A Desperate Remedy

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16710, 28 January 1926, Page 3

A Desperate Remedy

(By Bi N BOLT) Author of "Love Finds the Clue," Linked by Peril,'' "The Crooked Made Straight," Etc., Etc. '

Copyright. * (Published by arrangement witu uie Oenerpi Press, Ltd.)

CIIAPTER XII.— (Continued)

"There's no need for you 1o threaten," said Creswell. brusquely. "Honestly. I'm glad to see you. In another half-hour I should have despatched a cable instructing you to come oye here. As it is, you show up. in the nick of time. Your coming is most fortunate. Come along up to the house, and tell me how you lost that forty-odd thousand dollars that you took from Dick Romsey!" "So you know about that?" said Cariboo, as they turned towards the house. ~ "Yes! I learned it only to-day. "Then mebbe you know who did it?"

"Yes. I think I do!" "Jerusalem! You're cleverer than I thought, Mr Creswell." "Oh, I don't know about thai," answered Creswell with a short laugh, "we shall see presently." Five minutes later they were sealed in Grcswoll's study, and as the owner set a whisky decanter on the table lie asked. "How did you find me out?" "Easy as eating candy. When you're going pardners with a man in a crooked deal, you wants to know all about him, so as you won't get left. So one night when you were at Kamaloops I doped your coffee and went through your pockets." "Urn 1 " said Creswell, and considered the other thoughtfully. Then he spoke f again. "You know you've put me in a considerable hole by losing that money you got from Romsey?" "Couldn't lrelp it. boss. That cousin of vours ain't to be sneezed at. lie operated on that train as if he'd followed the .job from infancy." "You think it was my cousin?" "Dead sure of it! Got a stutter, hasn't lie?"

"Yes!" ; ! " \n' I heard him. Left a card behind him, too, that gave the show . away" ~ "The ace of spades, wasn't it? i Cariboo Pete jumped in his chair. "Say Mr Creswell. you're uncanny! How'did you know that? Wasn't on the train, was ycr?" '•No. but I heard the fact to-day. Sudden enlightenment showed itself in his visitor's lace, and he laughed. "Guess you've been talking to the gal!" "Girl! What girl?" "One 1 met in the street just now, and asked about you. She was on Hie train " . | "You have met Miss Shirley? \ou . have talked to her about me?" cried Creswell"; a black look coming to. his 1 "Yep! Mad to ask someone. Shir- ' lev! So that's her name!" i •■'And vou'd better keep it oif your | tongue."* replied Creswell,; with sue- , den- ferocity. "What did you tell , her about me?" | •Wothin', nothin" at all, replied I Cariboo with an understanding smile. ••I ain't a fool. Guess she'd stare though if I was to tell her all I know. Creswell's anger died as suddenly 'as it had arisen. "But you won't do that, Pete! he said quietly. "It won't pay you to do it." .. „., "Think so?" asked his visitor. l_m wondering. You ain't what I call a good payer. There's that] thousand pounds " > i "That was for —for "Shooting Lulworth, hey? "top, or for cleaning him and his partner out ; so that he wouldn't have so much as ; the passage money home. "Well, I i did that, an' I kept my part of the agreement, as I cabled to Mr Cameron, box. 2i3, 0.P.0., Condon, as agreed, an' waited, and your draft never materialised." "But in the meantime Geoffrey. Lulworth came home bringing '•" -Can't help that! He's a nervy man —that cousin of yourn. t knew tl\at Romsey had tumbled to the. fact that I'd cleaned him out by crooketl play, and I was quitting, the country for'a ; while. But that train hold-up was a trump card. It was done in style, and though I was the only one robbed, I'd never have tumbled to the game if that stuttering highwayman hadn't shoved in that silly ace of spades, that, like a fool, I'd dropped on the floor. That gave the show clean away, that an' the fact that he didn't take a dollar more than I'd skinned from his partner. When I figured it out I knew who was at the back of the thing, and though I'd never heard Lulworth open his mouth, or set eyes on him at a nearer range than fifteen yards, I guessed he was the man in Uie car. But all that ain't no excuse for you not sending the dollars Instanter when you got my cable." "I'll double the figure if you 11 do what I want." "What's that?" "Identify my cousin as the roadagent, and swear an information against him." "Sounds dead easy," said Cariboo thoughtfully, "though .to be sure I ah't got much affection for the police myself. But I'll have to see him first." , _ „ "I'll arrange that," answered Creswell eagerly ".Nothing easier. Tomorrow morning " "'Guess vou'll have to write me o note of " and for thc monc^"~~or l don't act!'' Creswell frowned. "Can't you ii'iist hit T' "Ole dog Trust is dead —of starvation," quoted Cariboo Pete wiu a ehuckie. , . In the end Felix Cresswell wrote the note of hand; and at the other's request paid ten pounds on account, then having received instructions where to meet his employer in the morning, Cariboo took his departure. As he left the house he chuckled audibly to himself, and half way down the drive he laughed at some idea that occurred to him. « "Why not?" he asked himself. i could draw both ways then. From what I know of him Lulworth would pay up handsome. He ain't a bad sort, an' that Cameron-Crcswell blighter is as crooked a stick as ever grew." This new idea pleased him, ana ne was still considering it when he reached the village street. There he had a surprise, for coming out of the village post office he encountered three people One of them was Margaret Shirley, the other two were men, one or them clean-shaven, and thc other bearded. He heard the girl speaking in laughing protest.

! "Oh, Mr Romscy!" "Jerusalem!" he whispered to nimI self, "Dick Romscy, an' the other 11 be " ! lie dived into an open doorway, which happened to be that of a small i general stores. A customer was being served, a man who was looking over the lop of the. red certain into the street. As Cariboo entered this man gave him a casual glance,,and as Ihrir eves met. both of the men started. A second later Cariboo Pete was in the streel again, running as if lor dear life, "Jerusalem!" he ejaculated, when • the slrceL was well behind Mm, 'That

CHAPTER XIII

(To be continued to-morrow.)

blamed policeman—that,—used—tcr be! What's he doin' here? And Romsey? Thai other was the chap I'll lay a hundred dollars to a cent. This bloomin' village street might he Broadway, But I'd give a dollar to know what's in the wind."

Dick Romsey's .appearance in the village had surprised Geoffrey Lulworth almost as much as it had done Cariboo Pete, when a fly from the station had delivered him at Lulworlh Hall, For a moment Geoffrey had stared unbelievingly. "Is it really you, Dick?"

"In the/ flesh I" laughed Romsey, "and in a hurry, too. I must return to London by the 7-0 train." "I think not," said Lulworth. "You'll have to s-stop for " .

"Wait till you hear rny story," interrupted Romsey, "then you'll change your mind." t "Ah, there's t'-troubJe" "hooks tike it. But I'll tell the story, then you can judge for. yourself,"

Geoffrey Lulworth waited whilst his friend lit a pipe, and then without any trace of anxiety in voice or manner inquired, "It's about ih-that holdup, of course?"

"You were expecting it then?" asked his friend quickly. "M-more or less," answered Lulworth, visioning for one moment the burly form of the timber-king. "1

r-m against l-troublr in Mmlreal. and had to skin front my hotel—d-d awn the fire escape."

"You never told me that, old man." said Romsi'v reproachfully. '•'Th-there was no need to worry you iiboui if. nick, i th-tlio'ught I'd left Hie thing well behind me; and in any c-case I didn't see how the man. who was worrying me, was g-going lo ert at you."

"Mayn't he the same man," said Romsey, thoughtfitllv. "If you'll l-frdi me your story, Dick p-perhaps- '" "Of course! This is how the thing lies. When we divided forces I went back West, with the idea of starting on a new prospecting expedition up a smnll tributary of the Frasor. I was buying stores ami looking for a suitable Pcte.rboro' and a ronple of likely men to man it. when who should but into camp but Ben Ptormer, who kept the saloon at Stony Gap!