THE SIRANGE ADVENTURES OF BAILEY CAIFORD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 78

THE SIRANGE ADVENTURES OF BAILEY CAIFORD.

By F. D'A. C. Dk L'lsle.

SCIENTIST AND INVENTOR.

£all Richts Reserved.] No 2.-THE ALFOGASTA REVOLUTION. It is now i matter of history how Bailey Catford established his innocence, and by means of the confession obtained from Lord St. Lyrex cleared his character -of the awful accusation of murder. That he had taken the law into his own hands by committing an act of piracy on the high seas when he boarded a British mail boat and forcibly abducted one of its passengers was a matter that required a certain amount of diplomatic adjustment, and thanks to the generosity of the directorate this was made possible, especially as it was preceded by a free pardon from the Crown. The authorities did not make too much fuss over the mail-boat incident. Primarily, probably, for the reason that a very much wronged man was endeavouring to right himself, and secondly because Catford was not -an ordinary personage.' His career as an inventor was of world-wide fame, and some of his scientific discoveries had caused even the most hardy of the world's fighting men to shudder with covert apprehension. Therumour that Catford had invented, and was perfecting; an electric machine Which, directed by Hertzian waves, was capable of electrocuting an army at any distance from the basic force was by no means as impossible as it appeared; at least, so thought the men of influence and science who knew Baily Catford and his work*. It behoved a country which claimed such an inventor to be propitious, and since Catford had proved how grievously his country had wronged him, his country showed by its clemency towards him that it was fully aware of the shocking mistake, and was prepared to make amends to every extent in its t jower. Catford was received with acclamation ana open arms to the bosom of the society that had been ready to crucify him before, and once again he established himself in England to continue those works of scientific investigation and research that -had been interrupted by the awful tragedy of Ina Daneland's murder. But though society would have feted and made much of him,, more especially since it was known that Catford had gleaned fabulous wealth from' the bottom of the oceans, yet he would have none of He was a changed man. To him nothing in society ■was of any interest; and in his laboratories he buried himself, working with feverish and inexhaustible energy at those inventions that have since thrilled the world with terror over their dreadful potentialities. In quick succession he perfected half a dozen lethal weapons that were hideously diabolical in their crafty ingenuity. The Catford Death Pill, though only a toy, carried a more certain death •with it than the fangs of the cobra; the Catford SNeedle Tube horrified mankindit was deadlier than the death adder. But the apogee of this strange man's huge inventiveness was reached when he communicated to the great scientific world his perfecting of the Catford Death Wave, a mali«nant combination of compressed air cells, wireless telegraphy, and Hertzian wave contacts that was capable of destroying an army, a city, town, or village at one fell swoop,- as though the Destroying \ngel had passed and levelled all things living in his'irresistible flight. That one. man should possess such well nigh superhuman powers of destruction staggered the whole wide world of mankind. Offers of purchase, great and small, flowed in on Catford in countless laousarids ' attempts to steal the invention's were made by the more desperate, but 'all without success. He'...most_ resolutely refused to place such powers m the hands-of his barbarous fellow-beings, and would ortly promise to place his greatest discovery at the disposal of his king and country if such dire necessity should ever .arise..as to warrant its use.

While hard at work in his huge premises at Streatham, Catford received occasional' information,of -the outside .world. •Wh^ij Marchioness of St.' Lyrex, appeared in* society-again, alter eighteen months'of discreet widowhood the fjashionabie Columns-.of the .daily* papers conveyed that • ia'forniation to ""Ba-iley Catford, as well as the news that the Count Antonio de Guzman di Codara; of Alfogasta, m South America, was her most devoted as well as constant attendant. Another paragraph, in the shipping news,,also attracted his attention. It was to .the effect that the Count di Codara was bri the lookout for N a warship, ostensibly for the Government of the independent State.of Alfogasta; and that it was probable that "ikessrs Harland and Wolfe, of Belfast, would negotiate the transfer of the new Chilian warship Aconcagua' to the Count di Codara. These ■ matters Catford gathered promiscuously when he stole a few minutes of relaxation from his very arduous labours. He knew that it was no uncommon thing for the small South American 'republics to br possessed of one or more warships. According to their financial statusu, so was their naval strength. But Alfogasta, the youngest and smallest of; them, was as yet not art a financial position sufficiently strong to admit of the possession of a warship. The Republic of Carrena Cortez, who was its Presidente, was but an infant of some twenty-five years' establishment; its population scarcely numbered a hundred thousand, though its potential wealth, consisting of nitrate, silver, copper, and gold mines, gave promise of future greatness. Still, Bailey Catford' knew that Alfogasta could not afford a million sterling to purchase a warship. He was not surprised, a few days later, to receive the Count di Codara'e visiting card while in his laboratory. He was then working on his model of the winged man ; ; ng machine apparatus that was to ;..nioniae the conquest of the air. other

models stood about, all discreetly covered up and hidden from view. Catford glanced curuiously at his se«*e- : tary, who had brought in the card. j "Gentleman/" he queried. i The secretary shook his head. "Very ! polished, very smart, very deferential, ! but "

I "An adventurer!" said Catford. ! "Yes." "Ah! Well, I'll see him here. Tell Roberts to show him up." In a few minutes the laboratory door opened to admit the butler, who announced softly : "The Marquis di Codara,' It would have required a man well versed in diplomatic service to have discovered wherein the Marquis differed from a well-to-do gentleman and wher» the adventurer in him commenced. Be was accurately, stylishly, but not showily dressed; his hair was short and neatly brushed, hi© black moustache was pointed upward in the Continental fashion, and his olive-skinned complexion was, bright and healthy. If anything, he might have deleted the magnificent single stone diamond ring on his little finger from his walking costume • otherwise he looked irreproachable. He was short of stature, yet "powerfully built. His eyes were large, dark, anr piercing, but too close together to be honest or straightforward. He smiled genially, showing strong aa>l even white teeth. " I have the honour to meet Mr Bailey " Cat-ford,' the. eminent scientist?" he ased, with the slightest possible accent, as he advanced with outstretched hand. "The same,'' answered Catford, saluting him, and pointing to a. chair; "I have no doubt, Marquis, that you come as a possible purchaser of my submarine, the Ravager!" The Marquis was taken aback, though he was too clever to show- it. "Perhaps, perhaps!" he replied, smiling gaily, as he seated himself leisurely. "If you would sell, Mr. Cat-ford, perhaps even I, the insignificant representative of Alfogasta, might find means to become the purchaser. We might even be able to otter you a fabulous sum fox one or, more of your great secrets. AHog* i fi not P°or; to be frank, -I may state that we have in that so small a country more than one mountain of—silver! And gems! This single diamond on my finger, worth, so the specialists tell me, over five thousand pounds, came from the Codara diamond fields of Alfogasta!" "Testing, my cupidity!" thought Catford, as he opened a safe and piroduced a miniature cabinet o* ebony Withdrawing a tiny key from his watch chain he opened it, and removed a drawer labelled "Diamonds." "Any one of these stones, I fancy, surpass the gem on your finger F said Catford, as he placed the drawer beiore the Marquis. The South American's eyes gleamed with avarice. "You got thest from?" h& queried curiously. "The sea!" said Catford softly. " 'Full many a gem of purest ray serene the dark', unfathomed caves of ocean bear!' " "Magnificent!" murmured the Marquis greedily. "I got those, and thousands of others, by means- of the Ravager and my compressed air ceils batteries. Why, then, .should I sell?" asked Catford. "Ah!, money will not tempt you, senor!" exclaimed the Marquis, "with an impatient movement. "Still, there is one thing all this cannot conquer." "And that?" queried Catford, as he replaced the box carefully in the cabinet. " Is death!" The Marquis reaped to his feet, and a gleaming, revolver barrel flashed in Catford's face. v "Fool!" exclaimed Catford sardonically. "You have risked death a hundred times since you drew that revolve!-! Have you cork soles to your boots? -Are you safe 1 from electricity. 1 Lqok : down; you are standing on a floor of steel! By pressing this button under my finger I could hurl you into eternity. Drop your hand at onoe. Checkmate, marquis!" The coward trembled like a leaf. His nerveless ringers unciasped, and the revolver clattered on the floor. '■- _' 'For Dio! man, you are not human!" he stammered, with chattering teeth. 'Too numan, since self-preservation must be my first law. I have .o be prepared for encounters of this nature. What, did you hope to gain by this stupid exhibition?" " I only wished _ to see if fear would compel you to part with your' secrets. I want some of .them myself, and would go ,to any, lengths. to possess them," exclaimed Codara.. - "I. part with nothing, Marquis, .until another brain, which must be greater than mine, comes along and conquers me. It you still hope co carry out chat rebellion in Alfogasta, you will have to do so withou ty my assistance.!'' "Let me go!" cried Codara despairingly. "You are too strong for me to conquer, and your information is wonderful!" "You may go, .Marquis. My time is too valuable to allow me to bother with police court proceedings. But let me tell you that you are not the man to succeed, ou have not that inflexible courage and determination that makes the conqueror. That steel plate on which you are standing is , harmless at present. 1 foolishly forgot to connect the wires to the battery. Nevertheless, [ mark the king!" Catford smiled, grimly as he possessed himself of the revolver. " shall keep this as a souvenir of a bloodless dual!" "Peste!" exclaimed the furious Mwquis. "You are marvellous. With you on m/ side w© could conquer the world!" "I doubt it!" remarked Catford drily. "Your nei've would•" fail at some critical moment, and we should be ruined. Good morning; let the proposed rebellion rest. It is better for you." The .txarquis reached the door before he turned with a scowl on Catford: "We shall see!" he remarked. "You are not omnipotent!" • .

He was gone ere Catford could reply to him. ,

It was exactly one week aftc this strange interview that Bailey Catford received a visiting card that .oused hie sleeping firee of memory with volcanic force. It was inscribed: Jeannie, Marchioness St. Syrex,

St. Syrex, Bariiboro, and Park Lane. And hastily scrawled in pencil under neath:

For heaven's sake, see me at once

As Catford looked back on the pages of time a rustling of kirts was heard, and in another moment the library was filled with the pregnant perfume of Haveneta, a.s a tiny, fragile doll of a woman, exquisitely gowned in. half-mourning, fell at his feet with the strange cry: '"You alone car save me!"

He stooped*, raised her, tenderly seated her in a comfortable armchair, before he asked:

"Indeed, my lady. And how? "With your submarine!" she exclaimed tremulously, and a torent of words poured *rom her; "Codara has my fortune; every penny I have in the world! He tempted me with his tales of the mountains of gold in Alfogasta. I agreed to help him to get possession oi them. He promised me a half-share. I lent him all my money, nearly a quarter of a million, with which to purchase the gunboat Aconcagua. He has betrayed me, for yesterday he sailed in her, and has- left me behind. Head this!" Sh< produced a coroneted letter from her reticule, and handed'it to Catford.

"Pretty fool," it began,—"Thanks to your sweet folly I shall.effect the revolution in Alfogasta that I have so long planned. Pray for my success, because as there are no mountains of gold in Alfogasta, I can only recoup you if I become President. If I fail, the warship that represents your fortune will become, the property of the victors. But I shall not fail, and some day, pretty one, you shall queen it as the wife. of Alfogasta's great Presidente. Farewell, and pray for the success of Codara."

"You have been badly—nay, cruellydeceived," said Qatford as he returned the letter; "it was womanlike to be duped by the fascinating coward. You wish me to follow him? What then?"

"You robbed me once, sir; you took_my husband from, me by the most .brilliant coup ever effected by a submarine! Could you not secure this war vessel? I might resell it again, and so get my money back!" cried the demented beauty.

"Money, money, ever and always!" murmured Catford; "why can we not exist without the greed of,gold? Very well, I will do. my best to help you. The Republic of Alfogasta shall recoup you if I can airranige it so. Do you care to accompany me in the chase?"

"Oh, sir," exclaimed the Marchioness tearfully'; "may I really?" "A cabin is at your disposal. I will" wire all instructions. - Be ready to leave by the midnight mail. We start to-mor-row before daylight." "The blessings of heaven -" "Hush! You can thank me afterwards. Let me see you to your carriage.' You have' little time to prepare for your journey. Do not burden yourself, with too much, luggage. My submarine, though larger than the usual run of that class of vessel, is only a small boat after- all." When the.now more cheerful visitor had gone, Catford returned and busied himself over his preparations.•' He made especial provisions in his outfit for his invention of the negative Hertzian electric waves p a system of electrir forces that was to play a prominent part in his attempt to recover the Aconcagua from the Marquis di Codara It was a misty morning when the Ravager stole silently out of Portsmouth Harbour, and rapidly disappeared towards the south-eastern horizon. On board of her was Catford's trusty crew of twenty officers and men, with the inventor himself, and his solitary guest, Jeannie, Marchioness St. Lyrex. Even the attentions of her maid or the protecting presence of a chaperone had to be dispensed with, since every possible space available was loaded with the materials necessary for the manipulating of the negative Hertzian wave apparatus. When the voyage was well under way and the Ravager tearing along minder the seao at a speed of forty knots, Bailey Catford met his beautiful ~guest in the state cabin of his vessel, and there unfolded his plans. "The Aconcagua can. barely steam twenty-two kots 'n view of the scarcity of coal round and about Alfogasta, I surmise that the commander of the gunboat will not use more coal than is absolutely necessary. He will probably steam at from twelve to fourteen knots, and I feel sure they do not dream of pursuit. We shall reach Alfogasta well ahead of the warship, and after I have interviewed the present President; we can lay in wait for r'ndar." take him by surprise when he arrives. Come, let me show you some of the marvels of my wonderful submarine."

He led her to a trap-door, from which a ladder descended to the hull of the vessel. When they had got down, Catford touched a lever, and the steel frame of the submarine opened outward's on both sides, and the Marchioness found that she was standinsr on an iron grating framed with plate glass. -Touching another lever, Catford turned on powerful electric lights, and the depths of the eea shone beneath their feet. "Oh! how wonderful! How be-au-ti-ful!" (trasned the lady, as all the marvellous beauties of the sea flashed by beneath her: "what a delicious scene! And you reallv invented all this?" .... . "I' invented some, and copied others of the ideas from authorities, ancient as well as modern," replied Catford. "We will slow down for a brief fifteen-minutes.- and vou shall see for yourself what wondrous things inhabit the sea. Later on, when we have settled with Codara. I will run you round the coast of South America, and

will show you the beauties of Santa Catalina.'*/ . . , . The submarine slowed down, and ior fifteen minutes the vivacious ex-vaudeville artiste was thrilled and horrified in turns by the wonderful flora and fauna that gathered under the gliding glass keel and round the glass sides of the ilavager. In that brief period a change came over that pair of voyagers that was to effect a most startling influence in their future. lives. Lady St. Lyrex found, -for the first time in her narrow, Sfrivoious life, what a strong, powerful, and brainy man was like; and Catford was captivated by the childish simplicity and naivete of this butterfly of the stage and Bohemia. Henceforward the voyage was pregnant with interest for them both, and the lady in particular was not too well pleased when the express of the underseas glided into the tiny harbour of Alfogasta. The magical appearance of the submarine caused quite a considerable flutter of excitement and apprehension in the city; nor was the feeling diminished when Catford met the Presidente in council assembled, and informed that portly and august personage of the danger that threatened him.

The Presidente, a fat little bourgeois, who had risen to eminence owing to his practical business abilities and acumen, was not a fighting man. The dashing Mexican adventurer, the Marquis de Guzman di Codara, was the generalissimo of the standing army of Alfogasta; a noisy, ill-mannered rabble of muleteers, some five thousand strong, that would sooner' die than do a hard day's work, but who were eminently fitted for the sansculottism of warfare ,in Alfogasta. When the Presidente heard of the approaching crisis, and the tell-tale faces of his council accentuated the information, he nearly had a fit. But the resolute bearing of Bailey Catford reassured him, and upon promise of the complete help of the inventor and his marvellous submarine the trembling head and front of Alfogasta signed an agreement in which Alfogasta and its Government promised to pay a quarter of . million sterling *q the Marchioness of St. Lyrex for the warship Aconcagua when delivered safely and soundlv into their hands. On the following day Bailey Catford set his negative Hertzian wave batteries in position. The little harbour was scattered over, at a distance of half a mile from the shore, with a semicircle of what appeared to be butter boxes anchored on the waves. On the beach a tall steel flagstaff, surmounted by a similar butter box, stood unobtrusively by the side of a small galvanised iron huut. That was all. The, Kavanger, leaving a working gang in the hut, disappeared from view, dropped down the harbour, and out to sea. In Alfogasta there was trembling and apprehension, while the barracks, hotels, and market places seethed with incipient revolution.

On the following day smoke on/ the- distant horizon proclaimed the advent of the Aconcagua, and in a few hours, the gunboat steamed'into the harbour and dropped anchor a couple of miles from the shore. From her stern floated the red flag of revolution, at her peak was the gaudy red, blue, green, and white flag of Alfogasta.

A motley crew of brown and bearded half-castes jumped into her launch and carried the coming conqueror's message, to the President*. It was/ brief and to ,the point. "Surrender yourself and the town, or I will blow you off the face of the earth.— "Codara." -•■ • *•' ••/'-"■ ' .'•■;-

.The generalissimo of Alfogasta was not a little disappointed, and certainly, very .furious, when the answer reached hdm, couched in the true spirit of transpontine melodrama:

"Blow arid be —— to you!" it ran. Promptly the gunboat was cleared for action, and a tentative shot was plumped into the National Assembly building. But something went wrong with the works. The shell, after soaring magnificently into the air with a jubilant scream and whizz, - suddenly lost iis momentum 'about' half a mile from the shore and fell harmlessly into the water in the vicinity of one of the butter boxes. Another, and another, and another shell was tried, with'the - same strange result; then the sights were raised, trajectories altered, and a volley was poured upon the hapless Alfogastans. But not a shell reached the land j each and all of them plopped into, the water around one or another of the butter boxes. - For two hours the gunboat rained- shells on the bleagured city, and not a missile ever reached its destination. Night came on, and still the futile bombardment continued at irregular intervals, which went to prove that the gun crews on the warship "were fiddling with their machinery to see what the dickens was wrong with, their guns. At midnight the firing ceased altogether.

Oodara was at his wits' end. The farrison on Shore were all .quiet; there ad been no rising ,of the army as arranged. His plans had failed miserably owing to those cursed guns or the defective ammunition. He resolved to wait until the morning; then they would see if anything could be done to remedy the defect in the guns. It was scarce half-past 1 in the morning, but, with the exception of the solitary man on watch, every man jack of the gnunboat's craw was sleeping the sle&p of the absolutely dead-tired man. Even the lookout dozed now and again. From one of these temporary relapses he was rudely snatched by rough hands, gagged, bound, and securely lashed' to the stanchion adjacent. The Eavager was alongside, and Bailey Catford had possession of the Aconcagua. Sverthing was done so silently that only about 6 o'clock the next morning did the mongrel crew of .the belligerent gunboat recognise that they were battened down securely under hatches.

The Marquis rose early, and, hearing signs of work upon deck, dressed himself leisurely and ascended to the saloon.. He was so completely paralysed to find the Presidente and part of the council of Alio.

gasta awaiting him that he forgot evefl the ordinary politeness of the usual salutation. 'He could only- gasp an inarticulate lath when he was surrounded by armed guards and marched to the foot of the long dining table. Thev have a olunt way of their court-martials in South America. In five minutes the Marquis was bundled overboard,. taken ashore, and hanged in the public square opposite the House of National ■Assembly. They would h.avo hanged him from the yardarm of his'illgotten warship-but that Bailey Catfprtf pleaded for consideration of the presence of a lady on board. The Presidentc and what -emairied of his council after the traitors had joined the body of their generalissimo promptly paid the purchase money for the Aconcagua out of the public treasury, praised Gatfor for his marvellous inventions and superb victory, loaded Lady St. Lyrex with presents, and ordained that day a. day of universal jollification. The Ravager gathered up the negative Hertzian wave apparatus, and amid platoons of very ancient musfcetrv firing and much waving of bunting glided away, due south on a trip to the California!* coast. Thanks to Bailey Catford and his subarine the revolution in Alfogast? was as dead as its )&i& generalissimo and his satellites.