THE FLAMING CAVERN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22629, 18 January 1937, Page 17

THE FLAMING CAVERN

By ANGUS MacVICAR Author of " The Screaming Gull," etc.

(COPYRIGHT)

CHAPTER XlV.—(Continued)

As we crouched beneath the shadows of a windowsill, there came to us the sounds of a car stopping at the gate and, later, of running feet on the avenue. Three men knocked lightly on the door and were shortly admitted. A light was switched on in a room some yards to the right of our position, and we scuttled over in time to catch a glimpse of a stout pompous little man with a grey military mostache, whom wo took to be Captain Stephenson, ushering into a book-lined room onr three principal assailants at The Creeford Vaults. One of the oriel windows was slightly ajar and we could hear plainly enough their conversation. Glaister gave the Chief Constable an accurate account of what had occurred in Wigtown, ending up by repeating Lawson's words. " ' He kens who ye are, guv'nor!' the bully exclaimed. 'lt's all U.P. I'm for making a bunk the morn. So's • Ferguson an' Rentoul.' "The Chief Constable apjteared to be taken aback. He uttered a groan; and, peering in through the window, we saw that he had sunk down into a chair, and had buried his face in his hands.

"How long the stout little man maintained this position before the three bullies, I cannot tell; but suddenly we were surprised to hear a second car draw up at the gate, and .presently another soft summons at the door. This time, our surprise was followed by genuine shock. Captain Stephenson brought his new visitor into the library, and that visitor was none other than MacPhedran of the Hare-lip.

"Had Lawson here not restrained me, pointing out in a whisper the folly of mv projected action, 1 believe T should there and then have burst into the room, to have been riddled immediately by bullets. The sight of McPhedran, the man for whom we had been seeking so long, caused me to lose control, temporarily at least, of my better judgment. Soon, however, I was calm again, and Lawson anil I leaned forward eagerly to catch every word of the conversation within the beautifully furnished room. "I may say at once that wo hoard nothing of value to us in our rpiest. McPhedran was telling the Chief Constable in a cold biting voice, that lie was a doddering fool, and unfit to be entrusted with an administrative- office in their organisation. He was telling him how he had got to hear of his crass folly in having incited his men to waylay us in Wigtown. He spoke of an :i<£<*nt in tiuifc town. " 'And the aeroplane. Stephenson!' he snarled. 'Youii" Cudd has not yet come back. One can exi>eet no mercy from the master.' " ' I am finished,' chattered Captain Stephenson. 'L can but resign my position and confess. Oh, Heaven help me! Why did I get into debt? Why did J applv to >Aaron Cudd for help?' "Lawson and I saw a queer light creep into the dark, protruding eyes of McPhedran as Stephenson referred to his intended capitulation. His features were distorted with anger, and his tongue worked in out of the cleft in his upper lip. I don't think I've ever seen a man of such a bestial and cruel appearance. •' 'Steady Stephenson!' ho muttered, 'lie careful.'

"Then the unfortunate policeman turned upon McPhedran and upon the three bullies still standing irresolute before the fireplace. He rose from his chair, his scanty grey hair ruffled

A STORY OF INTRIGUE, ADVENTURE AND SECRET SERVICE

about his bald pate, his chubby face mottled crimson with terror. Slowly his podgy hands rose, trembling above his head. His voice became a shriek.

" 'To the devil with you!' he cried. 'To the devil with you, McPhedran! I've listened to you, taken orders from you for long enough. And you, Glaister! You, Rentoul and Ferguson! Get out of my house! You have cowed me and bullied dip —mo. Chief Constable of Galloway! Hut it cannot go on. Tonight I am going to make a clean breast—'

"Lawson and T, crouching beneath the window and watching the scene in the library with a kind of fascination, did not anticipate the tragedy. Stephenson had half-turned from MacPhedraii to face the roughl.v-clad navvies. And as he spoke of confessing his treachery, the man with the harelip brought a short, stocky revolver from his pocket and fired it into the little man's back at point-blank range. We heard no report, and Lawson and 1 are of the opinion tlir.t the weapon was a very modern type of air-pistol. Stephenson, in the middle of his talk, crumpled up on the carpet like a pricked balloon."

Sir William paused in his narrative; and David saw that both Rona and Alice Cook were pale and still. .Tore, the skipper and John Frew, the mate, Mere hanging upon the politician's words. The man, David admitted to himself, was an expert in the telling of a tale. He wondered if Rona might yet begin to think that she had chosen the less interesting husband; but in an instant he had dismissed the thought as being unworthy of the glorious girl who had confessed so readily to her love for him.

"What did you do then, Sir William?" asked .Tere. "You must have been in rather a fix."

"As a matter of fact," returned the politician, while Lawson shifted uneasily in his chair, "as a matter of fact, we may have erred in our decision as to our subsequent behaviour; but with only one weapon between us, we did not think it worth while to risk annihilation at the hands of the four desperate men in the room. Wo agreed to make our way back to Newton Stewart, report the matter to the lot;al police, and get into touch by telephone with Sir David AfacLaren, Chief of the Scottish Secret Service in Edinburgh. He is, of course, a personal friend of mine, and Lawson's immediate boss; and, upon being wakened, he assured the Galloway police as to our good faith and correct identity. DetectiveInspector MacKay was immediately .summoned from Glasgow, and to him we told our storv in detail.

"Afterwards we slept for several hours in the police station, and, before Inking a bus for Stranraer about midday, we learned that MacKay 11 a< 1 arrested (Jlaister, Mentoul and Ferguson, digging them out from a riverside cellar in Newton Stewart, lint MaoI'hodran, I'm afraid, lias disappeared again without trace, and the three navvies either don't know, or won't speak of his movements following the murder. We have an idea that lie had an Air-machine of so mo description lying hidden on the coast, and that lie may have sailed away in any direction probably to llie vicinity of the Flaming Cavern, wherever that may be. Nevertheless, Inspector MacKay had circulated his description to every police station in Britain. 1 am hoping lor the best."

Captain Anderson grunted, his bulging red i'aeo ri ore full of colour than ever.'

"It would have been better for you, sir," he said, "to have shot the scoundrel there and then —through the window."

"No," objected the~politician mildly. "I don't think you're right, skipper. Had we done so, Cudd might have acted

precipitately. He might have caused the whole machinery of his scheme to begin to work before we were ready for him. You must remember, Captain Anderson, that our only hope of putting a stop to the rising in Britain, is to locate the Flaming Cavern and destroy the hidden store of arms and ammunition. The capture of MacPhedran can only be a means to an end. And he must bo captured alive so that he may be persuaded to talk. 1 doubt whether Lawson and 1 could have captured him alive last night, assisted as he would have been by the three navvies. 1 may say that Inspector MaeKay's description to the police, of MacPhedran, is accompanied by a rider to the effect that the suspect must be taken prisoner without undue violence."

" Quite righ't., Sir William," commended Jcre. "Your argument is as sound as a bell."

John Frew, the silent mate, uttered one word. " Aye," he said. The skipper grumbled. " Maybe you're right," he muttered. " But 1 wish to the Lord we could find that condemned cavern. With a few pounds of our dynamite I'd make it flame all right I" "Patience, old man!" advised Sir William. " We've still almost a fortnight in which to work. Surely in that time wo shall discover something. And we must remember that John Ralston and M'Gomba are working as hard on land as wo arc on sea." " Mr. Ralston and M'Gomba have gone to Glasgow?" asked Jere. " Wasn't that your news, Lawson?" " Yes." The dark dapper little Secret Service man replied easily. " Mr. Ralston lias an agent in that city who promised him important information regarding the man with the hare-lip. This agent, apparently has had some business dealings with MacPhedran." " Did my father say how wo might get into touch with him?" asked Rona, bending forward with eagerness. " I mean —wen; we to expect a message?"

" His advice to us was that if we were at a loose end we should proceed to Glasgow and make a point of listening to all street corner orators—especially dark-skinned vendors of patent medicines."

"Good Lord I" grinned J?re and Alice Cook outright. " He's a cool hand that father of yours, Rona I And lie's taking no chances." " " Apparently not," agreed the politician. " Well, skipper, our next port of call will, I think, be Gouriek. We can take the train from there to Glasgow."

" Very good, sir. I'll get up a head of steam at once." " Fine! But J don't think wo need weigh anchor until about five o'clock to-morrow morning. And now —who's for a rubber of bridge before dinner?"

While -The Silver Gull came slowly up the Ayrshire coast on the following day the sun shone vigorously, and through the heat haze on the rolling hill-country about the town of Ayr, the voyagers could see fanners and their men busily engaged in the yellow fields of corn. Some were cutting the crop, and the whirr of binders and reaping machines could he heard over the still water. Others were bringing home the sheaves from field to stackyard and David watched.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not hear Sir William and Jere eonio up behind him, where be stood alone in the bows; and he started when they spoke.

" David," said Sir William, " Joro and L hnvo boon watching another steam yacht passing behind us. Even with a telescope we can't quite he cerium of the name on her hull. Captain Anderson thinks lie knows; but wo should be glad if you would have a look and try to confirm his notion. Von ought to have good eyesight. I've hoard that lUiodosians liavo the best sight in the world." David did not speak. He turned and saw a low single-masted yacht, black in colour, but otherwise not unlike 'Die Silver Gull, steaming quickly across their stern and heading, apparently, for the south of Arran. lie put the politician's telescope to his right eye and studied the vessel with some care. " The name on the bow," he said at last, " is The J3lire Dragon." " Aaron Cudd's yacht?" David nodded.

CHAPTER XV. DAVID RECEIVES A MESSAGE Like a flitting shadow the dark hull of The Blue Dragon vanished under tne lee of Arran. The three men —Sir William Dundonald, David MacNeill and J ere K. Gibson —stood in the bows of The Silver Gull, and in the eyes of each there was a question. Jcre put it into words: " Where the deuce are they going?" " Might be making for Campeltown in Kintyre," returned Sir William. " On the other hand, they are on the route for any one of the western isles. Mull, Coll, Islay or Skyo may be their destination." " Wonder if Ralston was right? Is Cudd's yacht armed, too?" David's forehead furrowed, and there was a queer distant expression in his eyes. " Don't suppose it would do us any good to follow?"

"My opinion." replied Sir William smoothly, "is that to trail The Blue Dragon at this juncture might lead to rather unpleasant complications. Almost certainly she possesses armaments, for Cudd is a desperate character. i think it will be better for us, therefore, to be more certain of our ground before stirring the hornet's nest deeper than we have done. And to be more certain of our ground we must get into touch with John Ralston. He holds the key of the mystery." " We cartv on, then?" asked Jere.

The politician nodded. " Yes. My idea is that we should split partnership once we journey up to Glasgow. We could make the Central Hotel our headquarters, of course; but during our search for John Ralston's darkskinned orator we could move separately through the city and report for meals only at the hotel."

David glanced queerly at their leader. "You mean each of us separately? The girls, too?" "Exactly. Each of us separately. Rona and Alice may, of course, work together if they wish." The Silver Gull anchored on the north side of Gourock pier about midday, and, after leaving orders with Captain Anderson to remain ready for sailing at an hour's notion, the six passengers caught the twqjve-twentv express for Glasgow, To avoid making themselves conspicuous the adventurers booked in a thirdclass carriage, and they found themselves jammed info n compartment with two burly men, three matronly women and four children.

It was apparent that the strangers were all returning from a holiday at the coast, for the healthy tan of tho sun was on their faces and the youngsters were lively and rosv-cheeked. Tho tiniest of the latter, a chubby little girl of about eighteen months, provided much interest for Rona and Alice; and the child made friends immediately with the two girls.

There was amazement in David's heart to note how quickly they could shed the cloak of their profession—the most dangerous and the most adventurous in the world—and become in a moment sweetly domesticated. The young farmer made a resolution. If ever Rona and lie got married —and the thought sent a thrill of joy through liis whole being—he would make one stipulation. She should never again take part in the service of lier country as a secret agent. (To bo continued daily)