THE RIDERLESS HORSE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23139, 10 September 1938, Page 14 (Supplement)

THE RIDERLESS HORSE

By JEAN and CYRIL CASALI3

CHAPTER XII. NEWS OF MORTIMKR ". Tn , the-morning there was news of Mortimer. Malcolm had just joined the Reeoullcs at breakfast when the telephone rang and Corneille answered it. When he re-entered the dining room j his f;ice was deathly white, yet in his expression relief seemed to find a place. * " Mortimer's dead," he announced i simply. " He was drowned. His body " has been found near Maseru, and the i police want us to identify it. We'll £ have to leave directly after breakfast, father. Pienaar wants us to meet him at nine o'clock and he'll drive us over %o Maseru." "I'll take you, then," said Malcolm. "Did the sergeant say anything else?," "Just that it seems clear now that he was right all along and that it was purely a drowning accident. He said again that Mortimer must have been dazed by his fall, and have fallen into the river accidentally. He must have wandered down there without knowing where he was going. There's just one thing to he thankful for—this puts an end to that other nightmare." They reached Brandfontein short I v before nine o'clock, and Malcolm saw Adhemar and Corneille off with Pienaar. He had arranged, at Adhemar's request, to do the farm shopping while he waited. But his commissions were finished in half an hour, the Recoulles could not. be back for at least two - hours, and he eyed the empty dusty Btrcets with disfavour, as, faced with

a dreary Avait, he walked back to the hotel.

He wandered out through the stable yard. Buggies and cream carts crowded the, restricted space. C'haiining's whey cart was in the far corner, but Tom was. not in his usual place beside it. The yard was alive with noise and bustle, and Malcolm strolled out to the 6trcct where he had parked his car. There, to his surprise, lie found Tom, duster in hand, hard at work on the car. Malcolnt stopped for a moment to watch liini, surprised also by the sight of a ring which flashed and glinted with everv movement of his industrious

hand. "Bejewelled native, indeed," he thought amusedly and walked up to the boy.

"that's a good idea, Tom; thanks .very much." Tom looked up, smiling. "Good morning. Muster," he said in his.,eareful English. "The dust is very bad, and I see the Master's car wants polishing. I have no work to do, for 1 am waiting for my horses." Arid he went on with liis work.. Malcolm'watching him, amused by the contrast between the flashing ring and the brown hand. "This is a bad business about Baas Mortimer, Tom," he said at length.

( COPYRIGHT)

A mystery story of strange happenings by night beside a South African river, where only slender clues are available to lead toward an answer to a great riddle.

"My master will be very sorry Master."

Tom shook his head sadly. "It is very had, Master. I hope nothing bad has come to Haas Mortimer My master and my missis like him, and he is a good master." . "Then you haven't hoard that Haas Mortimer's body has been found?" "Dead. Master?"

"Yes. he was drowned. His body was found in the river near Maseru last night." "Oh, I am sorry, Master, J did not know. He was drowned, Master?" "Well, the police said so this morning, and they probably know."

He went on with his dusting, work ing more slowly ns if pondering over Mortimer's death. When at last the car was polished to his satisfaction, lie stepped back a pace to admire it, and Malcolm fished in his pocket for the generous tip he considered a fitting reward for the voluntary work. Tom accepted it with a smiling "Thank you. Master," and as he did so, .Malcolm noticed that the hoop of the ring looked remarkably unlike the usual brass or copper trinket worn by natives. "That's a handsome ring of yours. Tom," lie remarked.

The hoy laughed mid turned his linnd to display the stone. "It is a real diamond, Master; my master-nt the mines ve it to me for helping I)iid with a very bad boy who wanted to kill him." He went off. Malcolm, very much at a loose end, started tinkering with the carburetter of his car and, like all true motorists, was soon engrossed; so much so, indeed, that only* when he heard his name .spoken, did lie realise that a horseman had stopped beside the car. He raised his head quickly and found himself looking; straight up into the face of .lapie van Stellen. CHAI'TKR XIII. •I API K JS PUZZLED Japie's first words proved him to be innocent of any suspicion that for Malcolm it was an awkward encounter. " Man, Mr. Green," lie was saying, " I'm sorry about this news." " About Mortimer? You've heard then ?" " Yes, one of Mr. C'haiining's boys told my herd boy. And they are saying he was drowned."

" Sergeant f'ienaar said so when lie telephoned." " Drowned!" Japie's voice was scornful. " Don't you believe it." Malcolm stared at him in amazement.

" I tell you, Mr. Green," Japie went on, " it's a bad business this, and it's bothering me a lot. I'd like to see you about it." " You think he wasn't drowned?" was all that Malcolm could say. " I think there is a funny business going on; and it makes it very hard for me."

" liOok here," said Malcolm. " We'd better find some other place to talk in. Why not stable your hoist',, and we can

go into the hotel and talk it over quietly." 'l'lit* hotel lounge was empty. Japie led the way to a distant corner whore they would he secure from the distraction of possible arrivals, and they sat down facing each other across the prim little table. Still silent, .lapie produced a packet of cigarettes and lit one, while .Malcolm filled a pipe. He did not want to ask questions yet; for .Japie's remark about .Mortimer's death was so entirely opposed to the case he bad built up round the evidence of the crop, that lie felt it would be wiser to let him tell his story unprompted. And at last Japie spoke. "This thing is bothering mo." he said again; "and I'll tell you why. Somebody thinks my father did. it. 1 can swear lie never even saw Mr. Mortimer that night. Now, I'll tell you something," be went oil. lowering his voice. " When we were at the Nagniaal, the night before last, somebody got into our house. I rode back home late. I don't usually —my father likes me to stay iu town for Nagniaal; but 1 bad to look after a sick cow, so I came home, and 1 caught a man inside the house. He got. away, but I'm quite certain from the way he ran. that he wasn t a kaflir. .Man. he was wearing a blanket and he threw it on me just when I had my hands on him —and it was one ol our own blankets. And. man, whoever it was. he broke open my father's voorkis."

"Well?" said Malcolm, wondering what was coming next. " But, mail, that wasn't all. I'll tell you why I'm bothered. The day alter vou and ( ornev came to our house in the. middle of the night, my father found Mr. Mortimer's riding whip and lie brought it to the house. He was angry about it. and said it showed Mr. Mortimer must have been on his land again—he didn't like that, you know. I "said, ' But. father, Mr. Mortimer is lost, and you know the police are looking for him; you should take this to Pienaar,' but he would not, and when I said I would take it—man, do yon think he would let me? He said lied be coming to town for Nagniaal. and he would see about it himself. 1 said

it might help to find Mr. Mortimer to say .where the whip was lying, and I said. 'Suppose Mr. Mortimer is dead, it might make it bad for you to have that whip.' but he laughed, and said he could begin to be afraid when lie had done some bad thing." "Where did your father find the crop?'' " At the top of our spruit, not lar from the road. Mr. Green, my lather locked up that whip in his voorkis, and the person who got into our house took it away. It makes things bad for us, and I don't know what's the best thing to do. And that i s not all. My lather says there were some people in our spruit last night, and one of them wasn't just a knffir. Mr. Green, can you tell me what I must, do? I wanted to speak to C'orney about it, but I must go back in a short time, and C'orney won't he back betore I go. Do you think it's the. police, and they are sending to trap m.v lather?" •' lint, look here." said Malcolm, " the police say that Mortimer was drowned, and il that s so, why should you be in a difficult position?" " Hang. man. but that's nonsense—to say that he was drowned. Why, tho river is far from the road, and Mr. Mortimer sat a horse like a Hottentot." "Well, the police aren't going to try 1o trap anyone when they are sure that he did lune an accident. And there's nothing to suggest that he didn't, is there?"' Jnpic leant forward across the table, lowering liis voice still further. (To bo continued daily.)