"THE TURN OF THE TIDE."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17180, 25 October 1923, Page 10

"THE TURN OF THE TIDE ."

] “ STAR ” NEW SERIAL.

By

FRED M. WHITE.

CHAPTER VI.—CONTINUED. “You mean to say that you recognised one of the gang?” Aye. that I did, guv'uor. Two of ’em comes creepin’ down ’ero an’ •drops on the top of me before I knows as they arc about. When 1 yells out an’ L ’ears your voice the first chap catches me a clip on the jaw that knocks me. out, hut not afore 1 calls ’iin be name an’ I sees as *c pipes me. Ait ’ini a regular toff.” “Oh. indeed. Who might ho be? Do 1 know him?” "Very like. E‘s a sort of boss in one of the big offices, in Great Bower Street, manager ’o calls himself to Verity and Co. Name o’ Cfilmourthev tells me. But that worn’t the name I. kno wed ‘ini by when I were in the Navy. I spotted ’im ages ago as an old enemy, but J didn’t say nothink, because I alius believe in letting by gones be bygones, and if the bloke likes to call hisself by,another name it don’t concern me. But the bloke that copped me on the jaw is the same as calls hisself Mr Mark Gilmour.” Ellis sat there without comment, bul seeing a deal of light in what hitherto j had been a very dark place to him. A i score of little things began to assume large proportions. But it was no part of his policy just then to say anything about this to liis companion. Ho v.ouhi know what to do when the time came. “ Perhaps I had better hail the next police boat and send off to find your mate/* he suggested. “ If the man has been got at it would be just as well I to find out.’’ 1 Half an hour later Avoir was relieved by a police patrol, and Ellis vragetting I i spec tor Lock on the telephone. It was not the first time he had been of service to the authorities ; and Lock listened to him with all due j respect. •‘lll make inquiries.*’ he -aid. “ Ring mo up again in about half an hour and l may have something for At the end of that time 1.0-. k had quite a lot to say. A police pal rol had very neaily caught the raider- am: was under the impression that they had suck their boat. If that was j then the thieves must have been I 1 drowned, a solution that did not altogether satisfy Ellis. He had a suggeslion to make. They were probably prepared lor that,” lie. said. {: If you don’t mind. | it would be as well to find out at once | where Gilmour is to be found. I know j the man personally; I have met him j more than once at his employer’s house at Cray, and the more I see of him, ! the Jess T like him. He may try to ! get to Cray to-night to establish an j alibi. If he isn’t at his flat, and his I housekeeper doesn’t know where lie is. wouldn't it bo worth while to rush off to Mr Croot's house at Cray and make inquiries?” £ * Not at all a had suggestion.” Lock replied. “ If Mr Croot is in this business himself ” “But that’s all nonsense vou know, Lock. ’ ’ Probably, but you never can tell. Anyhow, there is both- brains and unlimited -money behind this business. I’ll run-down to Cray at once, and you can come and see me in the moruTiul there was nothing very definite for Ellis when he called on Lock the following day. He listened attentively to what the inspector had to say, and was forced to agree with him that Bill A very had made a mistake in the identity of his man. “ He must have d@ne,” Lock said. “ Gilmour was in the house when 1 got there ati hour after the affray, and he was in evening dress and quite calm and collected. Ho was very frank as to his movements, and volunteered the information that lie had come there too late for dinner by the train reaching Gray from Charing C ross at 8.30. He couldn’t have got from the river in his wet clothes and changed and bathed and got to Cray in lull rig before my arival unless, of course. C root was in the conspiracy. And that is a thing I am not suggesting. But the big point- in Gilmour'favour is that railway ticket. ]. mean the return half of a first-class between Charing Cross and Gray. Onlv one first-class ticket was issued at Charing Cross to Cray by that particular train, arid the outward half was duly delivered up at Cray, and, according l o the number, the inward half was in Gilmonr's possession. AVe can't net over that.” .rack Ellis was duly impressed hthis statement. There was no getting away from the'simple facts that went to prove that Gilmour was not the man who had*raided the barge. And vet Bill Avoir had been very positive i in his statement. AYas it possible | that Avory himself was playing « trick on him. Lock voiced this suspicion in the next thing that ho said. “ AVhnt do you know about this man Avorv?” he asked. “Well, not much,” Jack confessed. “ He has a daughter who is a nousemaid at the Moat House, Cray, which is Mr C-root s place, as you know. T happened on Avory one "clay when 1 was there, and he came to see the girl, and we began to talk on the wav to the station. AA'e became mow or less friendly alter that. But I will have another chat with Avory on tin matter. He lives in lodgings not fa l from my temporary slum in AY ap pi rig. and as lie is generally engaged on night work, f shall have plenty of c-hances. But lam afraid, after*what you have said, that- he lias made a lug mistake.'- £ - Looks like it.” Lock agreed, “ very much like it. Did Avorv happen to mention the name under which ho had known, or believed he had known, the man Gilmour?” “No. I don't think he did. If so. it- escaped me in the excitement of the moment. But I can easily find that

(To bo Continued.;