THE GREEN SHADE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16986, 9 March 1923, Page 11

THE GREEN SHADE

OUR SERIAL.

By

HEADON HILL

Author or Millions of Mischief.”

"Guide." etc., etc.

CHAPTER XXX.—Continued. He started off at a brisk pace along j the quarter mile of winding road that led to the Rectory, anti on arriving .it the front entrance gate was relieved ui find it shut. it the car had entered, still more if it had subsequently departed in haste, the gate would have stood open. Jiut he remembered that if underhand business i\as afoot there was a secondary exit- from the garden by way of a wicket into the churchyard and thence into a lane skirting tiie churchyard wall. Walking on for fifty yards, he diverged into the lane, and there, sure enough, was the headlight of a car facing him. The car must have been run into the lane, which was a cul-de-sac, and then have been turned with a view to resun: • ing its journey along the main road with the least possible delay when its errand here was (xmipleted. The errand ot picking up the fugitive impersonator. Adam surmised. Going up to it, lie inspected the car. which had a capacity tor seating four persons in the tonneau m addition to two in front. It was too dark to read the number plate, but feeling with his sensitive fingers he hit on the small metal disc proclaiming the vehicle a ‘‘ hackney.” He had no doubt it was the one of which the Holchester garage proprietor had spokeu to Grimsdale that morning. Adam was rather at a loss as to the course he should pursue. Knyvett had j sent word to him that- the Rectory was j

the danger zone, and on the strength of that indication Grimsdale had suggested that the Rectory should be watched. Well, he was watching it all right, but what could he do if Mr Snype, genuine or spurious, came out with his freakish friend and attempted to drive away in the car. He had no legal authority to sxop such a proceeding, and he shrewdly reflected that if Knyvett had stood in his shoes he would have been equally powerless. But Adam Fancourt would not ha-re proved his prowess as a mighty hunter if he had not been a man of resource in emergency. Jf he could not prevent the departure of the car legitimately, he could do it the other way. Drawing the great sheath-knife which from force of habit he always carried in his hip pocket, lie ripped open all the tyres, not forgetting the “spare” attached to the side of the car. The. damage no wrought was uo mere succession of punctures; it consisted of great gaping gashes w'hich converted the tyres into irreparable waste rubber. Having surmounted the initial difficulty, he retired a little distance up the lane, and took up a position in the hedge, whence- he could keep an eye on the churchyard gate to the extent permitted by the feeble light of a. low-hung half-moon. The minutes passed and nothing happened. He could not understand why there should ho this delay if the car had been procured simply .to aid the escape from the neighbourhood of a Mr Snype who was not Mr Snype. Adam’s mind worked slowly on the larger issues, and so far he had not connected Knyvett’s message as poiutiug to anything more serious than the burglary of the previous night. Suddenly every sense was keyed up to alert attention by the sound of labouring footsteps and an occasional hoarse, whisper on the churchyard path leading from the Rectory garden. In a. little while there appeared through the gate, which must have been purposely left open, the dimly seen shapes of two men, carrying a burden. From its proportions, and the mode of progress of the hearers, it might have been a- slender human form borne

“ head and heels.” At any rate, the j man who came first was walking back- j wards. The intention evidently was to j place the burden in the car. The first ! man was only using one hand to the load. So much Adam had been able to make out in the gloom, when there flooded into his brain a notion so horrible that a c.ry of rage was torn, from him. Hi started a hull-rush towards the car. hut before he had got into his stride he had been heard and probably seen. The men slipped back into the churchyard and by the time Adam reached the gate were neither to he seen or heard. Here among the torubs he was on unfamiliar I ground, and had to trust to luck in j groping his way to the Rectory gar- | den. When at last lie stood on the j lawn he began to wonder if he had j suffered from an optical delusion out in the lane. For, gazing up at the rambling old house, of many gables and twisted chimney pots, he failed to discern a ray of light ip any of the blinded windows. And the whole place was wrapped in the silence of the grave. But Adam had more faith in himolf than to doubt for long the evidence of his own senses—the unerring instinct which had stood him in good stead in the earth’s wider spaces. Tossing his head as though to shake off the momentary weakness, he inarched round to the front door and pulled the bell-chain, supplementing the summons with a thunderous tattoo on the knocker. CHAPTER XXXI. OUTWITTED. While he stood waiting for someone Adam strove to adjust his mind to the j situation that had arisen. With the j modesty of a strong man ol the “ great ! out-of-doors,' he \\ a - v■ 1 1 aware oi his own limitations. He could shoot straight, hit hard and track any am- I mal. human or otherwise, to it's lair. ! But if he had to match his wits ! against cunning speech or subtle argu- I ment he had misgivings as to the resuit. He would have doubled the i handsome foe he had paid -Ali Vin- | cent Knyvett to have that bright : youth at his elbow now. For lie was blaming his own dense- ! for only 0,, seeing that sinister ' that 'the presence of an impostor at the Rectory might have an ominous bearing on B-ervl’s absence from heme. The right of that prone figure et.rried out to the car by two elusive shadows had increased a thousandfold his anidety about the girl he loved. It- was bad enough for her "to be harried bv Hon much worse would it be.if she had fallen into felonious hands Bolts were being withdrawn and a key turned Someone was about to answer his imperious summons. His hand closed on tho automatic in his side-pocket. Adam never left such things to chance. And then the mountain in labour yielded up the ridiculous mouse. The door was opened bv .Mrs Snype in a. blue quilted dressing-gown and carrying a bedroom candle. Her gentle, kindly face looked pinched .and wan. of resentment. (To be continued).