The Six Hour Mystery

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 198, 31 July 1931, Page 3

The Six Hour Mystery

. PART Y. , THE FIFTH HOUR. , “Oh, jipi, he’s gone.' Thank God, thank (Gpi— r—! ” i Iwna ran forward to her .hah lover, as they heard Woolcroft lock the lower door of the stairs behind him,. But as their hands tomsbed, there came suddenly, a confused noise from, outside, and a heavy body-thudded against the other side of the dourt then, they heard Woolcrqft’s muffled cry, and a second crash. The captives stared at each other. , ■ „ _ kT , . “trouble for somebody Nash grunted. “Rut what —— lv,3Jhqyn-could hear Woolcroft strug-Ung-and. plunging on the stairs, while something tapped and scraped along the. surface of the door. But there was no more sound of voices, nor,did the key turn again; in a few seconds, with a final prash, something that soqnded like a tray Of, cutlery was flung against the lower part of the woodwork. Footsteps went staggering uj> the stairs. Then silence. Irma leaped over to hfs fettered wrist; and-before Nash knew what the girl was about, he found hi.mself free. “The key!” be cried, wondering. “I hid it .He laid it on the stove, out -of your reach; but when you kicked the stove over, it was thrown right to my feet. And after that,' I thinki they were too upset to remember it— —” "I bet they were.... . Well done, kid! Just give me a minute, and I’ll feel fine!’’ , .

Free, , fit last, he was swinging . and Stretching opt his arms and legs to get the stiff ness, out of them. Irtmr watched him, but she kept , casting little anxious glances toward the door. “Oh, Jim; d’you think they are coming back?” He stopped, considering it. ■; ' 4, (iah’t see Why they should. If your dad’s won his tfick we’re no more use tp them; and if they win, I allow we shan’t see them for- dust”. He poised himself, limber once again, balanced springily .on his toes. Wheel “I • could almost wish they would come back _if they’d oblige us by coming one'at a time. It makes me kind of aoro, to think of all the rough stuff that I owe those fellows, and most likely I’ll never set eyes on them again!’! Partly, he spoke with full sincerity : for Jim Nash was a’handy fellow with hls fists, and as tough as whipcord; amf'the conviction that his score against Woolcroft could never be settled, man to man, was a galling thought. , . • , ' But his-main object, just now, was to make light of what he had gone through and to dissemble his weariness, for he divined that Irma, for all her pluck, was near the end of her strength, and it seemed likely that her Endurance must be still further tested before they could extricate themselves-from the vault. But the girl shook her head despondently, and there ?were tears in-her eyes. 1 “.{ have failed him! I- promised—and I have thrown his secret away!” • : v • He caught her in his arms.

“My de|ir, my - dear! * Can't you see that it can make no difference now! If your dad knew the place to dig by those measurements he’d had two full hours start of them! If not, he of have-failed any way-—” “Afi/'Jftn, ’they’d never have made Dae tell, if they hadn’t threatened to hurt you ” . " ■ “Oh, my dear —■!'■ And to think of your holding out :so long, for all their trying to-frighten you ” She clung to him passionately. ■•’Jim you’ll believe me when 1 eay that I was altogether in the dark. I never knew what -father’s real object was till yon explained down here! I let him write those figures on my arm because-h* begged me to help him.,He promised he’d tell me what they meant sopie day—but I never guessed. 1 her., tenderly. “Oh, kid, you've pluck for ten! If anyone s made .a mess of this affair its me. Bpt y ?e must get Qdt. We can t hank o.n anyone just happening along and Ending us. . . . There was an iron bar 9 ’,’ ... He began looking round him, but. save .for one or two old packing-cases, the place was entirely bare, “The -njgger took that upstairs with him." she said. “Then we' , piust try if we can t j’emroy the. dooy open with the catch of these .handcuffs.” Up crossed toward the staple in the wall, from which the handcuffs still dangled. Irma was bending down to examine the . iamb of the door. But he .had. hardly left her side when her tense., whisper stopped him. “Gardez !. ■ Thoy are coming back!”

■ Slowly and,' Very painfully, Jakes’ strength; returned to him. His head was splitting, he 1 felt sick, and the broken edges of the window pane cut his skin li* a dozen places. But he »at UP in a few minutes, and had soon broken off enough of the remaining glass tp-.rh| himself of the .strange collag < with* V*hl®h Karin, had presented him. •He (staggered to his feet.

(Karin was gone —and Boss Wooh croft afterrhlm. ... . Their prospects looked poog enough.; and yet if anyone could 'pull «,them,. through to success, the. Boss was the man. . . . Jakes had indomitable faith in his chief. He was shaken, certainly—though not so much in body, from what he had

By ANTONY MARSDEN

undergone, as in morale from the illomened breaking of the looking-glass. That touched > his superstitious fears -+-his most (Vulnerable point. To that, directly and unquestioningly, he attributed his, disaster just now. .■ Yet the Boss might outwit their enemy yet. For himself it behoved him to discharge his own part of the job, by making sure the girl was laid by the. heels and rejoining his chief immediately. ■ , - The one thing that baffled him was to account for their other prisoner having given Woolcroft the slip. He had been handcuffed to the wall—and Woolcroft was armed. It was inexplicable . . a . part, of the illhick incurred by the breaking of the mirror . . . it did not bear thinking of. He lurched down the passage toward the stairs, his strength returning mightily. He would fix up that girl all right,, he promised himself; and in the process,, maybe, pay off some part of the score which he owed her father! Woolcroft would not inquire ' too closely how he had dealt with her; there were bigger stakes on hand. < ... He noticed the disappearance of the bicycle, and the, empty frame of the larder door. More food for unanswerable conjecture, there! But he soqn found both door and bicycle as he gr'bped his way down the stairs. Shaking his head in blank bewilderment he found and turned the key. a. “Now, missey- ”he gloated, savagely, as he advanced on the helpless gi&

i it was at that moment, precisely, -that Jim Nash stepped forward from Lhehind ,the door and drove his fist with all his might at Jakes’ neck, bnSFhelOiW, the thick ear. Karin’s judgment .. had been shrewder* Nash himself,, if lie had had taorq * time or had been less excited’ at the unexpected chance of getting even with his enemy, might have known better than to try and fell the negro with a blow to the head, however .powerfully delivered. That blow would have knocked most men off their-feet. Jakes staggered, but did not fall; and Nash, who in. the very act of striking had realised his mistake, sprang in and locked him round the arms from behind in a tight embrace. . . . . fhe fingers found Jakes’ right wrist, and fastened on it grimly; but, as the negro recoveredtfrom his surprise, his first convulsive heave had Nash nearly off his balance* and there began tv furious wrestling match, in Which! not,, even Nash’s better position counteracted the negro’s huge strength. . ... Jakes kicked back savagely at Ins unseen, antagonist’s shins; Nash had provided against, this to some extent by planting himself with his feet well apart; but the negro’s,next move \vas more formidable; a sudden backward jerk, and,.his thick head struck Nash a stunning blow on the brow —but still the American hung on, desperately. <.■ a. “Get his gun, Irma!” he cried out.

The negro had given yet another violent plunge. Irma,was fumbling to withdraw.,the butt of the revolver from .hla side .pocket, and Nash was wondering, dizzily, if he, could maintain his hold till the girl succeeded, when Jakes’ face twisted toward him for the first time, and his struggles suddenly ceased. .... , , , . .At the same moment Irma freed the gun and held it aloft, with a cry. Nash loosed his hold,: and put his whole remaining strength,into a shove which sent, Jakes staggering forward across the vault.

..Nash snatched the gun as the other turned to .face him.

But even before the gun was raised at him Jakes’ arms went up and he let out a queer- high-pitched cry: “Oh,, holy gee—! All right, mister, I’m through! Don’t shoot !” "Ijfeep. those hands up!” Nash shouted, -i, “All right, all right! . Oh, God, I can tell when I’m hoodooed, sure ’nough——!” There was a look in the, man’s eyes that astonished Nash, and.his raised hands were trembling violently: his knees sagged, and he leaned back against the wall as though on the point of collapse, moaning unintelligibly. “Where’s Woolcroft?” Nash demanded harshly.

At first Jakes only gulped, his eyes goggling out of his head. Rut finding- his voice at last: “Why, he’s he’s gone chasing after you, Mr., Karin . . . no, no, that ain’t true, I guess- ”he gabbled hastily, in a tone of -the most abject conciliation. “But he’s gone after your . . affer. what we thought was you, Mr. Karin . . . oh,, the dear Lord have mercy on me! I been seeing things, sure, it's all that li’l glass ”

Nash was completely at a loss what to make of this new development; the fellow was scared clean out of his wits, that was obvious. But why? The thought that Jakes might.be acting crossed his mind; but he did not believe it: if ever mortal fear looked from human eyes, it was glaring from Jakes’ now. . . . Yet he- dared take no risks.

“When’s he coming back?” “Why, he’s lit out for Moat House, M.’. Kar ” “Where’s that ?” “Two mile —more’n two mile away ” (To be continued.)