A Coil of Rope

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 10

A Coil of Rope

(By

Frank Gilbert)

CHAPTER XVl.—(Continued-)

Re spoke excitedly, almost as a •ehoolboy ready to play a prank on a fellow. Suddenly the car turned •harply to the left, and to the left •gain. Eric, watching intently through fee windows, saw that they had run into a courtyard. A moment later fee heavy doors clanged to, as Dodat femped from the car and ran up a short light of stairs by the doors. He peered through a small slit in the wall •verlocking the street, and then Xckoned to Eric, who had followed efesely behind him, to take a peep. Eric saw that the taxi which had keen following them come slowly by •K if the sudden disappearance of the hunted car puzzled and troubled the driver. Keeping quite hidden, and yet Well', able to command a view of the street outside, Eric presently saw the fell, atop and the driver get out, look ferefully in front of and behind him, j and then slowly retrace his steps over ' fee track of his motor, as if trying to get some hint of the missing car from fee ■cobbles, or from some passer-by. He ( saw lounging in the shadow of a doorway, negligently smoking a cigarette, a man whose general appearance betokened one who had drunken '’ - deeply. The chauffeur asked him a question, fee other appeared to nod. Another <Uestlon was put by the chauffeur, ;■"' end Eric could see the other shrug hie shoulders casually, as if the matter held no interest for him whatsoever.*, Then the chauffeur plunged forward as if to strike the other, possibly -because the wanted information was< not; forthcoming. The blow was •truck, and the other seemed dazed, but;, he -puffed ■ still at the cigarette. Then, as if he realised that he was wasting time, the chauffeur turned on bls feet, and began to walk back to his cab. A moment later the apparently drunken man leaped on the chauffeur’s back and brought him down on the ground. A short whistle and from the courtyard where the police car was standing, there slipped out two men of whose presence Eric bad been quite unaware. Swiftly and yet they bore back to the shelter of the courtyard the struggling chauffeur, and one of them hurried back, slipped the gears of the taxi, and brought it round to the gateway over which Eric stood watching. The gates opened softly, the taxi was driven in yid they closed again'. Realising that the courtyard was ilow to'provide most interest, Eric turn'ed to go downstairs and observed that Dodat was no longer by his side. He locked around for him, but there was no sign of the detective. The man who had just driven the taxi 'into the court yard strode up to him.

“Who are you ” he asked sternly, and Eric saw that his right hand held a little automatic pitsol. “It's’all right. He’s with me,” came from the man who had leapt on the chauffeur’s back, and instantly Eric recognised the voice of Dodat. Then he realised that Dodat had effected a swift transformation in his appearance, and had slipped out Into the road and,had stood in the shadow expecting the chauffeur to return . and question him. Dodat’s ruse had succeeded, and he was giving his attention now to their prisoner. He was a dark, evil faced man, and \ he snarled angrily as he caught sight of Eric. Then he turned to the police who, under Dodafs orders, had handcuffed him; and said: "That's the man you ought to arreet, he’s wanted for that last London murder.” But Dodat silenced him. "This gentleman is under our care, but as an honoured guest, not a prisoner, as you are, charged with attempting to assassinate Alphonse Dodat of the Paris Police!” “You are Dodat himself " asked the .chauffeur, obviously surprised at the wretched appearance of the great man. “Cest ca!” acknowledged Dodat, “and. you’re for, the cells, my friend. But you may care to tell us something so that possibly we may be able to see that your stay in prison tonight is made more comfortable than otherwise it would be.” "I’ll say nothing,” replied the chauffeur, sullenly. ~ "Eh bien!" said Dodat. “We shall |"eee about that. Forward march!" The two policemen dragged the man ’.to his feet, and dumped him in the eab. They got in with him. Dodat aronked Aip the engine and climbed on the box! "Oomlng, my friend ” he enquired of Erio. “Of course’!” said Erio. “Righto!” said Dodat, “just pull . that trail now.” He indicated e. bell pull by the doorway. The doors , opened and Dodat drove the -taxi out into the cobbled street again. Then a man—the concierge obliviously, appeared. ' “Shut the doors after us, please,” ordered Dodat. "Oul, Monsieur!” replied the other. “Come along, then,” said Dodat to Brto, and the latter climbed up alongside Dodat. In a quarter of an hour, for this journey was without Incident of any kind, and Dodat proved himself an able chauffeur, their prisoner was -•afely lodged In the prison. “Now for our supper,” said Dodat to Eric, who bad waited in an ante room and saw that Dodat was now J a«ruw»ilatelv dressed once again. "I am hungry! Are you?” They ate and enjoyed a really good supper, end -then with their cigars well alight leaned back in their chairs and emoked in silence for a while. “Not a bad night’s work," said Dodat at length. “But who is our friend, the th-ree-flngcred gentleman?” asked Erio. “Ati!” mused Dodat. “That’s a auMtlon lam afraid I am unable to answer at the moment. I can’t even UH you his name, but he certainly was an active member of the gang wttiioh appears to have set Its heart on seeing your earnest young life nipped ta the bud. Now tell me, mo»aml. are you in love?” "Wthy do you ask?” ••‘There you are 'then,” declared Dodat with’emphasis. “I just wantad to know. You see there are just two sorts of men in the world. Those who are in love, and those who are not- but you won't find many of the f latter kind in France, I can assure »ou.”

“But are yon in love, DodatT" — “Assuredly—with my wife and two Ifttle girls. You must come and see them •Boon." “I shall be honoured," replied ®rio, warmly appreciating the compliment Dodat paid in giving the invitation, for he knew how sacred a ji«enohman regards his home. He ka«w now that he was quite safe with Dodat, and that the detective would ■ever hand him over to Inspector Barker at Scotland Yard. “Well, chsr ami." said Dodat at ity f 1 h-' wh m -Jh i* cmr mm*

finished, “I suppose we must go home

to bed now. "I don’t think you will meet with any more adventures tonight, but I think you should constantly be on the look-out for trouble. Your best plan at present is to lie low, end the sooner you change your name, occupation and lodgings, the safer I shall feel about you. Look in and see me to-morrow at my office, and I’ll see what we can do for you.” They shook 'hands warmly, and Eric made his way back to his lodgings. The house was completely in darkness when he arrived, and he climbed the stairs .to his room with a vague sense of fear upon him. He did not know what danger or mystery lurked in the gloom of .the staircase, and each step upwards seemed fraught with peril. ‘But he reached the door of his room without hearing any strange sound, and his fingers sought the door handle. Would there be another coil of rope there?

No! He slipped .the key in the lock, turned it, and came into his room. Still the sense of danger, but he quickly lit a light, and looked keenly around him. Of course, he was quite alone, but when he had taken off his hat and coat lie could see that he had had a visitor. Certain of his belongings had been disturbed, and it was obvious that a search had been made of his room.

By whom? The- police—or the three-fingered enemy agent? He was pondering this point when he heard a lapping at his door. On the alert instantly, he stepped to it and opened it a couple of inches, his strong left ready to strike If need be. A feminine voice greeted- him, “Can 1 come in?"

He could only see her face in the half light thrown from the lamp in his room. "I am the girl who has the mom opposite yours!" she explained, “I want to see you urgently!” -

“But of course, come in." She wore a light kimono around her, and she was obviously excited. “Come In and sit down, Mademoiselle,” he invited. “Merci, Monsieur!” she eaid. “It is perhaps unwise of me to come and see you at this late hour, but I have been waiting up e long time for you, and only when I was sure I heard your step and knew you had come home did 1 ventue out. You see, Monsieur,” she went on, “when I came home this evening I found a man •standing by your door. He was an evil-looking brute, and he leered at me and asked me if I knew you. He told me to be careful of you, and said you were a murderer. But I did not like the look of him, and slipped quietly into my room, and was afraid Lo come out till I had seen from my window that he had gone along the street below. ' Ah, but I was afraid.” “Poor girl!” murmured Eric, sympathetically. ‘ ‘‘Ah, yes!" she. went on, "and he was without a doubt the same man I -saw late last night bn the stairs, and who probably left the coil of rope on your door.” Eric nodded.

“Well,” he said, cheerfully, “that particular specimen of evil humanity is lying to-night in a prison cell, so you need not fear him again." “You are sure, Monsieur?” she asked In earnest tones.

“But yes; he tried to kill me tonight with a revolver, and I had the pleasure of riding wifh him to prison, ■only he was detained and I wasn’t." “But you’re not a murderer, I am sure, Monsieur,” said She. “You have too kind a face."

"Thank you 1” he said, smilingly. Assured now of her safely she smiled too, and they fell to chatting. Presently she said: “Would you care to show me that coll of rope again?" For an inslant he cherished suspicion as to the reason she asked the question. After all, 'Dodat 'had warned him to beware of every stranger, and he could-not be sure that the girl was not on the enemy’s side.

Still there was something frank and clean about her which seemed to betoken that she knew nothing of the taint of crime, but nevertheless Eric resolved to be carefui. He believed, however, that no harm could come of showing her that coll, and so he produced it for her inspection. “Ahl", a tiny cry escaped her lips. Then, after a ’ full minute, during which she was examining the coil most carefully, she stood up and said: “Listen, mon ami! W/)uld you like me to tell you where that rope came from ?”

“You mean, where it is made or who sent it?” he asked, keenly interested.

"Yes, I think I can. Y r ou see, I know something about ropes. It was my father’s business, and his father’s before him, and I learned to tell at a glance the maker of all the standard kinds of ropes manufactured in France. Each has its own peculiarities—little points which ordinary man or woman could not notice, but sufficient to tell anyone who knows exactly where the rope was woven and often for what purpose.” “Then will you tell me?” he asked, eagerly. CHAPTER XVI. Eric received with warm appreciation the information which his neighbour was able to impart as to the origin of the rope, and it was evident to him, that while she was glad to offer such help, if help it proved, she was by no means anxious to oome Into contact with the police in any way. Indeed she condemned the flics, as she called them, in no measured terms, and had Eric owned that he knew Alphonse Dodat he could not possibly ■have learned so much as he did from his unconventional companion; (To ba continue a.)