THE GIRL IN THE CAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22139, 19 June 1935, Page 19

THE GIRL IN THE CAR

CHAPTER Xn.—(Continued) He dropped from the bank to the jgrass again, and stood quite still considering. His suspicions still persisted and he did not quite know what to do. Had there been but one man he might have taken him on a charge of " loitering with intent," but even for ®n ambitious man three " suspects " were too big a handful. It was while lie was thus meditating that he caught sounds of movement in the darkness of the meadow. His first thought was that they were made by a horse; his second after listening for a moment, was different. Somewhere not very far away was a man moving in his direction. He remained quite still, wondering who the unseen man might be—his finger on the little switch of his torch, waiting for the psychological moment. The individual for whom he waited came slowly, making with each step a faint squelching sound, which puzzled TJpcott sorely. Then he heard the man stumble, go heavily to the grass, and pick himself up again, muttering to himself as he did so. The constable scarcely breathed. In front he saw a moving shadow, it came nearer, and when it was well within range of his torch, he thrust up the switch. The unexpected ray struck the oncoming man blindinglv. He halted as if he. had been brought up by a hand clapped suddenly on his shoulder, and to Constable Upcott was given the vision of a white scared face, with ejes that between blinks were stark with terror; with a mat of wet hair flattened over the forehead and still making little streams on the mans cheeks. For a second the man stood quite still, then like a man afflicted with overwhelming fear, he began to gibber, not loudly, but in a way that made the constable shiver. J hen what teemed the truth broke on him.

" Good Lord !',' he ejaculated. " The ■lunatic!"

The words seemed to break through the other's sudden spell of terror. He ceased to gibber. " Lunatic," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm no lunatic. What are you? Not one of those devils who —" " I'm P.O. Upeott —" " ' P.C.,' Do you mean you're a constable?" " Yes. What —"

"God be "praised!" The man was hoarse and shaking. He began to stumble forward, and Upeott, with a remembrance of the warning he had received, groped for his truncheon. "Keep oft there!" he said, displaying his official weapon, and wondering ■ffliether he had not better whistle for the help of the three searchers. "Heavens! You don't want to kill • xne like those devils who —" From across ,the road came the sound of a man's shouting voice. "God!" the man said hoarsely, " that's Cars'; Toll—"

(COPT RIGHT) T ..... "

By OTTWELL BINNS Author of "The Stolen Debutante," " The Lavenham ** The Cry in the Night, etc.

A POWERFUL STORY OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE

" Who?" The constable had remembered the name as that of one of the men who had been in the attack on Keeper Spaxton's cottage three nights before, and his suspicions of the trio came back in a flood. "Carroll!" Hammersley whispered " I don't know him very well, but —" " There are two others with him," broke in Upcott. " D'you happen to know if one of them is called Swanny ? " Yes! That's the name. I heard that other—Carroll you know—use it." " They say they're hunting for a lunatic and —" "For me! I shall be a lunatic—no, a dead man—if they get me. They've already killed Lorenzo Joe in a wood down the road." " They've what?" " Killed the man who was with me. They chased me, and I'd have been killed, too, if they'd got me. Constable you must help me, or I'm corpsed as sure as a gun. I never thought to be grateful for the sight of a, policeman, but —" . 1 The man broke off, as again a sound of voices drifted across the road and over the bank. " For God's sake, man, turn out that light! if they find me, I tell you they'll kill me, and you, too, as like as not. They can't afford _to have witnesses with Lorenzo Joe lying there stiff and dead in the wood." The man was terribly earnest, and Upcott switched off the light; then the fugitive began again. " You must get me away from here, constable. You know the country —I don't. I fell in a river somewhere across there, and if I try to get away myself, as like as-not 1 shall fall in with these murderers. And if T do —"

"Steady, man!" interrupted Upcott, catching a rising note of hysteria in the other's voice. " I'll get you away. But if what you say about that man in the wood is" right," I've got to get those men." " You can't do it single-handed, said the man. " They're armed—and tliev're killers."

" Oh, I know that, if one of them is Carroll.' They were about here at their rlirtv work * thrco nights ago up at Keeper Spaxton's. Wait a minute! Constable Upeott crept to the bank, climbed it, and peeped over. Up the road ho caught the flash of a lamp. The men were far enough away to take a chance. He slipped back again to the waiting man. "Come along!" he said. "Those rips are up the road. "We 11 go t other way. There's a farm quarter of a mile away, and they've an A.A. telephone. You'll have to go quietly." " No need to tell me that. I know that* a sight better than you do, constable." " All right! So long as you know. " We'll start." Constable Upeott led the way to the stile. Before he allowed the other to mount it, he took stock of the road. At first he saw nothing, and had an idea that the trio had departed. Then lie caught the gleam of a light above the hedge, and knew that the men must be beating the copse thereabouts. "Sharp!" he whispered—"an' quiet!" The man crossed the stile, and keeping to the bordering grass, they hurried in the opposite direction from the

searchers. When they had gone a couple of hundred yards in silence, Upcott asked a question. " What's your name?" " Arnold Hammersley." "TJm! Don't know it. Stranger, I guess. What were you and that dead man —what d'you-you-call-him ?" "Lorenzo Joe!" " Sounds foreign! But what were you doing in the wood there where you say he was murdered?" " We weren't in the wood to begin with. We got there by mistake, you know. We were going to call on a gentleman at a place hereabouts." Hammersley, a little recovered from his bad fright, was improvising a little, but Upcott had no reason to think that, and he instantly fixed upon the point that seemed to matter. " What place?" " A house called Thorley Burrow." "There's nobody there," answered the constable with quick suspicion. " Place is to let furnished." " There's somcono there to-night. The owner —" The "zoom" of a car coming along the road camo to the constable's ears. He looked eagerly forward and saw the lights coming round the bend of the road. He broke in on the other s words. " You stop there in the dark. I m going to stop that car, and get a lift for both of us. The lights of it will show vou up to them fellows if you stand on the road. Don't matter much if they see me."

He slipped into the middle of the road, and as the car drew nearer began to signal with his torch. The car came on at a pace that made him think the driver meant to ignore his signal, and he felt a spasm of official ancer at the apparent flouting of his authority. He flashed hft lamp again and raised his arm in the stop signal, and at tne same time tautened himself for the leap aside that might be necessary, if the car kept on. " I'll get the number, anyway," he muttered, " and " The car stopped within five yards ot him, and a little dimly he saw the driver' beckoning him. He went forward, and the door opened.^ " Constable Upcott! " said a girl s eager voice. " Oh, how glad I am. You're wanted ever so badly. Mr. Huntley " The constable, unable to see the speaker's face, flashed a lamp upon it, then broke out in amazement. " God bless my soul! It's surely Miss Laundy! " "Yes. constable. And you are wanted. Mr. Huntley and my brother are in a house back there, where two dreadful scoundrels " " Name of the house, miss? "

" Thorjey Burrow." " Why that's the house. . . . Here you!" ho shouted to Hammersley. " Come here." Hammersley camo forward keeping behind the lights of the car. " There's a young lady hero, Miss Laundy " " My " Hammersley's ejaculation of amazement was lost as he started to run. But Upeott gripped and held him. "No you don't," ho said. " You bide here, or as sure as Christmas I whistle up them fellows that are looking for you. What do you know about them fellows at Thorley Burrow? " " They—they're scoundrels. Those fellows there are doing their dirty work. If you knew " " I don't! But I'm going to. You'll tell me and the sergeant, I guess. Miss Laundy J want you to drive me to the 'Bird-in-Hand.' " " But aren't you going back to that house? " " Not alone. I'd do no good. If this man is right, there are five men to bo

dealt with not to mention a murdered man " " Oh-hl "

" Not Mr. Huntley nor your brother unless he's called Lorenzo Joe. That's the man. I must get to Rawson's telephone and ring for help. That's the best way. Lion's mouth is no place to stick one's head, you know. And my way's the sound one." He laid a hand on the handle, and opened the door. " Get in Mr. Hammersley. And sit well back. If those beggars see you there'll be trouble. I'll sit Avith you, Miss Laundy." He took the seat at the girl's side. " Drive on. Don't stop for anyone. There are three men up there. They may signal, but keep on." " What are their names? " " Carroll, Swanny and " He broke off at a sharp little cry from the girl. " What " "Oh, I shall keep on! Carroll you said. If he stands in the way " She left the words unfinished, and before Constable Upcott could voice his curiosity, she started the car, changed gears, accelerated and swept on toward the place where Carroll's lamp flashed once more at the edge of the road. (To be continued daily)