“THE CLIFF-PATH MYSTERY”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16906, 4 December 1922, Page 11

“THE CLIFF-PATH MYSTERY”

OUR SERIAL.*

UY

HEANDON HILI

CHAPTER XXXI. —Continual. The captain, who had descender from the bridge, was standing in the doorway of his cabin, cursing the fog, which was thicker than ever. Leduc, as a discredited member of the crew, had a little trouble in gaining his ear, but when the amazing 9tory had once been mastered the captain fairly danced with rage. To think that had been fooled bv a chit of a gi.-l into disobeying orders when his master was in such sore need of the yacht fov iiis get-away. “If the police pinch the boss where in hell will we all be?” The captain put the case in a nutshell from his own point of view.

“ That’s what I was coming to. sir,” said the plausible rascal. “If you will trust me with La Petroleuse I" " ill engage to find the shore, and bring off Monsieur Severin and his principal friends. There would be mom for four or five besides himself at what you call a pinch.” As a very bad man and a compete.it judge of badness in others, the skipper of The Serpent was not inclined to trust the French ex-convict with anvthing—least of all with a fast motor launch which might be used for quite another purpose than that specified. But he realised that it wap the oniv thing to do. Tf he left his wealthy employer at the mercy of a police raid his own most profitable occupation would be gone. “ All right. Leduc.” he said. “You are the onlv one aboard who know-; how to handle the launch or T wouldn't send yon. Bring the boss- and his r»als off if you can. T’ll mesp about here and sound the siren once a minute to give you a line.” Five minutes later Enid. still loaning over the stern rail, straightened her lithe young body and strained her err*. Another sound was blended with the intermittent floundering of ihp steamer’s screw. The chug-chug of a motor launch leaving the shin’s t -ide floated un to her. to he lost almost immediately in the cloying air But not till she had recognised the voice of the vicious little croft tint had already so nearly proved her undoing. chapter XXXTT. yo SrBBEXPZB. Thorpe's laughter, when he found himself covered by the pistols of Mac Adoo and “ Uncle Barney.” was >f the forced variety. Ho knew that he was in a very tight place indeed. Mercy at the hands of those desperate men he did not expect. If the tak- * ing of his life would further their plans, or conduce to their safety, then his life he would have to lose. One slender hope alone remained o him. If his captors could he brought t see that no advantage, hut the reverse, would accrue to them from killing* him he might yet cheat them of their prey. And in any case an attempt to argue them into that vie v would mean delav—n condition rondeerd imperative by those wicked blue barrels aimed at hip head and heovu Once more the noble game of bluff seemed to he called for, so he kept on laughing. . . . , “Damned funny, isn't it?” jeerc 1 Severin, eyeing him dourly. •• You don't see the joke ' s«i » Therpe pleasantly. ” I should ha'" credited vou with more imagination sir. At" the risk of being tedious I v. ill explain. The old saw has it thn-. two wrongs don’t make a right, an 1 think vou'd find that two murders don’t, make a good defence to one.’ Watching every play of face an l hand, Thorpe noticed a tremor n MacAdoo’s pistol hand, and a spasm cross the Scotchman's evil features. The fellow had evidently been startled. Tt might ho that he was not in Severin'* full confidence, which void . he all to the good. A glance at Severin confirmed the surmise. 11:«. financier was looking annoys.. Pleased with his experiment, 1 liorpo went right on: . “ As an outsider, with a profession • i hut non-offirial interest, I have foilowed the cliff path murder prettv closely, Mr Severin. T have had the privilege of discussing it with Mr Rep- j ton. the Scotland Yard officer in charge of tho case, as recently as a few hours ago. In fact, since bis return from London. So far ns I gathered, his case against you, though a strong oiv?, rests entirely on circumstantial evidence. What, 1 would ask you j would he your position if they find my corpse, or even fail to find it, "lieu Ihev visit this house, as they tnovt assuredly will in the course of a few l ours. Make no mistake about that. Repton will know where my pursuit of vour fat friend will have led me. MacAdoo’s forbidding count enaiv.-* had changed its expression from startled surprise to dawning comprehension. • Then.” he interposed, ‘it is not an excise matter that Scotland Y ard investigating, but something of »i more personal nature.” Severin and Barnabas Barnes both seemed to hang on Thorpe’s answer. So noticeable was the eagerness vifco which they awaited it. that he saw the trap spread for him by the Scotchman. Tf there was only the “something personal ” against Severin. the g.ing of miscreants could kill him with impunity and without prejudice to the , continuance of their illicit traffic. All they would have to do would ho to hide his body so that the raiders would not find it. Then when the raid vias over they could carry on as before in some other locality, if Mucklepath should have become too hot to hold them. “On the contrary." said Thorpe, “ the Excise matter lias been before the authorities for some little time. They would have dealt with it sooner if they had not wanted to get Mr Severin on the capital charge at the same time. When the police arrive j they will go through Mucklepath Farm j with a fine-tooth comb. No, Mr Mac- j Adoo. you may rest assured that, | whether you are indicted as an acces* ! snrv to murder or not, vour whisky j distilling days are over. j Severin surveyed the group in the doorway with the eye of a general selecting officers for special duty. With I their pistols levelled at Thorpe were j Mac Adoo and Barnes, and behind them , stood Leila Braile. • This needs discussion,” he said shortly. “You, Barney and Leila, go into the kitchen ; Mac. stay where you are ana shoo” Mr Thorpe if he attempt* to move.” The pair told off for conference vanished up the passage, Severin following after a whisper to Mac Adoo as I he passed out. Then the duel of eyes began again. Thorpe watching Mao Adoo along the blue barrel of the automatic and Mac Adoo reversing the process from the other end of the weapon. Suddenly Thorpe laughed again. ‘‘First you hoard of the murder, eh?” “ First T heard that he was for it.” was the hoarsely murmured reply.

££» be Continued.)