CHAPTER XV.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13481, 22 July 1907, Page 6

CHAPTER XV.

FOUNn !

" I have known for some considerable time that Bath was in low water," Rent went on. "I discovered by accident that he was using his ward's money. A little later on I made another discovery. A foreign scoundrel was blackmailing Bath. I investigated that matter, and by degrees learned of the part that Bath had played over the ' Lone Star.' I could do nothing, because I could not prove my points. 1 cast about for\some way out of the difficulty, and hit. upon my ingenious scheme of bringing' Bath and Cathcart face to face. ' But I need not go into that. Fortune gate me plenty of opportunity. I was. a. guest under Bath's roof; I was more or less engaged to his ward. But I had to play a part there. If I had }, ot pretended to coql off 'in my affections to Miss Grace Ives, Bath would have kept me out of the house. To let me stay wotild have encouraged the marriage, and then Bath would have been terribly put to it when he came to give an account of his stewardship. It was not a nice part to play, but it was necessary." "I don't quite see why," said Cathcart. " Yoti will presently," Renton sai'J drily. "At any rate, it saved you from a gaol; ./and it put us on the track or the culprits. I'm not so well off that I can afford to lose a vessel like the

• Lone Star.' What did you think of her, Cathcart?"

'" That she was better than she looked," George replied-, "She struck me as being made to look cheap and disreputable for some purpose." ' Gun-running," Renton chuckled. " Any moro questions to ask?"

" One that seems to me to be pretty pertinent," George said. " What could our opponents gain by the casting away of the ' Lone Star ' ? They gain, or hope to gain, the insurance money, it is true, but the lost cargo ?" "They didn't lose the cargo," said Renton. ' ' ' But it went down to the bottom of the sea in the ' Lone Star.' "

" My dear fellow, it did nothing of the kind. The cargo is safe and sound."

"But I saw it on board," said George; "to say nothing of the Hundreds of tons of other stuff on top of it. I was on board the ' Lone Star ' when she went to tTie bottom. There is no more to be said."

Not for the present," Rnnton said in the same dry manner. "I am going to open your eyes before many hours arc over our heads. lam waiting now for a telegram from Hull. Meanwhile, 1H us go and see if we can make anything out about our young friend Raymond Stennard."

•'No. 71 B:mNl Sutll *iiM," Syivti »aid significantly. | A ca!) was callod, and « iii'.vc wasj made iji tlic «lin<ction ot !?a!\l< II Sti-ei'i.j At the c-urnor oi" tl)O road Kouion out, and that Gcoi&c shouhij wait for him. ! "TluTo'll l)o some lim presently," be said sij^iiifu-iuitly. " Tlk- first phase oil the mitoldiiu; oi the mystery ?s iihoui. to !-e enieird irpt^n." •' I was w.in£ if >iive you a btar+lurr and not ;il(:ogethor unplea-aut .surpri-e," he said ; " Imt the ic'ni In., flown. Si ill. the bird is in the bi£ caj-,o called London soinon'l.'M-c, and v.^ shall h;'vc to find him. He \vt irt oft hut nisht modes* ly in a haiifrom calv huviuy: ju.st paid tor his rooms a wvekV rent in lieu oi notion, though they my he is expected ha-k soon." "Young Stcsipord next, then," George : suggested. "East India docks first. Pull up at the telephone ofhee, and tell j Syrett to Mi,d my men, it they turn up'i soon, to Franklin and 3!orguu's oflic \s in Ship Street." It was nearly three o'clock beioreone of the hard-bitten tarry men came with the news that the wanderer had been found.

(To be continued.)