“THE TURN OF THE TIDE.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17179, 24 October 1923, Page 10

“THE TURN OF THE TIDE.”

“ STAR ” NEW SERIAL.

BY

FRED M. WHITE.

CHAPTER VI. FOUND DROWNED. Though Jack Ellis would have smiled at any friend who called him a business man. he was quite thorough in his methods and, once he had set his mind upon a thing, had the true bulldog grip. Whilst waiting for his chance at the Bar he had taken up journalism with ail the cheery enthusiasm of his nature and, having some gift of expression and a natural nose for the essentials, had been more than successful from the start. He belonged naturally to the gregarious type of animal, and crowds, especially plebiun crowds, apl>eaied to him irresistibly. &o in search of “ copy * * he had gravitated t-o the East End. anti when he had read of those impudent depredations along Thames-sido ho had started to investigate. Luck had helped him from the. first. He was utterly fearless ; he had a fine, knowledge of what was once called “the noble art of self-defence ” ; he was quite at home wherever a boat was to he found, and before many weeks had elapsed lie knew ns much about the lower reaches of the Thames as many a waterman who had spent all his life there. Before long his river-side sketches • were quite n. feature in the “Daily Telephone.” and after he had been of service to the river police on a certain memorable occasion he had

enjoyed the confidence of the authorities, and a launch had been placed at his disposal by the pleased proprietors of his own paper. He was doing good work for that enterprising journal beyond the shadow of doubt. To further his investigations lie took rooms in the neighbourhood of WapJjing, and mixed freely with the fpeople who frequented the public houses and drinking shops there, often enough in disguise, and by this mean? and a judicious outlay in t-lie way of liquid refreshments, made friends in the best local quarter. It was in this way that he came in contact with the man called Bill Avorv. an old naval man now engaged as a minder of barges. Early on the afternoon of the day of the birthday dinner Ellis and the man Avc.vy were seated in the bar parlour of The Green Bay, which was* situated in a slum off Wapping High Street, peacefully engaged in drinking beer. In his thick pilot clothes ana s-ea boots and with a short clay pipe in his month Lillis looked quite as disreputable and undesirable as his companion. But he had the satisfaction of knowing that he was not wasting his time. “It’s me and old Joe on the Stella to-mgnt, gjuv’nor,” Avory was saying “Wo re taking a load o’ stuff from the steamer Mark Henry above the Tower Bridge, an’ wo’re a-watchin’ of it tonight till the consignees can take it off in the mornin*. Machinery, it is, in packing-cases small an’ andv for them chaps as is alius on the lookout for the right stuff. Motor parts mostly. 1 m told. An’ ’ere’s wishin’ I were vvell out of it. Wi’ waluable stuff like that ’ere about, two on us ain’t enough on the barge. If as ’ow you’re out on your hoat to-night you might give us a look up. guv’nor.” “I’ll do that with pleasure. Bill, ’ Ellis replied. “So you think that the stuff i«j marked.” Aye. I do that. You pipe that bloke over there with the red beard. R, ’e youlo tell yer somethin’ if he’d a mind. Never done a day’s work in ’e’s life, an yet ’e s got a week-end cottage at Earn Bay, bless yer. Ony’e don’t think a s anyone knows it.” Ei!:.*? glanced under his brows at the man with the red beard. He was drinking with half a dozen other men of a like kidney, and evidently carried weight with them. The bar was full of loafers and sodden-looking derelicts, all of them obviously work-shy The whole place reeked of stale beer and the sweet warm odour of gin. Outside in the dull leaden atmosphere of the lane the neglected chi Id-life of tinplace played and fought and wept in the unsavoury gutters. But Ellis did not notice it. ‘.‘H® do « sn ’t look a millionaire. Bill,” Ellis smiled. ■ >Lr \ e ain't, neither,” Avorv grinned. “Not but what ’e makes a goodisb bit all the same. This ’ere is a big thing, but’nor. It’s my belief as v.ere s eavy money behind the game, found by them wot lives in the country and drives their thousand-guinea inoty-cars. Gents as drinks their wine regular and plays that tocotch crolcay us they calls it on Sunuay. 1 'ears things, mind you, and I’ll ’ave something good tor you yet.” l slioulan’t wonder if you were right Bill,” jiliis said as he knocked out his p-ipe and strolled towards the door. “ 1 shall be out iu the boat tonight and will give you a look up.” .f. 4, " us alter seven o’clock before Elks got back from the \\ est and ate his simple supper in the dingy lodgings where ho had elected to put up'tortile present. Then in the driving.rain and mist he went down to the wharf .where hia motor-launch was moored, anu a little later he was out on the bosom of the river. Not that he had any particular object in view except the chance oi some adventure winch might turn out useful from a journalistic point ot view. It was n thick black night with

a fine rain failing, and something ip I the nature of a tog hanging over the i water. And so in the course of time j Ellis drifted into the vicinity of the 1 barge called the Stella, on board of which was Bill Avorv and his mate, j It would be just as well pel haps to j give them a cell and see how things j were getting on. He ran the motor-boat, under the ' counter of the barge, and as he did s ho his nerves tightened up and liis j senses grow alert, for from the tint cabin of the barge came a clear civ for help. In a few seconds Ellis had ! scram blew! on to the deck. He shouted i encouragement os if he were merely ; the advance guard of a party, and as he made out his bearings two figures shot by him and dropped into a boat on the far side of the binge and opposite to the quarter from whence he himself had come. Before be could interfere the boat pushed off and had vanished into the fog. Out of the mists Ellis could see the faint outline of a police launch. “ All right,” he shouted. “ I’m Ellis. I I’ll see what is wrong here you leg it after those chaps ” There came an answering my. and . Ellis dived into the cabin a s Avorv scrambled to his feet and began to wo some hazy idea as to what had happened to himself, j “ Mean to say that you are alone here?” Ellis asked J “ Looks like it, don’t it?” Avery growled. “My mate went off to get I some beer an hour ago, and © ain’t back yet. Some of the gang got ’old f ’im mostly likely a. d nobbled ’im. ut I tumb. d to one of thy roiteu blighters any’ow.”

(To lie Continued.)