THE DEATH FLIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22224, 26 September 1935, Page 18

THE DEATH FLIGHT

CHAPTER XXV. —(Continued)

Gerry laid him gently on the ground

"Never mind them now, Sandford. They've got away, I'm afraid. Where are you hit?" , There was no reply. Sandford had fainted.

Gerry realised that he could do nothing further without help. He must get back to the guard-room at once. Fortunately he was within a few feet of one of the camp roads, along which he ran at top speed. "Turn out the guard!" he shouted, ao soon as he was within hailing distance of the guard-room sentry.

The men had not had time to settle since he inspected them and responded quickly to tho summons. One he dispatched to waken the doctor; another to tho camp hospital so that everything would be in readiness; a third to rouse tho ambulanco driver.

Leaving the senior man in charge of the rest, with instructions to conduct the doctor on to the 'drome when he arrived, ho set out, as in duty bound, to find the Adjutant and make his report. Tho Adjutant climbed slowly out of bed. Thrusting his feet into his slippers, he reached for his dressing-gown. "But how do you come to be mixed up in this, Lestrange?" he asked, when Gerry had reached tho end of his story. "Where's the Orderly Officer?" For the first time Gerry realised tho false position in which he stood. The odd chanco had come off. Something had happened on the one night when he had taken over Dick Barton's duty without official sanction. He plunged into an explanation, but the Adjutant cut him short. He did not like being awakened at that hour in the morning and he was bad-tempered in consequence.

"You may keep your explanations until another time," he announced crossly. "You and Barton have deliberately broken a rule of this camp. You may both consider yourselves under open arrest."

CHAPTER XXVI THE MEETING-PLACE

Charles felt a thrill of excitement run through him as he turned out of Shaftesbury Avenue and came across tho little hotel of which he had been told. To-night would see the culminating point of his investigation. He was to be let into the secret of the plot. The porter came forward to inquire his business. At the sight of the card ■which Harris had provided, he stood aside. Charles made his way to the cloakroom. Without divesting • himself of his hat and coat, he looked round lor the secret door. He found it halfhidden behind a heavy curtain. The cloakroom was at the back of the house, and the door formed a connecting link with the building which stood behind. It opened directly on to a flight of stairs, which led in turn to a passage with doors on either side. Charles mounted the stairs, taking careful note .of his surroundings. It might happen that he have to leave in a hurry, and he could not know too much about the way out. He made his way down the corridor. Tapping on the right-hand door at the end, he obeyed Harris' injunction to enter. He found himself in a small room furnished as an office. A cheer-

ful fire was burning in the grate. "Welcome to the den, Mounseer," smiled Harris, laying down the pen with which he had been writing. "You found your way here all right then?" Charles shrugged his shoulders. "But yes. 'Ow could I 'elp it. Your directions were perfect." Charles put the question which was on his mind.

" 'Ave you got another wireless anywhere to replace the one you 'ave lost?"

Harris looked at him cunningly. "That's what a lot of people would like know. Perhaps I have and perhaps I haven't!" Charles decided to appear offended. "I beg your pardon, Mr. 'Arris," he said huffily. "I don't wish to know your secrets if you don't wish to tel! me. Please say no more about it." Harris instantly relented. After all, the matter would probably be discussed at the coming meeting. "I'm sorry I was a bit rough, Mounseer," he apologised. "My nerves are still upset from this morning's affair. I have got another wireless outfit already fitted up. But it won't do nearly as well as the one we've lost. The situation's wrong," he added in explanation. Charles was puzzled. He had only a rudimentary knowledge of the mysteries of. -wireless.

" 'Ow do you mean the situation is wrong?" he inquired. Harris began to speak as an expert. "Well, you see. Directly we start sending messages out with our spare set, anybody with a direction-finder will pick us up at once. And, if they switch two directional beams on to us, they'll locate us straight away." Charles asked the obvious question. "But wasn't is possible to trace the other set in the fame way?" Harris smiled at his ignorance. "They could certainly locate the other set. But, as it was only the width of the road from Adastral House, they'd naturally think it was the Air Ministry broadcasting," he explained patiently.

(To be continued daily)

Charles nodded his head in appreciation of the point. "There's another snag, too," went 011 Harris. "We haven't got another copy of the Air Ministry cipher." Charles spread out his hands in a gesture of despair.

"What a pity! What a pity!" "Oh, we shall get over that all ri|?ht," stated Harris confidently. "We can get another copy the same as we got tho last. And here comes the man who'll get it for us." Someone had ascended the staircase while he was speaking. Now footsteps could be heard rapidly approaching along tho corridor. A moment later the door was flung open and a man walked into the room.

Charles repressed a cry of surprise with difficulty. Here was some news for Leach, at any rate. A high-placed official in the Air Ministry itself as one of the chiefs in the plot. No wonder they had every facility for securing information. How on earth could they have got hold of him, he wondered ? It must. have taken a pretty heavy financial bribe.

ir He . b ° wed in acknowledgment as Hirris effected an introduction. "This is Mounseer Vermand about who you told me, boss. Mounseer! That is my chief, Wing-Commander Chaplin —of the British Air Force," he added unctuously.

The Wing-Commander moved forward with hand outstretched. Charles held his breath. Would his disguise hold good this time, or would Chaplin pierce it as easily as had Adrienne Dulanay? But the Wing-Commander's face showed nothing but polite interest.

" How do you. do, monsieur?" he Biuiled. " I've heard a great deal of

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you from a mutual friend of ours." He patted liis pocket. " I've a very strong suspicion that I've somo very interesting news about you in a heavily scaled envelope I have here. I'm to open it and read it to the meeting." Charles felt himself go suddenly hot under the collar. If the letter was from Adrienne Dulanay, ho could well imagine that the news would be interesting. A moment's reflection, however, convinced him that the letter must refer to the real Paul Vermand. He bowed. " I'm looking forward to 'earing it, he declared. Chaplin laughed. He appeared to be in excellent humour. " I expect you know it all already," ho insinuated. "Has Harris been looking after you all right?" " It's been the other way about," interposed Harris, and recited brief details of their morning adventure. Chaplin scowled heavily when he was told of the loss of the wirless set. " That's very bad. I wonder who could have given us away?" He looked direct at Charles as he spoke. " It's that damned spy you warned me about," growled Harris. " That's tho worst of running a big organisation. You never know who you can trust. But, my God! if I got my hands on him!" He muttered sonic horrible imprecations. Charles would have been amused at his exhibition of bravado in contrast to his actual conduct in the crisis if ho had not been concerned with the probability of Chaplin recognising him. The Wing-Commander's next words reassured him. Not even the shadow of a doubt had entered his mind. " It's a man who's been a thorn in our flesh for some time," he explained. " For sonio reason, we don't seem to havo been successful in dealing with him. I, myself, shot him down in an aeroplane, but he miraculously escaped. They tried to lead me to believe he was dead and buried. I had his coffin opened to make sure, and found it full of lead." Charles made a gesture significant of slitting a throat. " That ees the only certain method," he proclaimed. " I'll remember that when I catch him," he promised. " But let's get to business. You understand something

of our plans, monsieur. As soon as we meet the other members of the council, we're going over everything. We shall be most glad of any advice you can offer us." Charles shrugged his unworthiness. "Ah, non! I've come 'ere to learn," he declared truthfully. " I shall be only a silent listener." He wondered how much he was ex-

pected to know. Leach had been unable to give him any information as to why Vermand had set out for England. For the present he must remain strictly non-committal. " You'll realise that in view of my recent sojourn in the country, I 'ave not been able to keep abreast of the affairs of the outside world," he added. Ho spoke whimsically, as though he would say: "Even if the authorities put a man in prison, they might keep him informed of the news."

Chaplin laughed uproariously. " We're fortunate in having the services of two others who resided for a time at the same house in the country as yourself," he explained, adopting Charles' simile. " I except you remember Bartoni and Lebeuf? By the way, Harris, have you seen anything of Bartoni to-day?" " I haven't seen anybody," he declared sullenly. "That affair of this morning upset me too much. Bartoni 'll turn up all right, I expect, But Lebeuf won't. He'll have gone to Farnhaven with the other two as originally arranged." Chaplin's face flushed with anger. He had a quick and fiery temper and j was infuriated at the disregard of his orders. I

" But what about this meeting tonjght?" he asked testily, drumming his fingers on the table. " I gave you strict instructions that everyone was to be present. There was plenty of time for Lebeuf to go to Farnhaven after it was over."

Harris became sulky. " I couldn't help it, boss," he whined. " Really I couldn't. Those police—! You've no idea! It was awful!"

The man began to shake at the memory of the fright he had undergone. Chaplin looked at him contemptuously.

" Oh, shut up, you miserable rat!" He turned to Charles " I'm sorry you won't bo able to meet Lebeuf to-night, after all, Monsieur. You'll realise, it's not my fault. I passed on tho orders to this creature, but he's let me down." Charles was too relieved that Lebeuf was out of the way to wonder at the deference which Chaplin continually showed him. Had he realised what lay behind it, he might have withdrawn, even then, at the eleventh hour.

Chaplin glanced at his watch. " We must be going," ho announced. " The others will be expecting us." He led the way from the room. To Charles' surprise they returned to the street where a car was awaiting them. They had been too cunning to trust him with the ex<ict location of the meeting-place then. Even if Leach had posted his cordon it would have netted nothing. He was still wondering where their ultimate destination might be, when the car stopped. He looked out. They were at the entrance to the Rag Bag Club.