THE BLUE SASH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22769, 1 July 1937, Page 21

THE BLUE SASH

MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE WITH THE FOREIGN LEGION

CHAPTER Vlll.—(Continued)

In the silonce, the sound of slippered feet retiring was distinctly heard, then Burnell laughed softly. "Wisdom is better than valour."

The laughing words pricked Saripolis like a goad. His pasty face flushed, his eyes flashed angrily, and ho cried out blusteringly: "If you think you are going to me " 'Bully, Mr. Saripolis?" The interruption came from Charles Lambert. 'I assure j'ou we have no wish to do anything so unseemly. There is certain information which you can give and 1 prefer that you Bhould give it of your free will " "Free will!" cried the man explosively. "With an automatic to encourage ine. You have a fine notion of free will and I will " The man appeared to be working himself into a passion; and at. least his voice had a rising note as if emotion was beyond restrain; but there was a cunning light in, his eyes and Lambert easily divined what was in his mind. Ho made a swift movement, and the next moment Air. Saripolis found himself facing a second pistol. At the sight ho broke off sharply and Lambert smiled. "You understand, hey? There is to be no more shouting. Neither I nor my friend is deaf; and it is not necessary that Hassan or any other of your servants should hear . . . Now you shall answer my questions " "I shall have you gaoled for this. J

ain a British citizen under protection of the Consul " ''AH in good time, my friend. It is worth while remembering that I shall be tried by the French judge . . . That is one of the charms of Tangier. But it is not time to talk of that yet. When I have the information you will bo free to call the-police. Now you shall tell mo where Uncle Kyriakos and his ward are to be found." Saripolis looked at his watch. Then he laughed as if he had scored a trick. "Well, to oblige, I do not mind telling you. At this moment I should say that they are running out of the har- ! bour in a craft to overtake which you would require a destroyer." Ho saw the look of chagrin which came oil the other's face, and he rubbed his hands. "That surprises you hey, lieutenant? But it is the truth." Lambert had no doubt that it was. He remembered that the man whom Burnell had followed had visited one Simonides whose office was by the waterside, and had overheard the scrap of conversation that now was utterly revealing—"The boat will bo ready." A second later the chagrin passed and his face grew masklike, and ho spoke harshly. "Their destination?" Mr. Saripolis shrugged his shoulders. "How should I know?" "Then i will tell you," said Lambert indifferently, watching the man closely as he spoke. "They have gone round to Casa or to Agadir by sea." He saw the other start as he gave the name and knew that his guess was a right one. Also he remembered that confirmation might be obtained from Mr. •Simonides and he turned from the subject as if it no longer interested him. "Tell me, Mr. Saripolis, has your uncle commissioned you to prepare the documents ' relating to Miss Harlowe's estate for signing?" The question was like a bombshell to the man to whom it was addressed. Ho started, then fell back in his chair. His pasty face became livid of hue, while fear burned in his eyes. Ho opened his mouth, swallowed and then still gulping, spoke in jerks. "I —X do not —understand."

"No?" Lambert's voice was utterly incredulous.' "Then I will not press the matter. But in case the business should bo offered to you 1 will give you a little warning—do not touch it, however you may bo tempted. . . if you do, you will pay for tho follv with your life. That is all." "By God!" cried tho other. "\ou threaten mo about a thing of which J know nothing." "I tell you tho price that will be exacted if Catherine Harlowe is jockeyed out of her father's estate. . . Jf you have no hand in the business, well and good. Tho prico will be exacted elsewhere. . . But it would bo charitable to pass this warning to your uncle. It may save him from doing a foolish tiling." "You insinuate —" "Nothing!" jerked Lambert, and strained his ears as he caught tho sound of stops outside tho room. He refrained from turning his eyes in the direction of the door; but watching Saripolis, ho was aware that lie also had heard the sound, and like himself was listening intently. The. man it seemed was hoping for some intervention, and not without ground, for tho sound ceased suddenly, and Lambert had an idea that the feet which had made them had halted outside tho room. Ho gave no sign of his thought however, but continued in a lower voice. "There is one more piece of information J should like," he said cheerfully, well aware that the other was still straining intently with his head cocked dightly in the direction of the door, "it has to do with your family history." "Yes?" said Saripolis, glibly. "I am lonotircd by your interest. If von will .ell me what you desire to know, I shall jo happv to oblige, Lieutenant Lamjert—" '

"Quietly!" Lambert looked toward tlio door with perfect understanding. There was a key in the lock. Without a word of explanation ho crossed to tlio door, and softly turned the key. A second later iie heard someone move on tlie further side, and had an impression of slippered feet passing slowly over a polished floor. Me looked at Saripolia and smiled. "Going!" ho commented. "It may bo well for us to reach the end quickly. If you —" The noise of a moving car emtio through the night. He paused to listen and heard it stop outside tlio gate. Within the house a bell whirred, and remembering the device that had closed the gates, he guessed that tho bell was the summons for them to be opened. There was little time. If tlie chauffeur having finished his task came to bis master to report or for instructions, action that was best avoided might be thrust on JJiirncll and himself. Through the night stillness camo the .sound of tho gates swinging open, and at the heels of. it .Hurnoll's whispered warning. "Quick, Charles!" INI r. Snripolis was pin inly not indi fife rent to the possibilities of a quickly changing situation, lie made no overt

movement, but the now composure of his manner revealed that for him tilings wore a happier aspect. He grew almost a f fable. "There was a question of my family history," ho said pleasantly. "If you will toll me what interests* you, Lieutenant Lambert, i. shall be* happy to serve you, though I cannot think why it should have your attention." Whilst he was speaking, Lambert heard the car approach the house, and

By OTTWELL BINNS Author of "Tha Flaming Crescent," "The Cry In the Night." "Random's Heritage,"*

(COPJMGRT)

in a mirror caught the reflection of its headlamps. Then there was a grinding of its brakes as it stopped, and -dis" tinctly through the stillness came the sound of a harsh voice speaking in Moghrebbin. "I -will descend here, Ahmed." "Charles!"

_ Mr. Saripolis smiled broadly in anticipation of unlooked for intervention. Lambert looked towards tlio window, and as he did so saw the Greek's hand steal across tho table.

"Ob, ring! Damn you!" he said tersely, and swung 011 his heel.

Mr. Saripolis did not ring. With amazing swiftness his fat hand cloaed on tho neck of one of tho heavy champagne bottles. Ho swung it to throw, but as the bottle left his hand it was shattered by a bullet from Burnoll's pistol. "Quick, Charles!"

Lambert leaped to tho verandah, and, as he reached it, was aware of a man dressed like a Moor shuffling towards him, while at the same time lie glimpsed a shadowy figure running for tho verandah steps. "Over the rail," whispered Burnell and led tho way. The shuffling man raised his arm and a pistol cracked just as Lambert vaulted the rail. He heard the bullet over his head, and saw tho man making for the steps sAving aside with the plain intention of intercepting him. But Burnell leaped to meet him and before a terrific left-hander the man collapsed among the ornamental cacti which there lifted sword-like arms. The man on the verandah fired again. Within the house Saripolis was roaring like a bull, and the pair crashed their way across tho garden in the direction of the gate. It was already closing as they reached it, but they were in time to slip through. It crashed at their very heels, and together they raced down the dark road towards the lights of the city well below; while from the Villa Taza sounded a clamour of excited voices which seemed to indicate the beginning of pursuit. CHAPTER IX. AT THE FLORIDA For a full minute neither of the running: men spoke, then mingling with tbe sound of shouting there came that of a moving car. Burnell glanced round. Headlights glared up the road though the car to which they belonged was not yet visible. "Got to quit the road!" he said tersely. "That car's lamps will shouus up like rabbits in a lane." A bunch of pine trees lifted darkly, just ahead. As lie saw them lie glanced found again. The glare of the car's headlamps now cut a straight line icross the road and be divined that the vehicle was just about to issue from the gates of Villa Taza. "Quick, Charles," he cried. "Into ;he trees." !'i

They plunged into the shadow together, and scarcely had they left the road when it was illumined for a considerable stretch beyond them, the wide beams of the headlights lighting also the dark tops of the pines. "We can't stop here," said Lambert quickly. "When they see the empty road they will search the likely places." "True! Downhill! But 'ware falls!" They passed out of the clump of pines on the other side and a few yards further on were confronted by a high, white wall. "Another villa!" said Burnell, and keenly aware of the light which proclaimed the nearness of the pursuing car, ran on, skirting the wall. It extended for some distance, and they were still running when they heard the car come to a standstill in the road above. "Going to search the trees," said Lambert. "If they have lights—" He broke off as his friend came to a sudden standstill. "What is it?" Then he saw. In the wall was a

small postern and it stood ajar, having, as Lambert thought, probably been loft so by some servant who had taken french leave. Burnell gave it a little push and pooped inside. Dimly he made out the trees of a garden with the outlines of a house, the latter in complete darkness. Voices reached him from the trees and it was clear the men were drawing nearer, and that any attempt to flee would draw attention of the

pursuers. "Got to take a chance, Charles," whispered Burnell. "We will go in." He slipped inside, and Lambert followed, carefully closing the door behind him. As he did so his head encountered a large wooden bar fixed on a swivel; and turning it quietly he slipped the bar into the sockets on each side of the door. "They'll need a battering-ram to break through!" he commented with a soft laugh. They remained quite still, listening, and from the sounds which reached them it was clear that the pursuers were coining toward the wall. A couplo of minutes passed, then suddenly u voice shouted in harsh triumph: "There! By heaven! Seize —" "Saripolis!" commented Burnell. There followed a sound of running foot, a shout that was very like a viewhallo and Lambert whispered in turn: "Sighted someone! But who —" "Smash him!" barked the voice of the Greek.

The unseen man, now close at hand gave something like a velp. The Greek's order evidently was obeyed by one of

iiis helpers for there was the sound of a savage blow, and a body crashed against the door, while the owner of it moaned.

"Allah! . . . Allah!" ".Make a light," came the command from the other side of the wall, and a moment later Saripolis' voice broke out in chagrin:

"A mistake. The man is a black. Where can those others—" "This fellow may have seen them. Question him." Saripolis' voice hard as iron, questioned the unlucky black who answered volubly in Moglirebbin. No, he had seen no one. He had just slipped out of the door there to moot a friend, and—" "You left the door open?" broke in Saripolis. "Yes! That T might get back—" Someone kicked tho door heavily. "Fast!" cried a voice. "That means —" "Hell! Yes! There'll be the main entrance. They will go out that way." The speaker changed from French to Moghrobhin: "Here, you, quick, lead tho way —the quickest way—to the main entrance." •"Time to g;o, Charles!" whispered his friend. "No! Wait. Listen!" The black groaned as he was lifted to his feet, but however sore ho might bo it appeared that he was in condition to lead the pursuit, for tho sound of quick footsteps came along the wall. Verv gently Lambert twirled the wooden bar from its sockets, and Burnoll chuckled. "1 never thought."

Lambert looked cautiously forth. There was no .one about. He listened! The sound of receding footsteps were growing fainter. Then lie looked up the hill. Through the pines at tlio top the radianeo of the car's headlights showed plainly, and an idea flashed in his mind. "If they loft that unattended—" he began, and had no need to complete what was in his mind. "Gee! Yes. That's a perfectly stunning notion." - (To bo continued dally)