CHAPTER XXVI.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1905, 18 June 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXVI.

NE PLUS ULTRA,

It was just three week 3 after the affray at Te Ranga that Peter Dusk found his way into the camp of the rebels at Judea. Smarting under their recent defeat at the Block Pah, the Maorieo would have made short work of their prisoner had it not been for the fact that Titori had handed him over to his Pakeha allies. True to his purpose, Colonel de Roal had the spy detective brought before him again on the evening of the day of his capture. Beside the Colonel sat the " Ferret," alias Joe Sharpe. The former waved his arm, a signal for the Maori guide to depart, and the three men were then left together. We have before stated that the detective waa a keen fellow, with a nerve of iron, else it is not probable he would have risked his life by venturing into the stronghold of the Maori to find his men. Looking at the pjvir before him, Dusk si w ih.it his existence hung upon a mero thread, but his courage rose with the occasion, and he decided upon a bold move if necessary. Tho Colouel said— " I suppose you think it odd to find some of your countrymen here in the rebel camp V " No ; perchance you are like myself, bottrr here than elsewhere." I De Roal smiled. . " Have you any idea who we are ?" " Ye? ;" replied Dusk, frankly. "The report is that four prisoners broke out of the stockade lately, and joined the rebel leader."

" Is that tho report i" " It is." *• And is it believed ?" " Yes." "Do me the honor to coir v et such a canard if you ever get back to the camp of Uolonel Chesterton," answered Do Roal, gravely. "Now your name, my friend. I have forgotten it." " Peter Dusk." There was a sudden flash of intelligence in th& eyes of the Ferret, who bent forward and briefly whispered to his companion. The Colonel played with the bandage round his wounded limb for a moment. •' How long have you been in the volunteers, Mr Dusk V 1 . " Some considerable time." " Where were you posted when you had the misfortune to fall asleep ?" "What does it matter? I ara here. No man in his senses would take the step I have takeu without a pawertul mo - the." "Just so," roplied the Colonel, radiant. " It i 3 your motive I want to fathom, Mr Dusk." "To escape fifty lashes, or perhaps worse punishment, is a' sufficient motive, sir, 1 think." Again the Ferret whispered his colleague, who nodded and smiled. "Ah, j'ou had no other motive in viait- [ ing Judea?" Dusk h sitated and then shimmered. " Perhaps I had." The Cjlonel looked surprised, but said mildly. *' Come, Mr. Dusk, speak out, the Fakohas here will help you if posiihle. It is o\ iileut to us that you dd not stray into tiiia pah b.y chance. What is the purport of your visit ? allow me to repeat." The detective hesitated again with ad-^ mirable acting. '* Are wo quite alone here V " Quite." " And there is no ono to overhear what is Baid ?" "No. This is a bombproof chamber. " " Harkee ! I am not a volunteer. I stole this uniform from a dead man outside the trench of the pah." " Who are youthen ?:>? :> said the Ferret, with a snarl in his voice, like that of a terrior ere he bites. f ' A gaol bird. Nothing less." "Oli, one of the escapees from the Stockade?" suggested the Colonel. " Exactly ; but you will not let that prejudice you ?" returned Peter Dusk, quickly. " Nay, such a recommendation would rather weigh in your favor," answered De Roal wich a sweet laugh. " Tell me, what was yoar crime, friend ?' "Burglary. Robbing a bank." •' And you were c mght 1" " No. I and three companions got clear away with a sum of three thousand pounds, and «a bag of gold dust worth thrice that sum, which we hid," cried Dusk, again hesitating, and watching the faces of his companions. " Humph ! go on." • c Thirteen thousand pounds waa a big haul, and the Bank made vigorous efloi ts to regain the money. I suspected they would. I also suspected that out of four men, one would probably be found to betray his confederates. This law is as true as the needle to the pole if you test it carefully. Wo- hid the booty in a cave on the coast, but having an idea that the adage of honor among thieves was not to be taken literally in this case, 1 found another hiding place for the money. Perhaps it w.is well I took the precaution, for in les3 than twenty four hours afterwards throe cf us were arrested for the robbery. ' " And the fourth ?" i " Turned Queen's evidence, of course, ; received a pardon and was sent out of ; the colony." " Weil friend, what about the spoil ?" said the Colonel, after a long pause, during which his steely eyes glittered with a strange light. Peter Dusk looked cautiously around. " The gold lies hid where 1 planted it." he said, in a low tone, that rose no higher than a whisper. "Ie was the all absorbing desire to possess myself of the treasur. 1 , which prompted me to risk escape." " Is the money hid hereabouts ?" " Aye, I was making towafds tho spot when the Maories found me." "Ah, I see." And the colonel stroked his moustache, reflectively, as if querying some mental problem. "Of course you have a proposal to make?" "That is certainly my idea," responded the detective, coolly ; but would it not be I better that I should make the proposition in ihe preseuco of your companions ?' "It is not necessary. Be good enough to proceed." " Thirteen thousand pounds, I repeat, is to be had within a mile ol the clitF yonder by the sea. The spot is well marked. My proposal is that you and your companions leave this place, take me with you, and 1 will show you where the gold is hid/ De Roal raised his eyes. " Anything else ?" he asked. " No, save that we share and share alike," said Dusk. The Ferret bent forward and whispered the colonel again. j " The sum you name is no doubt considerable," cried the latter. v Yet ie wonld not be much divided into ' fifty parts." " Fifty !" echofcd Dusk, for a moment 'taken off his guard. "I understood ; there were only four white men with ' TitorL" | Colonel de Roal laughed. ' "My friend, you are a very clever fellow, and I admire your address and courage very much," said he. "To me you appear no mean student of human nature, but you forget the first principle — nay, I may say, the ruling law of caution, viz., the weaker must go to the {wall. With a poor haud you liavq

j managed to pl;iy an excellent gamn. Let I me say how sorry I am that you have had the misfortune to be pitted against men who know the cards better than yourself, mon ami." "I do not understand," said the prij soner, still undaunted. j " That is your misfortune," answered De Roal, with his arable smile. " I had a friend in England who was once troubled with a fox. Many traps were laid for friend Reynard, but without avail. One day my friend brained a rab- ■ bit with a pair of tongs. Into the wound he poured croton oil, and then hid the dead animal within the ditch. The fox oame, discovered his prey, and sucked the wound. Ergo ! next day they found the thief by the bank of the river dead." " He was a foolish fox to be caught so aimply." " Just so. Now, my friend, there are human foxes who are to be caught with a more simple drug than croton oil. liet mo tell you that the hide of a fox is too short to cover a wolf. Why did you not try some other disguise ?'' " Colonel deKoal— " *• Ah, you know ray name ! you, the thref, who have been shut up in gaol for robbing a bank/ cried the Colonel, qcickly. "E^ad, sir, it is not very flattering to my intelligence at least to find that you went no further than the rabbit hutch, expecting the game killed ready to your maw." "Speak plain," ssiid Dusk, his face changing suddenly to defiance. *' There is no need to be plain, my fine fellow," continued the Colonel, in his soft, persunsive voice. Enough for you to know that we cannot accept your story." " Why?'' ~ ' "" " Because it is not true. Peter Dusk, from Scotland Yard, we know you." For just oue momeni. there is a gleam iv the prisoner's eyes, as he dives down his haud for the p'stol, secreted in his boot. It is but momentary, the thought and the attempt to put it into action. Still smiling, the Colonel calls the guard ; who miter and surround the prisoner. "This man is a spy," says De Roal in Maori, and nodding towards Dusk. " A daugeroU3 spy, who has had the temerity to enter Judea, only to betray the Maori into the hands of Colonel Chesterton. "What shall we do with him, warriors?" •'Kill him," replied TcKiti in English, and adding something else which we dare not record here. ' ' You hear ?" cried the colonel, with his sin'ntcr smile. ' v These fellows will execute their verdict within the hour. Have you any message to your superiors in London ?" Diplomacy at an end, the man rose equal to the occasion. " Yea ;" he cried, through his teeth. " Wire to Inspector ll—, and say that I have found Victor Mauprat and his confederates, and th.ifc I mean to have them in Newgate by the end of the year, or — " "Go on, my friend. Why do you pause ?" said the colonel. " Or in 11—1," cried Dusk, with a low bow. The Ferret laughed loudly, and rubbed his hands together, as the guard led out their captive. The Maories did not return to the phice whence Dukk had been brought for the interview. They crossed the pah at the point where the road opened to the space below, consisting of a broad plateau bare of trees, and sloping downward to a deep ravine, then ascending again on the other side to the high cliffs of the coast wall, Outside the works of the pah, the warrior in charge of Hie escort halted his men, six in number, and spoke a few words to them, after which they conducted their prisoner down the hill towards the ravine. Peter Dusk understood what was in store for him, though he did to comprehend oue word of what had been uttered. Looking round him in sheer desperation for some way of escape, his quick eye noted a party coming up the incline towards them. There were five persons ; three Maorios armed with rifles; the chief, Titori, leading a Maori girl, attired in a dark robe of misa flax, fastened at the waist with a silk sash, On her head was a sealskin cap, ornamented with a single toho feather. The parties met, aud halted simultaneously. " Wnither go ye with the Pakeha?" said Titori. "Heis a spy. The white wolf de Roal has commanded that he die the death." "Poof! Why do not the P*keha3 punish this hako themselves?" rep'ied the chief, with a frown. "Take him hence. The sight is hateful to me." The escort w. ra about to move on, when the Miori girl, who had been looking keenly at the captive, turned to Titori, and uttered a few words in a low tone. The chief smiled, and held up his hand. "Te Cora wishes to speak with the Pakeha," ho said to the warrior in charge. Then turning to the daughter of Te Apora (for it was none other) added, with a graceful bend of his stately head. "Titori has no voice here when Te C>>ra speaks. The Maoriea are Te Apora 's children." Waving an acknowledgement of the compliment, with the grace of an Empress To Cora advanced. "Why are you here ?" she asked in English. " Trying to do my duty," said Dask in surprise. " What duty of yours can lie here in the camp of the Maori ? You are a soldier by your uniform, but these men say that you are a spy. ' "It is not true." " Your name, sir?" '•Peter Dusk." Te Cora's eyes sparkled. " You are, then, the detective in search of Victor Mauprafc and his companions." — To be Continued. FD 20