kver since a certain happening in Palestine, when his timely ; succour meant tor me the difference between life and death, she had regarded him as my palladium. \Yithj him near she was convinced that no j real harm could happen to me, and whenever we parted, her last secret injunction to him was always the same: " Don't forget to look after the Colonel." Apparently she regarded him as drv nurse to a wayward infant. Now, though Albert Flovd was ostensibly my servant. I wish it to be distinctly understood that he was also my friend, and one of the finest men I ever knew or ever hope to know. After that incident in Palestine it was no longer possible for us to be merely | master and man. I owed my life to j him, to his indomitable courage and resource; had proved his worth in many subsequent tight places, and was to

By CARLTON DAWE Author of " Leathermouth," "Lawless," "The Amazing Woman.

(COPT RIGHT)

AN AMAZING STORY OF THRILLING ADVENTURE

prove it again in others that were still Lo come. He accompanied me on a certain visit to Asia Minor, where 1 earned my unenviable nickname of Leathermouth. We two had set out alone on that adventure, but at Constantinople I fell in with a young American called Wallington, and helped him out of an unpleasant predicament. We took to each other quite naturally, and when lie begged permission to go with us on our journey, 1 readily acceded. I'rom that moment we three became fast friends. Though his admiration for Albert could not exceed mine, 1 believe it equalled it. Nor do 1 think it. was because Albert came between him and sudden death out theie; it was the man and his character that won unstinted admiration. " The greatest guy ever," he always called him; and being rich (I learned alterward he was a multi-millionaire) he would have rewarded handsomely, but fortunatelv first consulted me on the project. Alter that, except upon the rarest of occasions, lie would no more have thought of offering money to Albert than to mo.

Though I had come home with the determination to settle down and find everything perfect, 1 must confess to a feeling of monotony, which 1 was sure Albert shared with me, though 1 knew he would not admit it. Even the rain failed to depress liiin, outwardly. It could not go on for ever, he used to say; then we'd got to work in real earnest and smarten things up. Being an excellent bridge player he always made a fourth after dinner. Edna loved to cut him for a partner. She was always blundering and he alwavs condoling. " Oh, Albert, I m so sorrv. How very stupid of me! "Not at all. Miss Edna. How were you to know 1 hadn t the queen * Dorothy might remind him that she had played it, second round. " Did vou really, miss Now, that s funnj, 1 never noticed it." But at last the weather broke and the sun came out—and Dorothy announced her departure. She had enjoyed her stay "ever so much, whatever that might mean, and insisted on Edna returning the visit at the very earliest opportunity. Kdna said she would love to. but now that Peter was home she couldn't say when it would be You see, men were so helpless, wanted such a lot of looking after, and were so terribly careless and untidy. Which doubtless made Dorothy smile. She had a way of smiling that was most effectivo. Edna drove her back to her home near Petworth. Jupe accompanying them. Wherever she went in her runabout, there was the great Airedale perched beside her, though on this occasion lie was relocated with the baggage to the dickey, and didn't seem to "like it. Dorothy shook hands and smiled; just the same charming and imperturbable Dorothy. 1 hanks, she would give her father my message. Perhaps 1 would be running over soon, if I could spare the time. A certain slyness in this, not unobserved. I assured her it would be very soon. " And as for you," I said, turning to Edna, "mind you're back before dark."

"Listen to the bully," she laughed. '•One would think he was giving orders to his wife." Dorothy smiled in doubtful fashion. There was a depth in that girl after all. But. the injunction was obeyed, though when I met her at the gate she was pale and trembling, and Jupiter jumped out snarling and looked down tho road, bis body tense.

"Anything happened?" I asked as I lifted her from the ear. "/Not really." " What do you mean by that?"

"In the lane" (the lane was a wooded dip about a mile from our house) "a man suddenly sprang out of the hedge and waved his arms for me to stop. Jupe snarled, and I must have accelerated unconsciously. Absurd. wasn't it: he may only have meant to ask the way." " What was he like?" " i couldn't say, really; a rough sort of man, like a tramp." " Ever seen him before?" " Not that 1 remember." " Did he call out?" " No. Absurd of me, wasn't it, to be frightened over nothing?"

" Very." ! Albert appeared at that moment to ! take the car round to the garage. " Come on, Jupe," he called to the j dog, " jump up." But for once lie ; was disobeyed. The creature was still ! suspiciously looking down the road. Though the incident was probably j without importance it set me thinking. In the course of many investigations 1 had naturalh made a few enemies, not 1 all of whom, unhappily, had passed 1 beyond doing me harm. Consequently I I may have been over-suspicious. On the | other hand, 1 was not accustomed to 1 make light of apparently trivial circumstance, and a few minutes later I | casually strolled round to the garage | and informed Albert of what had hapi ppned. lie agreed it might mean nothi ing; yet, having anything but a subj lime faith in the innate virtue of man, he was not inclined to regard the incident with indifference. Any- ; way, he would have a look round, and : as Jupe was an exceptionally intelli- | gent creature ho would take him along, j You never know. It was the remark j with which he invariably wound up ! eveiv discussion on possible contini gcncies. Looking through the "window, about ' a 'quarter of an hour later, Edna saw him pass along the road in the dircc- | tion of the lane, Jupe frisking ahead I of him. \ " There's Albert," she said, "and ! Jupe's with him. Where's he going?" : " Taking the dog for a run, I sup- ; pose." j " But " " I see; you think he might meet your tramp?" " Did you tell him?" " 1 think I did mention it." " But it will soon be dark; and he 1 was a rough-looking person." " Albert likes rough-looking persons; t they make an irresistible appeal to him." " 1 don't think it's a laughing matter," she pouted. " Neither will your tramp if they meet." " 1 believe you hope they will." " Sincerely." But they did not. He strolled in about an hour and a-half later and seemed surprised when Edna asked if he had seen him. " Him, Miss? " he repeated. " Von know what 1 mean." " No use," I explained. " Being of the curious sex she has been asking questions. Fearing you might meet a certain wayfarer in the lane she has been praying for your safety." " You ought not. to have gone, Albert." she protested. " In that case, Miss, you wouldn't have prayed for me." " Oh, you're both quite impossible," she said and flounced from the room. 1 looked at him. " Not a sign sir, an' Jupe didn't even start a rabbit. Still, you never know. Things come along in the most surprising fashion." His eyes were sparkling; there was a curious twist round the corners of his grim month. He had not looked so bright and hopeful since leaving London. (To be continued daily)