"STAR" TALES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10679, 28 January 1913, Page 4

"STAR" TALES.

THE RIVER OF STARS. (By EDGAR'WALLACE.) Author of "Tho Four Just Men," J'" ' " The, Council of -Justice," etc. . [All Rights Rkbep.ved.] ' CHAPTER THE LAST, '■ - . . and." .said the inspector • eavagehy ! "ii you'd onlj known the A B 0 of your duty, constable, you would have' brought the two prosecutors hero." Amber was warming himself before ; ■ the great fire' that blazed in tho chargeroom. A rod-faced young policeman <va« warming himself bbfovo tiic inspector's desk. . ' -"'lt can't he helped, Inspector,' said " *'Amber cheerfully; "I don't know but that if I had been in the constable's j place I should have behaved in any other - way. Stocking-footed burglar flyin' for his life, eh? 1 , Respectable gentlemen toilirtg in the real"; what * . .would you have done?" •. The inspector smiled.- " Welt, sir," lie admitted, " 1 think tho 'stockings would have convinced Amber nodded and met tho police-

, man's grateful glance with a grin. "I don't think there is much uso in waiting," said Amber. " Our friends liave given the policemen tho slip. -1 There is a back entrance to the hotel 7 ■which" I do not doubt they havo utilised. Your men could not havo the power to make a summary arrest?" ''The inspector shook his head. "The ' charges aro conspiracy and burglary, aren't they?" lie asked, '•that would require a warrant. _ A V' ■ • cowrtable could take the responsibility ' - , for making a summary arrest, but very , *' few would care to tako the risk." ' '' A messenger had brought Amb.Vs -_ _ great-coat and lie was ready to depart. ."I will furnish tho Yard with the necessary affidavit," he said; "tho ». "time has come when-we should make • \ clean sweep. I know almost enough to hang them without the bother lev ferring to' their'lAtest''escapade—their iiimplicated frauds .exteudinj; over 1 years are bad enough;.they are dis--tributors, if-- not-actual forgers, of ' spurious paper money—that's _ worse >\ , from a jur-y'& pOmt ;dfview. Juries unsV • derstand• forgeries.'- „- ( • \\ " <He had getft-the' Car- back to Maid - stone to brmg'^Sflttott.'' He was not. y,--> Surprised when he tame down to brcakW\ 'fast at his l hotelilto'-find that nos only V"-STrank, but'llis'sisteri-had arrived. Very it briefly he told the adventures of tho !/>'. ! .night. * . '' Wp will finish with their.,'" he , »aid.\ <f ceased t"> lie atmising. \A .■tfarraii.t Will-be issukl to-day ' V * and with > luck"wc-should have them 1 silL , to-night." '': - " it. ; in the ineanreached 1 th<s temporary hartour afforded bv the Bloomsbury S'. Wheio" Lambaire lived. was oyer the master mind in 'J,! J moments of crisis, "an J now he took charge of, thei arrangements. pj> found "ft shop in the city that opened .early and'purchased trunks for 'the coming journey.' Another store & -supplied him' with such of his wardas was at a moment's (&;. ~-iiiotice.- - He dared not return to his . hotel- for 1 the baggage ho'had left. i :;-; / Ilambaire was next to useless. Ho fcat--in ; tho sitting-room Whitey had eny?L' 'gaged' biting his-Finger-nails and curs§Q.: Min'K 'helplessly. 1 ;V- "''l. "It's 'no < good swearing, Lamb aire,' r l ßaid Whitey. "We're up against it—peleli—as 1 tho-Kaffirs say r •' l -^finished.' Get yo'ur,cheq&c-book Couldn't we brazen it out?" quoruVj lously.-, demanded , the big man;, - "couldn't we put up a "bluff — Brazen!" sneewd Whitey, "you're J& - cursed fine brazener! , You try to %- "brazen a jury! Where's the pass VJ hook?" . ; ' tVf Reluctantly Lambaire produced it, i' -find Whitey niade a brief examination. thousand three hundred—that's |lv' J ' vtiie' balajice/-' he said with relish, " andjolly good balance, too. We'll draw a' hundred. There will be. delay ■ if; the''account is closed." isf the cheque-book and wrote . In'Jlus/angular caligraphy an order to ■}, -'pajfe hearer six' thousand "two hundred I: signed-' his" name and' pushed the i ><^hfffu'e-b'ook,to Lambaire. The other |^|.^iesitated, then signed. > Wait -'a'bit,'' growlfjd Lambaire, as friend, reached far the chequo; who's-going to draw this?" >; SHj'S" al 7 l _) ? ' Vs aid Whitey. ,■> A f<V'Jjambaire,'looked at him suspiciously. r, 7£T*'-Why "**not " me?"' lie asked ; " the * 'jhauk knows me." f : You—you thief!" spluttered Wiitey; " you dog! ' Haven't I trusted jsr°u? ,J . , - <f This is a big matter/' said Lamhaire doggedly; ' 1 " "W T ith an 'effort "Vvhitey mastered his wrath.. v 1 Go and cjiaiige it," he said. "I'm not afraid' of" yodr-running away—only ■ jgp quickly—the banks are just open- ■ , ing." • y " I (]on , t- 7^T l haven't'got any suspicion of "you, Whiteyi" said .Lambaire, with •heavy affability;- " but - business is business." r r_ V" ■ Don't jaw—so," said his com- ' 'panion Wliitey recognised' the j danger of visit- ' inp; the bank.''"Tilers a jrossibility- - hthat a'warrant had 'already been issued and that the" bank' -would :be watched. ".There was alliance, however, that some • delay might'becur, and in his old chiv- ' alrous way he'had- been willing to take the risk. Lambaire went, to his room before he departed, and' was trone for half an ' Jiour. He found Wliitey standing " with his hack to the Tire in a -meditative mood. •' '•' -■ "Here 1 am, you see." Lambaire's ~tone was one of gentle raillery. "I haven't run away." "No," admitted Whitey. " I trust you more than you trust me—though ;Vou half made up your mind to bolt['with'the swa.g : when you came out of 'the bank." Lambaire's face went red. ; "How—how do- you know—what •-' \' d'ye mean ?" he demanded noisily. "I- followed you," said Whitey simply, "in a taxi-cab." ; ' "Is that whai you call trusting me?" demanded Lambaire with some bitter- • ness. 1 " No," said Whitey without shame, '"that's what I call iA'rin' reasonable precautions." , Lambaire laughed, an unusual thing for him to, do, • He pulled from his breast-pocket two \ thick pads of' bank-notes. ' i " There'p your , lot, And there's mine," he said; " they are in fifties— I'll count them for you." Deftly he" fingered; the notes, turning them rapidly" as an accountant ; turns the leaves-of his ledger: There : M'ere sixty-two. ■ • - Whitey folded 'them and put them into his pocket. "Now what's your'plan?" asked ; Whitey. :> " TJio Continent," said Lambaire. ' "I'll leave by the Harwich route for Holland—we had better'separate." Whitey nodded,"-. '..'/ "I'll get out by way of Ireland," he Hed. He looked at his watch. It was pearly ten o'clock. "I,shall, see you—some time," he «aid, turning as he left the room, and • Lambaire nodded. When he, returned the big man had gone. There is a train which leaves for the Cpntinent at eleven from Victoria—a very dangerous train as Whitey knew, .for it is well watched. There was another which left at the same hour from Holborn—-this etops at Herne Hill. Wliitey resolved- to take a tourist ' 4icket at an office in Ludgate Hill and » taxi-cab to Herne Hill. He purchased the ticket and was '.'leaving the office when a thought , struck him. | He crossed to the counter where the

money-changers sit. ■ "'Let me have a hundred pounds' worth of French money." Ho took two fifty-pound notes and pushed them through- tho grill. _ The clerk looked a.t them, fingered them, then looked at Whitey. , "Notice anything curious about these?" he asked drily. "No." There was a horrible sinking sensation in WMtoy's heart. " They are both numbered the same,"-said tho clerk, "and they are forgeries." Mechanically Whitey took the bundle of notes from his pocket and examined them. They were all of the samfe number.

His obvious perturbation saved him from an embarrassing inquiry. "Havo you been soldP "1 have/' muttered the duped man. Ho took the notes tho man offered him and walked out.' At passing taxi drew to tho kerb at his uplifted"hand. Ho gave the address of Lambaire's lodging. Lambairo had gone when ho arrived; lie had probably left before Whitey. Harwich was a blind— White'v knew that. He went to' Lambaire's room. In his flight Lambairo had left many things - behind. Into on© of tho trunks so left Whitey stuck the bundle of forcrorios If ho was t."> l «o captured he would not be found in possession of these damning proofs of villain}'. A search of tho, room at first revealed ho clue to Lambaire's destination, then Whitey happeiicu , upon a tourists guide. It opened naturally at one page, which meant that one page had been consulted more frequently than, "any other. , " Winter excursions to the Netherlands. eh?" said Whitey; " that's not a bad move Lammie; no splits watch excursion trains." • The train left Holborn at a quarter to eleven by, way'of Queensboroughriushing. « Be looked at his watch; it wanted five minutes to the quarter, aftd to catch that train seemed an impossibility. Then an idea came to him. ' "There was a telephone in the hall of the boardingliouse usually well patronised. It was his good luck that :he reached it before another hoarder came. It was greater luck that he got through -to the traffic manager's office nt Victoria with little delay. "T want to know." he asked rapidly, "if the ten forty-five excursion from Holborn stops at any London stations?" ' "Every one of 'em;" was the prompt reply, "as far as Penge; we pick, up all through the, suburbs." " What time is it due away from Fengo?" ; ' He waited hi a fume ,of impatience whilst the official consulted a timetable.

" Eleven eighteen," was the reply. There was time. Just, a little over half an hour. He fled from the house. No taxi ivas in sight: but there was a rank at no great distance. Ho had ■not gono far, however,'before an empty cab overtook him. ' "Penge Station," he said. "I'll give you a sovereign over your fare if you get within half an hour." , Tho chauffeur's face expressed his doubt. " I'll try," he said. Through London, that day the taxicab moved at a rate which was considerablv in excess of the speed limit. Clear of the crowded West End, the road was unham,Derejl.'by. traffic to Any great extent, r ifc s ,»was seventeen minutes past elevo-iwwhe-n the cab. pulled .up before Penge^,Station. The train at the. platform and Whitey4^"qnt, up the stairs two ■at a time. •' . .

'" Ticket,", demanded tho collector. " I've no . ticket-^-I'll -pay on the train." i,'..-V' o . . " You can't come ; qn ..without a ticket, sir," said the mrfrt.- _ The train was.,.within, a few feet of him and was slQwly-'anoving, and Whitey made a dart'' hut" r a strong hand grasped him and pushed him back and the gate clanged in his face. He stood leaning against the wall, his face.-, white, .his. fingers working convulsively. < ' Something in his appearance moved the collector."Can't be helped, sir," he said. "I had » • -.

Ho stopped and iQpked in the direction of tlie.dfepartuig.. : train. ' Swiftly" he leaji^*dq\vp : and unlocked the;door.;;;: . h"V~•' " Here—quick/'rhf i; sa ; }d, " she's stopped outside ;the a eiglial against her. 1 . You'll just catch it." The rear cariiages ucro not clear of the platform and Whitey, sprinting along, scrambled)into,,the guard's van just as the train was moving off again.) He sank guard's seat. Whitej' was a pii,, 'of;, considerable vita.lity,- Ordinal",Hy the, exertion he had made would not' have inconvenienced him/ but how he was suffering from, something more ..than physical distress'. '

"On me!" he muttered again and again, "to put them on me! It was not the loss of the money that x hurt him, it was not Lambaire's treachery—he knew Lambaire through ■ and-.through. It was the substitution of'the notes and the terrible risk his estimable friend had inflicted on him. "In his cold way Whitey had decided. He had a code of his own. Against Amber he had no grudge. Such spaces of thought as lie allowed him were of a complimentary character. He recognised the master mind, paid tribute to the shre.wdness of the man who had "beaten him at his own game. . Nor against the law which pursued him—for; instinct told him that there would be no'mercy from Amber now. _ It was against Lambaire that his rage was directed. Lambaire, whose right-hand-man he had been in a score of nefarious schemes. They had been together in bogus companies; they had dealt largely in "Spanish silver''; they had been concerned in most gener'ous systems of forgery. The very notes that Lambaire thad employed to fool him with were part of an old stock. The maker had committed the blunder of giving all the notes the same number. '' They weren't good enough for the public—but good . enough for me,", thought Whitey, and set his jaw. The guard trjed to make conversation, but his passenger had notliing to sav save "yes" or "no." It was raining heavily when the train drew ui> at Chatham, and Whitey, with his coat collar, turned up, jhi E hat -Dulled over his eyes and a handkerchief to his month,; left the guard's van and walked quickly along the train.

The third-class carriages were sparsely filled. It seemed that the " winter excursion " was poorly patronised. Whitey gave little attention to the thirds—he had an eye for the firstclass carriages, which were in the main empty. He found his man in the centre of the train—alone. He took him in with a glance of his eye and walked on. The whistle sounded, and as the train began to glide from tlie platform he turned, opened the door of the carriage and stepped in.

There were other people who knew Lambaire was on the train. Amber came through Kent as fast as a 90-horse-power car could carry him. He might have caught the train, at Penge had lie but known. It would have been better for two people if he had. With him was a placid inspector from Scotland Yard—by name Fells. "We shall just do it, I think," said Amber, looking at his watch; "and, any way, will you have people waitThe inspector nodded. Speaking was an effort at the pace the car was travelling. He roused himself to the extent of expressing his surprise that Amber ha-d troubled to taKe the journey. • But Amber, who had seen the beginning of the adventure, was no man to hear the end from another. He was out to finish the business or to see the finish. They reached the quay station as the excursion train came in and hurried along the slippery quay. Already the passengers were beginning their embarkation. By each gangway stood two men watching. The last passenger waij aboard.

"They could not have come," said Amber disappointedly. "If——" • At that moment a railway official came running toward them. "You gentlemen connected with the police?" he asked. "There's something rum in one of these carriages." _ He led tho way, giving information incoherently. " Gentleman won't get out." They reached the carriage and Amber it was who opened tho door. " Como along, Whitey," he said quietly. But tho man who sat in one corner of the carriage slowly counting two thick packages of bank-notes took no notice.

" That's a good 'un," ho muttered, " an' that's a good 'un— eh, Lnmmio? These aro good—but tho other lot was bad. What a fool—fool—fool I Oh, my God, what a l'ool you always was!" He groaned tho words, swaying from side to sido as if in pain. "Come out," said Ambor sharply. Whitey saw him and rose from his seat.

," Hullo, Amber," he said, and smiled. " I'm coming . . *. what about our River of Stars, ch? Here's a pretty business—here's money—look." He thrust out a handful of notes and Amber started back, for they, were splotched and blotted with blood. These are good 'uns," said Whitey. His lips were trembling, and in his colourless eyes there was a light which no man had ever seen. " The others were bad 'uns. I had to kill old Laramie—ho afinoyed me." And ho laughed horribly^ Under the scat they found Lambairo, shot through the heart. (Thw END.)