A ROYAL WARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 298, 26 January 1910, Page 6

A ROYAL WARD.

8EI! IA L STORY

( Ha L' v. AT TIIK iill.'.ZKN SEIUT.XT. i!y Coveni (iardeii. at ;i cor.ier where a ilde Sil'iet packed ii> narrow, lui't nous way towards a confusion of allows which no line would willingly traverse after ]: i l;' ht f a 11. stood the Crazen Serpent. a lav em with a l;i>tory which it cher-i.-hi'.l. Although ii could lav 110 claim to |lr. Johnson. who had clung chiefly to tii.-s beloved Fleet 'Street, wits had been accustomed i.u gather there during a century past at least, and it was stin a resort of some importance, where men spent their moncv /reelv. drank deeply, and talked loudly of politics, not. always without quarrelling. Arguments at the JJrazea Sergeiit had sometimes led to debates of wider interest at St. Stephen's. Good business had made the present host fat, sleek, and rubicund; his voice had the. sound of gurgling up through some oily liquid, and when no one particularly occupied his attention he had a habit of closing his eves as if he slept. Sleep he may have done at times, but lie never neglected his business, and it took very little to arouse him. rather ■strange in so fat a. mail, lie could be curiously keen and alert upon occasion, saw more out of his sleep v eyes than most people gave him credit for, and. although he could usually cap a .story with a better if his guest were in the mood for it. he could be .silent and taciturn enough when it suited his purpose. The day was dull, with a drizzL- of rain in it. and the solitary guest in the long room, lookiiig out through diamondpaiied windows into the side street, had just called for lights. The landlord, who. like the weather without, was in a. gloomy mood, waited upon him himself, and then went slowly along a passage towards t.he rear of the nouse. fie took a lantern from a nail, lit it. and. unlocking a small door, which lie had to bend low to pass through, descended half a dozen steps to a cellar, filled chiclly with empty bottles and broken cases. Slitting down the lantern iu a corner, he raised a trapdoor in the flooring with some difficulty, and. kneeling beside the hole, looked into it, holding the lantern down at arm's lengtii. Then was a quick scurry in the pitch darkness below, rats' without a doubt, and many of them; there also rose from the opening a noisome smell of unclean and decayed matter, but, perchance, the landlord's nostrils, saturated with the stale perfumes of much liquor, did not notice this. TI is eves must have been very keen if lie could discern anything in the darkness below, vet he continued to bend over the hole for a considerable time. "They wouldn't look for the trap, to begin with, even if they thought him worth enquiring for,'' lie murmured presently; ''and in a few days—Lord! what thousands of them there must be!" lie broke oil', peering again into the hole, as more scurrying sounds came from below. "In a few davs there would be nothing left." "Is it worth while?" said a voice behind him. The landlord started back with a low moan of terror, and, clutching the lantern. struggled to his feet: then, as the light fell upon a woman, still young and pretty, he broke out into oaths. "There's time yet to count the cost, Jacob." she said. "Is it worth it? They say dead men tell no tales, but it's a lie." "You'd be silent enough down there." Jacob answered brutally; "and, Lord, yon will be there if you take to opening that mouth of yours so wide. What's come to you that you've taken lately to this kind of psalm-singing? There •was 110 sign ot it when T married yon I" cu liadnT thought of dead mm vondiT. then.-' -.-he .-aid. pointing to '.he | "Who s-ivs I'm thinking of it now** It's belter to throw a dead dog down ther{ than out into the street, isn't it?" i lie shut the trap, kicked an empty ease over it. nml then pushed his wife ) ii" 1h ( . steiis before him. I "Mark tlii-s,' he slid, as he locked the J c 'llar door and laid his hand so heavily j on the woman's shoulder that she couicl j .-how black and blue marks where his I linger.; liad been for days after. "'Mark ill!-: il your tongue wag- so. it will be unking me a -widower, and I'll be giving ! the llraz-'ii Serpent a more congenial : mi-tress." | Hut. for all his blustering, the land- • lord went back towards the long rnmn ' thoughtfully, -lacob I'infold was not ~o I selt'-sa.ti-slied as ii-uel. There had been • some doubt in his mind wheilier |he 1 gam.- was worth the candle before his | wife "i;i<l snoken her words of war'aillg. | I lis own skin was more In him 1 li".ti any ! oilier 1:1;-1]"•.-. and h j (. had managed lo | <-ive it ."evcrlv before now. even at. the j exenise of his friends. There were few j i hintr* lie would shrink from to nrocure • hi- own saf 'tv: but lie was no hero to | -:ifVer for others, and lied en«ilv. He ' went slowly into tile room and towards his guest. "It's a dreary day, sir, ending in a w: X evening."' he said. "Tliafs apparent, avid calls for no remark. \ii -• days are like that'in I hi; infernal country." j Tim answer did not sound courteous but there was a certain drollery in tin man's face which seemed to cancel tin I'lideiie-s. There were unexpected rn ihet'ons ni his voice which gave ; humorous lilt to his speech. "Why not get out of the country t"i"n ?" "1 reckon there's a time for that, a' there's a time for going to Heaven, and the fixing of neither lies with me," was the answer.

'•You might, at any rate, lt'ave the Brazen Serpent," f aid Jacob. The straiiycr looked at him ami at the jriass halt -lillcd with wine upon the table. "Wasn't it .trsio.i money wiih which 1 paid for this?" he asked. "There arc other hou.se.-; where you would be mole welcome/'' s'.iid Jacob. "Ar ( . you such a fool that you can take no hint?" "Seems in m 0 you're suddcnlv developing a eo.i.-cienee. This house happens to be convenient to mv lodgings; j " xhe landlord broke oil' suddenly, for the dour swum; open, and a man camp in quicklv. 11 L , cursed the weather lustily, bid the landlord iiurrv and bring him drink to take the damp out of his bones, anil then, seating himself at the stranger's table without invitation, said somewhat insolently: "Business does not take you out today, sir ?" "That seems fairly evident, since you find ine sitting here. You must pardon my bluntness. but our friend the landlord lias been making obvious remarks like that until I'm tired of them." "Such a sad humor as yours, sir, fits ill with such a merry place as this." "The place suits in e well enough. Is it a crime to be thoughtful in a tavern?" "Upon my .soul. 1 believe it is. Here comes Jaeou with my wine. Let us see how lie will answer your riddle." ''They say glum faces turn liquor sour/' said the landlord, when the question was put to him, "and I've known gentlemen leave company in which they were not welcome." "Is that so?" said tile stranger. "I'll tell you another fact which may add to your knowledge, Jacob; I've seen landlords thrashed in their own tavern for impudence. Havb e you'll lind that a useful thing to remember." Jacob's rubicund cheeks shook with anger; but before his words could be dragged through that oily liquid which always seemed nearly to drown them, half a dozen men swaggered noisily in. They had become boisterous suddenly, it would appear, since no sound had heralded their approach. The landlord turned to them at once, and was obsequious, for tiu'v were regular customers. "Hallo! He's still here/' said one man, pointing to the stranger, who had turned to look at them. "Well met, sir; you can tell me by what authority you always take the most comfortable chair at tlie iirazen Serpent." "Well, first come, first served, seems as good an answer as any; and now permit me to ask you something: Who the devil gave you authority to question me?" "Comrades, he's in a quarrelsome humor," laughed th e man. Then he turned to the stranger, and with some attempt to mimic his drawling inllaction, went oil: "Well, that's not very difficult to answer. You've used the Brazen Serpent long, enough, and it's tired of you." "What use is there in talking to liim like that?" sand another man, thrusting himself forward. "This is no gentlemanly argument." "Good; he's a man who's minded io speak out," said the stranggr, his eyes sharply vigilant as he pushed his chair back a little from the table. "Straight out, and to the point," the man returned. "Over the wine, men talk too much at times, and a careful listener who shirks his liquor may learn secrets. That's been your game, you hound! As pretty a plot as was ever hatched to get some justice for the people fell to the ground last night. Only timely warning could have beat'ii tis, and that was given. You are the only man who could have given it." "Well, sir, if you accuse me of saving a man's life, at least give me credit for not having brought justice on the wouUbe assassins," said the stranger. if you feel aggrieved. I am ready to pay the score. You know a likely spot, doubtless, where we can measure a dozen paces and settle our differences. It more than one of you feels himself injured, 1 am at the service of all of you. only let the -affairs be settled one after the other at the same meeting. I stay late fii bed. as a rule; your .'nfernni climate is so damp in the early morning." Tiiey were men enough to recognise his courage, and wavered in their determination; all except the spokesman, who was of a. rougher sort, ami grew quickly heated in a quarrel. ''Tnat 's :;ot tlu* way of it," he shorn - ed. "Gentlemen don't fight with curs; thev just kill them, and have done wiih j it." "Xo shooting, for Heaven's sake!" ! cried the landlord. "We shall have the 1 watvhman upon us, with all How Street!'' ".Murder, is it!" said tile stranger, as he sH'ini; up the chair and dashed it heavily down upon his truculent adversary. who had pointed a pistol at him. The man was hurled back in a stunned condition, and. striking the oppodte wall, slithered limply to the Jloor. and lay there. For a moment his companions did not. appear decided how ro act, and then the long room became a scene of confusion as :hey rushed upon Ihei r enemv. who stood ready and coolly ] uwaiting the onslaught behind the j table. At this instant the door swung ! open once more, and a man stood upon I the threshold, bewildered at the scene before ilim. lie recovered himself quickly. "Whatever the quarrel, the oiTTls arc too great!" lie exclaimed, and. pistol in I hand, he was at Tlie stranger's si("1 • • , hind the table. : j "Kill ' them both!" gurgled Jacob ! moving marvellously nimbly for a ma, • of his weight to the doo r and ma kin: i it fast, lest the odds should be slii more equalised. "Kill them both! If: , tile Olilv way no\V; and there's a '_'ra\i with plenty ot room to hide the two o ; thi'in. liut cold steel, that's safo<f that's safest!" i I Xo question of safety seemed to ha---, troubled the man who had been knocks

senseless witl; tile chair. Had ho been jriven opportunity ti; Ihv. hj,. w<,;tM undoubtedly have i!r;t" ~o; :,;/ L u';on his companions the liui.!!":-;!'- -.vonls !i :l . 1 tliL'ir oil; ct. I liev tV'Tr ;.*( li\~, desirous ill' this man'.- di-.iii 1 . i,:t; :!;r\tIIL'UI. sO IIIOV l'U-hi'd !U>n:i tlV'il' I'll ')!1V to overpower him ami -ta!> hi:n. hai-.l!v conscious of the sudden interference on his bciialf until they 'oit.n! two m-.i opposed To them on tin? otli.-v side of la ■ table instead of one. The disctiverv made Ihein pause. It >e lis,- m> murder one man in siloiic: ii w.i- qiiiie another matter to deal with two; and in spite of the landlord's roil Taled ere. "Kill them both!" as lie crov.ehed '•>' the iToor. fear anil' savage;-,• : s-r f<>r the mastery in hir; face. th.» would-be ishassins stopped, and by doinu |o,t some of the advantage \vI»K-h the oil !> gave them. Two pistols eoverel th:\n. which would certainly be tired ii' tiler moved, and t.his might bvinj; Hip officers a? surely n.s usinj; firearms thenselves. They were in a dilemma. (To be contiiiued in next Saturday's issue.)