DEALER IN ANTIQUES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 18 July 1924, Page 14

DEALER IN ANTIQUES

OUR SERIAL. A

By

BASIL. TOZER.

Author of ‘‘The Irony of Marriage Round the World with a Milliona ire,” etc.

j CHAPTER XI, V. (Continued.) He called sharply to the dog, called him several times, and Bax at last came to him reluctantly. Was his victim dead? Jlonald felt at that moment that lie did not in the least care. His thoughts were all of Pan.. She was still senseless when he picked Iter up and carried Iter gcnti v along the cramped tunnel by which lie had come—a by no means easy task. >\t the end of it lie found that the w hole place was now lit up. Police in all directions moved about, though they did not appear to have effected arrests. He had lain his precious hujivleit gently on a sola in the room where he had snatched t.V-? torch, when a familiar voice accosted him. Straightening himself, he turned quickly. •Heavens, Lattinur !” he cried ouu overjoyed. ** Why, what brings you beie? AVhat has happened? AN hat is this accursed place, and what was the explosion ?” “ I might ask—what brings you here?" the Professor answered calmly. •• This is only one more of the cunningly concealed haunts of the scoundrels engaged in the drugs traffic—tnc police are discovering them one b* one. A'on remember my tolling von 1 was having yo\i both shadowed? Tuo • sliadowers ’ . followed you in a taxi when you set out to amuse yourselves hy exploring one of the least savoury districts to lie found even in tins city, but in spite of all their care won seemed determined to get yourselves into trouble, you’re not fit to be let out, Konald. Really you are not. The explosion? Well, to get into this place it was necessaiy to use gelignite. But what about Miss Carstairs? ” lie added quickly, with a glance towards the sofa. “Not hurt. I hope?” CHAPTER X.LYJ.. Konald aid not answer. He was bending over her, watching her lace ‘ ller pulse is weak and fluttering a little,' Jie said, as lie stood upright again. “ Site has had a bad shock and a worse 1 right, and i expect she is badly bruised, but fortunately 1 arrived in the nick o! time, though if it hadn’t been for Bax, ’ lie bent down and patted the dog, “God knows what might not have happened —why, he’s bleeding,” and he examined the dog's wounds inflicted by Pain’s assailant. Then in a few words lie described what luid happened. “ AA e must get a doctor as soou as possible,” he elided. “ You see,” the Professor went on presently, “ the ‘shadowers s wlio were watching you saw you go into a certain shop which for some time has been under police surveillance. You were with an individual who bears a very shady repuation. and when, alter half an hour, you did not come out again, they rang up their head office and said what had happened—-and w hat they suspected. “It was some time before the raid on the shop premises could he arranged, and. when it was made, for several hours nothing in the least incriminating could be discovered. And yet it was known beyond doubt that neither you nor Miss Carstairs had come out again. Finally the passages you must have gone along were examined minutely foot by foot, and then more by accident than otherwise the discovery was made that in the wall there was an opening concealed and closed by a loose slab of concrete, ut last ascertained to be a revolving slab:—that was not found out until quite late at night. ‘ Every attempt was then made to find out how the revolving slab was operated, but to no purpose. As a last resource, as there seemed to be no other way of forcing an entrance, it was decided to blast the concrete slab and And out. what was behind it that way. To do this special permission had first to be obtained, and then there was some difficulty in finding a suitable high explosive, so that it was not until nearly half past eleven that tlio blasting could be carried out.” “ Half past eleven ! ” Konald exclaimed. ‘‘That was the time Pam and f were to have had the long-de-terred interview with the individual we call the mystery man. That was the hour named for the interview by Senor Gonzales when we saw him this morning.” “ Don’t let that disturb you,’’ Laltinter answered. “ I knew, and the police knew too, the hour when that meeting was to take place. An hour ago the individual you refer to wn« notified that for a very urgent reason the appointment would have to be deterred. Therefore ho did not expect you. Ah, here comes Inspector Damocles my friend who holds a very responsible position in the police here. I Get me introduce you. 1 lie new arrival and Ronald shook haids. and then the former said, addressing the Professor:— I’hey have escaped again, Lattimer - not one left in the place. The old story— an emergency outlet which we can t find. And 1 thought we had them by the heels at last ! ” “Then you know' about them, who they are, and all that?” Ronald asked. after bending over Pai>i again, still unconscious on the conch. “J believe we know them all, and all about them,” Damocles replied, “only up to the present we have not been able actually to convict them or any of them. I am sure that several or the men and one or two of the women too who were down here some minutes ago have been charged on more than one occasion, but their guilt could not l>o proved. Provoking, very —rattles our men, too, who are straining every nerve to crush the drugs traffic in this city.” “ fhe re is one still down here. Inspector.” Ronald said quickly, and he told him* in a few words where he would find the man who had been mauled by Bax! At once Inspector Damocles detailed rhree of his office’s to proceed to the spot indicated and arrest Pam’s assailant if he still lived, ■ aid bring him to him. Ronald w> amused at this. lu England, he r>-

fleeted, the Inspector would himsoif have made the arrest. Yet Damocles went on talking as if this arrest were but an incident. “Did wo know of this place?” lie said, answering Ronald's question. “No, not this one, but wo have raided others like it, though not villi the entrance hidden as this one was. In several outskirts of the city these curious caverns exist, with roughlv hewn stone steps like these leading down into them, and similarly constructed tunnels running from caverr to cavern- -sort of giant dug-outs. Nobody knows 'when they were made oi o.S whom, or what they were original!, used for ; nobody knows for certain how they conic to be hero at all. Thert i; a. legend that Pizarro dug them after his conquest ot Peru, for a. cruel pu rposc.” “ And what about the buildings overhead ?” Ronald asked, interested. “ Oh, of course, years ago there were no buildings there, none anywhere near here at all those all cum* later as the city eonti-iued to spread. The dug-outs wc raided son: :i lie age were being used as this one'has been as hiding-places of persons engaged in preparing illicit drugs and in the drug' j traffic. ANY found plenty of the stun in those other two. and probably vi! in this when we start out to examine it ” “ The preparation and export of these drugs, you know, Ronald.” Lattimm went on, when the other had stopped talking, “are closely associated wit the industry of the antique dealers, o* of many of them in this citv, that ;s. the export of antiqu- s and the manufacture of faked mt-ques and cur-0.-. Aon probably noticed the many antique .shone there arc in the street where that stranger scraped acquaint since with you -a plausible person, yet one of the biggest rasca:.*; known Lc the police, though Jiey h:t«./ not a y s i succeeded in bringing a crime home to him. Look. Miss Caiatioq is coining round. ’ he added, pointing toil a ids the sofa. Pam, still lying on he; back began tc. move uneasily A uuiiuio la Lor lie urwnetl iiox- eyes it:u. luuic,;d amu:t. j-.i-.zled. You are quite sate. Pam, mv dcar€sfc!” Ronald exclaimed reassiiringl . He bent over her again and gazed into her eyes. “ I here is no danger non, none at all; it has all passed, i-hat blackguard i\ ho assaulted you vas set upon by Bax, who almost chewed him up. How are you feeling j She S ave R weak little smile, then pui up her hands and took hold of his. Gh, how awful it has been. Ronnie!” she said, a look of intense relief coming into her eyes. “ AVhat a nightmare! You won’t leave me, Ronnie?” and he felt her clasp tighten. I ‘‘ Leave you? AA e shall be back at | the hotel soon. I don’t believe now ! that you will need a doctor.” i Then, speaking quietly, lie went o i 1 to tell her exactly what hud happened ! while they had been parted, and how the interview had been put off. The excitement engendered bv the stirring events which had occurred did not subside at once when they got back to tho Plaza. So instead of going to bed they sat up talking in the sitting-room. Pamela was nervous still, and agitatedOcn o’clock had struck, when there I came a knock upon the door. To their j surprise it Was Lattimer. | (To be continued.)