THREE STRANGE MEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23168, 14 October 1938, Page 6

THREE STRANGE MEN

CHAPTER XXI. Ec:rtKSß It was nearly tluco in the morning. R timely had long been gone—it would probably be daylight before he cable back to carry out his purpose. There had been little to disturb George Parihitter meanwhile. At one time be heard the soft whistling ot a few bars of a tune by a mnu who strolled past the closed casement, but occasional patrol of this sort had cotno to an end. At another moment during his cautious operations he had -been arrested by ominous sounds of movement, but nothing had come of it; and lie went on silently using his finger ends until they were sore, and the time was hearly at hand for the outer breach in the brickwork to bo made.

The serap of candle lie had saved came in useful for examining the flooring of Sophi'j's room. He came to a small cross-cut section which had been used as a manhole; but the timber was sound. He put his shoulder under the boards, and one of them gave out a warning squeak. After a wliilo ho came to the conclusion that he would have to force the matlhole. He whispet'cd to Sophie through the crevice: "Help me all roll can wlieh I lift the board again. It must be short and sharp. There's moonlight, you know." He passed to her a wooden wedge he had found. "Put this tightly under your door, in case the bolt gives way." Then, after some moments of silence, George Pai-mittet took the chances in his hand His shoulder to the flooring, he heaved with a slow cnertry until the boffrtl seemed to snap. Sophie tore it out. The next, niueh to his surprise, almost fleW out, and the third also had been as lightly secured. A challenging call arose in some place hear by. George sent another piece of boarding out of place. Sophie said calmly* "I can come now," and got down Beside him.

The bundle of the door behind her rattled, and the door Shook. George said, "Take 110 notice—keep cool." He lay 011 his back and sent botli feet into the middle of the air-grid. Two or three more kicks, and bricks and grating fell away. George went first. He had barely helped Sophie to her feet when he knew tlicy were not yet free.

Two of the men, whom Boxwith bad called "the twins," had issued bv the front door and were coming round the angle of the building. One went back, shouting; the other paused, observing the fugitives retire into the shadows of a neglected orchard behind. As lie helped Sophie" 1 through a narrow gateway toward the outline of a fence he could see through trees, George said, "Don't be frightened. There's goihg to be a fight for it." "I'm not frightened, with you," Sbphie answered, "but I wish—l do wish Mr. Barling were here too." "So do I," said Geortre with a short laugh; "but I'll manage. Do just as I tell you, Sophie. Get behind these bushes, and leave the rest to me." He put one hand in his pocket. Sophie thus sheltered, he stood by a tree-trunk and waited for the inevitable. Better here than in the open.

It canle almost at once. Thetc were four men —one being perhaps the cook-caretaker of the farip—all converging oh him with a sort of strategy. Nearer they came, find not a word from any, until three or four yards aWay, one of them exclaimed, "Wait a minute —we've got him easier than this!*' And he out the little Revolver and pointed it deliberately at George. "I'fti a dirty 'Ouhd and A hugly brute, that's what I am," he was saying, when it was cut short. In an instant, George Parmitter's hand wrts out of his pocket and had launched a missile. (

The axe-head. It crashed into the middle of the man's face; and the fellow staggered, dropped the revolver, and fell With a horrid soiind of pain. Almost as the thing had hit him, George followed and picked up the revolver. Without hesitation, he fired it low at the nearest man, who fell as if his legs had been cilt from under him. Close by was Boxwith, coming through a little patch of shadow with a longdrawn sound of disgust. George seiit a shot at him, again low, and he too, with an oath of Blirprise, went down. The foutth man, conspicuous in moonlight a moment before, had turned and was running off, along the shadowed farmhouse wall

"Nice way to let a feller down, Pnrmitter, after what I've done for voii." came Boxwitll's suffering voice. "Wish I'd have took that little revolver off that fool; but he wanted it to play with —see?—"

"Shut up!" said George, coldly brutal as IHJ debated Whether to follow the fourth man or not. But hero was Sophie at his elbow "What have you doneP" Rhe asked fearfully. He put his arm about her. "These fellows are littie better than murderers," he answered. "Come along." They made their w.ty prist the broken hay-cart to the front gate, and looked over the low-l.ving haze for guidance. It was all too flat and vague, and the narrow roadway forked into nothingness even a short distance ahead. They eotild not afford to get astray in this lonely waste. This Was a forgotten corner of the marshes, and the living world seemed far off, and had left no landmarks behind. "Stand in the shadow here," Georrre said—"l'll get that fellow but." Ho went toward the house door, but a sound on the path near by betrayed the fourth man stealing quietly away. The fellow, obviously afraid of the fate meted out to his responded reluctantly to George's call: "Which way out rf'f this for London ?" "Nor'-west. From here, to the right for a coufilo o' miles, theh loft—then •l«rht, again, and left again—wide of The OiMv-t. Then you keep on—"

"Hero, eottie along—load the wav." George ordered him. "And the first hint of anything crooked, remember, you're down and out." Tlie man sullenly did e.s directed.

Thus, In the chill hours before the sun came up, George Pnrmittfer and Sophie Cdrderv made their way through the misty flats toward freedom; losing no time, and sparing no caution, for safety was hot here; until at last, where a grim old finger-post like a gallows stood pointing down a cross road. George dismissed their slouching guide, with a curt "Consider yourself lucky!" And the man lurtied back, and was lost, in the grey of the sluggish early morning.

Then, with the weariness of reaction upon them, yet lightened by the shrewd breeze that, came up with a watery freshness out of the oast, they plodded on and on, reaching at length a little hotel that was stirring within a mile of OrftVesonfl.

(COPYhIGBTJ

By C. T. PODMORE Author of " The fault," etc. A thrilling story of a mysterious inheritance and. a queer tangle of human emotions.

Comilig as they dill on the placid early morning business of the inn, it was no easy matter, without telling something of their story, for them to secure service. But on such few details as were needed, added to the obvious distress of Sophie herself, they were at length admitted to the kitchen by the publican's wife, who was a woman of sense and judgment, and who lost no time in spreading a breakfast for the twain. George apologised for the trouble; it was not really for himself —he could have kept on—but the lady absolutely could not. If this had been a police station instead, it might have been bettor; but they had interests with the London police already, and what had to be done would be done by Scotland Yard. George finally took out his card, saying to ,tho innkeeper: "It is not pleasant for nic to touch upon, but perhaps you will recognise my name?' The mail looked at the card, then at George, and hesitated. "Tooting? u he ventured. George nodded. "It was my father," lie said. "Queer, that!" was the rejoinder. "There's a man conies in here at times who sailed with old Geoif Parniittcr," "South Seas?" "Absolutely the very ones. Name of Xitsoii. Would you know him?" "No. I was never at sea with my father. He always said it was too outlandish for me." "Queer, down those latitudes!" "Uather," agreed George, "and in these, too." Their bona-fides thus further established, the allusion to Tooting was allowed to lapse. "If you'll come into the yard after a while," the innkeeper said, "I'll give you a good brush down. You both need otic badly. Then you'll be as fresh as a couple of daisies again. Lord! —to think of what tilings do go on over this side. It's well nigh inbredihlc." Sophie, very tired, and sensible of her strange position, had remained almost silent, but the genial breakfast and the little friendly attentions of the innkeeper's wife brought tlio light back into her eyes and the colour to her cheeks. The immediate order of tilings and the prospect of returning to London took on a more normal air. Both lelt luore lit to face the day, and both Were unsparing in their thailks lor the kindly hospitality they had received, when at length they took their departure. , From the distance, Graveseiul looked bright and even picturesque enough this morning, with its sunny glimpses of trees and shipping among the roofs. But the only scenery they had eyes for was the railway station, a ltd the only detail thereof the train which was to speed them back to Town. And it was not till Sophio was coiilfortably settled with him in'their compartment—they had no fellow travellers —that George said, relaxing a restraint lie had put Upon her: "Now. Sophie, I will let you talk. Fire away!" Sophie gave him, thereupon, an outline of things that had hnppened since the coming of his telegram from Chatham, and George listehed aghast to tho unforseen troubles which his advicte had entailed. But what a good chap Barling was, tto have spent liis evening on their behalf! The second wire from Bromley had coincided with Mr. 1 Orkney's suggestion of a caretaker, tholigh that suggestion somehow did not seem to have been made seriously. "Wire from Bromley?" Geotge said. "I sent no such wire." Sophie told him its purport* which certainly had beeii achieved, SO far rts it nullified the injunction from Chatham. , J _,. . . Torkuev's plan about the house Reemed of no moment beside the inference to be drawn. But how did Bumely know that ho had a wire from Chatham to counteract? It was strange. Anything might have happened by this time. Ilumely's own words, in fact, indicated the worst. (To bo continued daily.)