X 14

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1933, Page 15

X 14

(By

I. M. GILBERT

CHAPTER Vl.—(Continued.) 2 “Ones It ig in my hands it /ill be safe enough; people don’t bluff me. I am glad it wasn’t destroyed, for we will use it as a bait to attract him. Have you got a time.table and. a map of Scotland? Good. Please bring them. ” Wace went off to his room, and X 14 stayed with his back to the mantelpiece. I was in mortal terror that he would look round, for he could have seen me from where he stood if he tad happened to glance in my direction. Not that I would have hesitated what to do under the circumstances, but there was surely a better way than ehooting, if only I kept my head and remained undiscovered. Afterwards I rather regretted not having shot him there and then. The act would have ridden the World of a vile monster, whose very existence was a menace to (society.. It would have been no more murder than the killing of some savage beast. When Wace returned the two moved over to the table, where. they spread .-out the map. Xl4 then gave instructions for a telegram to be sent in code to London, ordering the four other chief members of-the gang to meet him at nine o’clock next evening at

headquarters, presumably the house in the suburbs. Their names were given, but they were all new x o me. It seemed to me that X 14 had an appointment he wished to keep on the way south. Apparently he had brought a variety of unpleasant things with him from abroad, including a bottle of some • disease-producing serum. He made a reference to the way in which

.the British Customs officers had been hoodwinked, and how they had helped the supposed naturalist to land his black tin trunk of valuable specimens. Wace laughed as if he had heard the joke already. I gathered that the serum was to be used bn the person of a well-known ex-'Government official who had rented a small estate in the south of Scotland. His murder was-to come under the head of “death from natural causes.” An agent called Siddon, who was to do the grim deed, had' obtained temporary employment as a man-ser-vant with the intended victim for that very purpose. It had been previously arranged that X 14 would himself hand the bottle over to Sidden, only the time and place were still unsettled. Wace was for going, to London direct, but Iris leader disagreed. He wanted to deliver the serum on his way, and said it would be a loss of time to come north again, and he would trust no one else with the mission. ■ “Could the man not meet us at some point on the journey?” he asked. Wace didn’t think this practicable, because the estate was too far from any station where the main line expresses stopped. A message might not reach Siddon till late at Hight, and next day being Sunday,' no local trains would run in Scotland.

’ X 14 was scathing in his remarks about a country that disorganised business in order to observe the Sabbath. In his opinion, to wait unit Monday was Out of the question. Would a motor oar hot meet the case ? They examined the map, and discussed the idea. „ .. “That is the road to England,” said Waoe, “and the estate is In the hills to the west of it, about half-way between Hawick and and the Border. The house is marked where my finger ■is now. What about meeting our man at this old tower, called Lethy Keep, on the high ground above thebrldge? I know the place. It is lonely and secluded., and not more than a ■quarter of a mile from the main road, where the car ban be left. We should reach it by following this farm track. Siddon also can get there easily from the other direction, and if necessary await our arrival at the tower. That will be better than having him hanging about where he might be seen. After handing over the serum we can drive on to Carlisle and join a train there. Provided we can make an early enough start from Edinburgh, there is a suitable connection which' will get us into •London between seven and eight in the evening. That will give us ample time.” ‘ Xl4 agreed at once. He added that to allay the mot«r driver’s suspicions they might say that they were a couple of gentlemen Interested tn historical remains who wished to examine the old ruin. That would explain the rea-’ son for their journey, as well as .the halt by the way. Another telegram was written out, presumably to. Siddon, giving him instructions, but it was not read aloud. Then Wace telephoned to a local garage and orderd a closed car to be in readiness at the hotel at eight next morning to taka the travellers to Carlisle. He also asked if any instructions should be sent to Ellis. “Yes,” answered X 14. “Wire, ; telling him to remain where he is. We don’t want him in London yet, and it te just'conceivable that . Master Graham might be foolish enough to go to Liverpool. Ellis will know what to do if he runs across him. I seem to re-

member that he had some previous experience of these little affairs.” While the discussion was going on I had almost forgotten my danger in

my'excitement at what the two men were saying. I knew evry inch of the part of Scotland they had been talking about. Had not some of the happiest -summers of my life been spent there? Days of sheer enjoyment, wandering over the heather-clad hills and fishing in the mountain burns. My father, in the far-away times before the War, had taken a small 'Place. “Lethy Keep,” the oldBorder Peel on the high ground f : near the main road. The des- ,, cription brought it all back to me. I could see in my mind’s eye the tall, ' worn battlements silhouetted against the sky. Many were the boyish tales I had woven around its romantic past, perhaps it hadn’t finished with romance yeti Th© tower is only half a ruin, sorno of the rooms still being intact, though bartly roofless. If only the precious Snatch case had been in Wace s keeping there could have been no better place for a hold-up. It seemed a shame that my local knowledge could used to some purpose. When everything had been finally ■pttled. Wace went oft to dispatch the fplezrams Xl4 wandered about the innm Tmging a little falsetto tune to himself as if undecided what to do Then he crossed to the table to Took at the map again After a. e he yawned loudly, and, such is the power of suggestion, it was effort that I resisted a s his ation. At last he strolled into nls moment he dis *P pe ?; re A the tlously climbed over the back of t „I. treading “Sh‘ly. crepl towards the door. A second literal in ' the passage, where, iri. literal sense, the good-looking chamberma. almost ran into my arm ®- „, nrri - Ltl j n “Hullo 1” said the to a most friendly tone. •be in an awful .hurry; Y°u nea.u knoekit me doom” ■ . . Before venturing a reply. I sh door of the suite duietlV cOflyn- — uwhat’s the matter t- eh* u— h—

ued, eyeing me curiously. “Are you feared to wake the baby?” „ “That’s just it, or very nearly so, I answered. “Did you see' looking fellow with Mr Sykes? “You mean yon dour-looklng man. wi’ the mark on his face?” She re - dehed suddenly as she caught signt oi my own scar. “Yes, that’s him,"' I grinned. Like me, he won’t use a safety razor, wen, that gentleman called to see tn tracts. He began to read one, and has .fallen asleep. Don’t disturb him. He looks better when he is unconscious.” I hurried along the passage hoping that the young lady’s somewhat loud guffaw hadn’t penetrated to u ears, and, avoiding the lift, for meeting Wace, made my way down the stairs to the hall. n = e ful i It now seemed clear that no> useful purpose could be served by me ing in Edinburgh. I must back to London without delay,- for the in the suburbs was the only place where there was any chance of laying my hands on the required evidence. The voice of common sense onoe urged me that, before taking risks, it would be wiser to tell eyeiy thing to the police. If only I could persuade them to raid the 5 quarters while the meeting was in progress my task would- be accomplished. It would, of course, be rather Sne to get the dispatch case mysJf without their help, but it mightn t be possible. Anyhow, I felt I could leave the final decision until next day. Although there was plenty of time for me to visit my aunt before catching the evening train, I intended following the more cowardly course of ■sending her another telegram. If she hadn’t already opened tho letter she would be furious at being put off again, and I knew it would be easier to face her wrath after I had brought the affair to a triumphant conclusion. Strangely enough I was once more quite cheerful in spite of the fact that the dispatch case not being with Wa,e had if anything, made the situation worse. My recent narrow squeak must have somehow bucked me up. 1 perhaps the servant girl was partly responsible for my change of mood t She really had been quite pretty, and we had got on famously - together. Besides, the tract idea tickled my fancy. Wace was nowhere to be seen, sol walked into the lounge intending to order a drink before sending off the wire. I felt that I deserved one. Suddenly a well-known voice pulled me up short. “ William I” My Aunt Alison was sitting regarding me through a pair of lorgnettes,, very much as she disapprovingly looks at one of her numerous canine pets when he stays out too late on his evening prowl. ,„ “Don’t stand there like an idiot, she said. ■ “ Come and pay your respects to me, then sit down-and exP 1 To say that the wind was taken out of my sails was to express it mildly. I shook hands mechanically, and dropped like a burst ballOOh into a seat a ‘ It fa amazing what u> •««“. “' has on me. She has always damped m?f ardour. The moment before I had S rather like a hero striving; against fearful odds, now I “7®. small boy caught , s . tea^ A ll J, ee n ? 0 ‘ That telegram would have been much simpler! . ~ “ Your collar is not over my severe relative remarked acidly, it is to be hoped, William, that you ai not.falling into the lfal.lt. of «>c people you have mixed up with. ... P She knew, then. Her words- proved.

1 '“Did you seriously expect me to sit gazing at that envelope until middayT she continued. “I presumed that you had got into some-biHy-scrape,-like your poor, father. “ when he was your age, and th er e I opened your letter while I was lowing my morning tea. It was a great shock to me. That such th ngs^shou Id be allowed is disgraceful. I even forgot to give Bruno his accustomed BQ Bruno is, of course, One of her dogs. “ Well, what do you think of it an l I managed to mumble. “ Mv chief surprise was that I iejt rather proud of you, William,” she said. “I think you have done quite well, but you ought to have informed rae Ye°gods! Did I hear correctly? My Aunt Alison had. felt “ rather proud of me I I sat up. Wonders would never cease. “The beginning of your story, she went on, “is not altogether clear, and you will doubtless explain that later. Your treatment by the police was abominable. The idea of them accusing my nephew or being tipsy I Naturally you could not go back to them after that. Besides, I know that the police are seldom helpful. You remember when Corry was lost, they did not exert themselves.” Corry is another dog. That purti* cular Incident had been a painful one for the local constabulary. “ Your actions have perhaps shown a certain lack of ballast, but we will soon alter that. A Graham needs no outside help in affairs of this Kind* Now tell me what has taken place since you wrote.” ' “ One moment, please, I gasped. “ How did you know where to find me?” , My Aunt gave me a Slight grimace, which she may have intended for a smile . , “ Your telegram was . from Edinburgh. I am on my way to Jay the whole matter before Mr Pringle, only I thought it advisable to Took in here first on the chance of finding you. Remembering your dfssolute habbits, I said to myself the lounge of some hotel is where my nephew is certain to be. (To th continued.)