THE JACKAL

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18534, 14 January 1932, Page 4

THE JACKAL

CHAPTER XXV.— (Continued;) “She hasn’t. I'm as sure of that as that I stand here this moment. Besides, thore’s Jerry Winter. He set out for Market Appleton and never reached It. He’d foreseen the possibility of that, or you wouldn’t be here now.- We’ve got to And him, and if anybody knows where he is, that man is Jacques." “And if he does, how are we going to make him tell us " “Leave that to me,” said the Skipper grimly. “And don’t butt In. Look here, since you don’t seem to like the Job, take your men behind the window curtains and let me deal with him." 'Briggs 'found nothing amiss with the Idea. “Qulokt Someone coming," whispered Doone. 'lt was a. false, alarm, however, for Soroggins entered to-find Doone apparently alone. . "Says he will, be down directly, sir; he’s dressing." , Scroggins retired, and Doone composed himself to wait.'Would Jacques come? Would he suspect and bolt for it? He was not left long in doubt. A sound of quiok footsteps, and Jacques came into the room. He was fully dressed, but his hair, usually •so sleek and well-groomed, • looked rumpled and untidy. He stifled a yawn as he came forward. “Glad you called me. Is there anything I can do?" Doone looked him up and down with silent loathing, but it was lost on Jacques. His gaze was wandering idly round the room. His black eyes smiled insolently then at Doone. "A little air, and' a little daylight, I think. Electric light is so —” Before Doone could Intervene he had crossed to the window and was drawing back the heavy curtains. The sight of Briggs and his men standing there and looking more than a little •foolish, brought him no shock, but only grave astonishment. , “Friends of yours?" he asked, turning to Doone. "It’s like this, Mr Jacques,’’ said Briggs, adopting his sternest official manner to cover his discomfiture. "Miss Doone is, missing. Also Mr Winter disappeared last night." “Eloped 1" Jacques’ eyebrows went up in well-bred :urprise. “Surely not?” i' ••"We have reason to think you know where they are." “I? But how could I? I know nothing about it, I assure you. I understood that Miss Doone had goue to London to visit a friend.” “She did not," thundered Doone. “I suppose you know best. She did not, then," said Jacques, coolly. t. In three strides Doone crossed to him, and his hands seized him in a grip of iron. He shook him like a terrier shaking a rat. ; ; “Where Is she?" menacingly. “Toll me, or,- -by heaven, I’ll •' ■ “Gbnfound your rough; insolence, Doone. : Let go i How should I know where she is? You must be mad." Doone withdrew a hand, clenched his flkt, and smashed It full into that mooking faoe. Jaoqes crashed back, oveturned a table, and went down like log. s*v;The. Skipper was upon him, again like a raging lion.

“Where is she?" Briggs sprang forward to intervene. "Go easy; go easy," he warned. "Easy be damned 1” cried the Skipper. “Stand away 'there I >Let‘me get at him; I know how to deal with his sort." 'Briggs. however, had no intention of seeing a man killed before bis eyes. The three of them clung to him and dragged him back. Jacques struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth. He was no longer smiling. The* devil’s venom looked out from his blaok eyes. "Gentlemen," his voice was low and even, "Gentlemen, forgive the libel; your ways are not gentlemanly —you asked me a question;-. I have answered it to the best of my ability. Will you oblige me by retiring as you came, and take that dangerous madman with you?” “By heaven, no! Where’s my niece? Where is Jerry Winter? Damn you, Briggs, let go, will you I I’ll squeeze the truth from his foul carcass." . . And then came the unlooked for interruption. . Anna, in calm, regal pose, stood framed ’in the doorway. The pandemonium ; ceased miraculously. "What does this mean?" In her cold displeasure she was superb, unchallenged mistress of the situation. Now from one to the other of them her eyes passed in imperious question. All eyes were fixed upon her. No one saw the gentle forward movement of a large seotlon Of the bookshelves near the fireplace. 'Slowly and noiselessly It was swinging outward, as though on a hinge. "Since no one will answer me, you had better go," said Anna in bitter scorn. ‘ And then someone did speak. But it was not Doone; it was not Briggs; nor even Jacques. The voice came from behind them, and It was soft and lazily pleasant. “Not yet—not yet, dear Anna.” The section of bookcase swung fully open, and Jerry, a smiling, dishevelled Jerry, stepped into the room. He oarried his coat over his arm, and h< was dripping wet from head to foot. Anna stood as though elm had seen a ghost. A quick gasp from Doone; "Jerry! Thank 'Godl" Jacques took ono quick glance at Anna, caught her eye, and let his - gaze wander to the window. She began to move, half a step at a time in that direction. “This, I think, is where we make a few arrests’, Briggs," said Jerry pleasantly. "Begin there!" He pointed suddenly to Jacques. “For the murder of Alfred Docsc. ’ Jacques’ face was the picture of black astonishment. ; ".Me? Arrest me, Henri Jacques?” Jerry’s 'mice cut in like cold steel. "For* the'murder cf Alfred Doone, I arrest von—Henri * lari denning.' ][.,,1 ‘jerry smilingly flung a live bomb In their midst, Ihe effect could not have been more paralysing. Brio Doone and Briggs gaped as though bereft of their 'Senses; Anna, too, seemed turned to stone, but hers was 11,e rigidity of a woman tensed for swift action. For one unmeasured instant time stood still. And that instant was one man’s opportunity. Carl Henning hounded sudde ily to the window. Anna was already there, swiftly rc- ■ leasing the catch. Before anyone had time io realise how it happened, it was all over. Doone woke to see the murderer escaping. He made one grab fbr his pocket: up went his revolver in swift, mechanical action; • a harsh warning erv came from ids lips. Dari lud already thrown open the window.

(By J. LINDSAY HAMILTON.)

Author of 11 The Gorgon," and “ The Black Asp.”

CHAPTER ' XVI

He took no heed of the warning. The finger around the trigger contracted, squeezed hard —and at the same moment Anna flung herself forward. With a little choking cry she sank to ■the floor with a bullet In her breast. Carl, already through the window, heard, stopped dead in his tracks, and sprang quickly back to where Anna lay. He stood over like a wild beast at bay, his eyes glaring oold malignant scorn and hatred from one to the other of them. Then, and then only, did he look down at Anna. His expression changed unbelievably. He stooped to her, and in the simple action seemed to cross an Immeasurable gulf. I From the far side of the gulf the ■onlookers saw him raise her in his arms and cradle her head against his shoulder. Overawed 'by the tragedy, not one of them but felt, the calm nobility of the man; not one of them but forgot the murderer, the callous criminal; they saw only the lover, the passionately devoted, the splendid lover.

Anna was still conscious. . Her eyes seemed to caress him with a tired smile. ■ Her lips moved. He stooped to catch the words, and then whispered back to her. 's. At length he rose to bis feet, and faced Jerry with a strange expression of contemptuous indifference, 'lie held out his wrists. '

"I ought to have killed you,” ho observed calmly.

■Chief Constable Briggs stepped forward and the handcuffs clicked. Then without a baokward glance Carl Jenning passed out with a policeman at either shoulder. Erio Doone was already at the telephone,"urgently summoning a doctor. Jerry stood again by the secret entrance to the library and called softly: “You . may come now, Helen, dear —I think Anna wiill need you."

The Secret of the Well.

The Skipper and Briggs followed Jerry from the library into a dark passage. Jerry touched something in the wall and the section of bookshelves swung ba.ck into position behind them. A moment later and the passage was brightly Illuminated. It was very short, for in six feet It entered a cori’idor running to right and left.

At the junction Jerry halted and pointed to a strange looking device standing in a recess in the wall. A single tube like an organ pipe rose from a box-like metal base.

“The death cry," explained Jerry. “You see how that woird howl was produced. It’s a sort of siren. The base is an eleotric suction fan. I expect the power can be varied by. a switch somewhere In the Manor." . “Who could credit it?' muttered Doone.. “It. seems, simple enough when .you know hoyy.it was stone passages,''of course, 'would' help to produce the deep vibrating note. I don’t mind admitting now that it just about .set my. hair on end." . “And you are not oUrse'd ' with a vivid imagination." , •. w... • ‘ "•• • ■ The Skipper said very little, but it was not difficult to follow his train of thought in tile low exclamation: "Poor Alfred 1 Poor old chap 1"

They turnea right, passed along the corridor and down a winding flight of stone steps and stood at last lp the main dungeon Jerry went straight to the well andjooked up the shaft. “You there, Scroggins?"

The voice of Scroggins came booming down the shaft, and echoing round the dungeon.

. "Ready, Mr Jarry." “Lower away then I" Scroggins stood at the winch in the great arch and began to turn the iron handle. The steel hawser dropped lower and lower down the shaft and presently Jerry was able to grasp the iron hook on the end of it and draw it in. A foot or so above the book he tied on a small electric bulb to which was attached a length of flexible wire.

“Lower away 1” The hook continued its descent, struck the water, dipped lower and lower and Anally came to rest at the bottom of the well Jerry had connected this end of the flexible wire to a flash-lamp batery lie switched on the light Doonc and' Briggs peered down and then looked up at Jerry in a puzzled way. '' “Can you sea anything " said Jerry. ' , „ “A Bhapeles mass of some sort, replied Briggs promptly. “It’s impossible to say what it is though.' “What’s the great idea, Jerry? ’ from Doone. “You’ll see in less than a minute, Jerry reaohed out for the cable and began to manoeuvre with it. The hook oaught without much difficulty and Sorogglns began to haul up. It was evidently tough work, for it came slowly in little Jerks, Inch by inch. ■Before It broke the surface of the water they could see that the load, whatever it was, was contained in a close-meshed steel box. They were not left long in suspense. Their united efforts swung to load to the floor of the dungeon, and Jerry released the patent fastoner around the neck of the net. . But already Doone had half-guessed, for ho had caught the gleam of shining yellow through the meshes. Even so, he was unable to restrain an cxolamation of bewildered amazement. , “Good -Lordl The Bullion! How on earth ?” ■ T “That’s just it,” chuckled Jerry. "How on earth? It was thinking that out'from the other end, so to speak, that got us out of the tomb.” “By the way, Jerry, how did you get out?" asked 'Doone curiously. “That sounds a bit like an after thought, but the fact is I was so deuced relieved to see you and Helen safe that 1 didn’t stop !o wonder where you had been or how you had escaped." “That’s all rigid,, .old hoy," Jerry clapped him on the hack. “Exactly how l fell myself—-100 deuced relieved for words.” He would have dismissed the topic without answering the question had not Briggs demanded Ilial their curiosity should be salisfled. “ilow did you escape. Mr \Vmlei* "That way," senid Jerry, and pointed down Ihe well. “But ii's full of water. I don’t

"You remember Ihe barge?” Jerry tnprncd to Doone. "The unloading seemed a miracle. I can tell you how it, was done. The bars were thrown into sled uds and dumped overboard into the river. One can guess where! Why. right at the entrance of the boat-house. Simple, isn't it,?” Apparently It was not so to Briggs, lie' asked liic obvious question.

"If they were dropped in the river, how does this little lot come to be in the bottom of the well?"'

“Same way as all the other little lots,", said Jerry with a grin. “They’re all down 'there. You can bring them all up later on if you don’t mind. Personally, I don’t want to see another steel net as long as I live. Never had ■such wind up in all my life as when I got amongst, them—it was a hit of ;■& ?;• •" ■ Doone was beginning to see. He looked at Jerry's careless smiling faco, and was not deceived. He seemed to visualise a little of the horror of that blind struggle in the darkness. "The well connects underwater with the boat-house?" he asked in a low voice. “Down there?' You swam it? My God, Jerry 1" •'■'■Jerry 'answered neither yes nor no.' He was clearly not disposed to enlarge on the subject of that ordeal. - “You see how simple it Is," he went on to explain. “The bed of the boathouse is actually the beginning of a steep ooncrete shoot that leads down to the well bottom. They dumped the.stuff over, one load at a time; the first shot down to the well bottom; .the others piled up along the shoot. When you haul up one, the next slides into place. All the unloading was done In the same way. It was quick, 'and absolutely safe. When the load was drugs they packed them in waterproof cases. Stacks of them In the other dungeons. Gome and 'have a look I”

, Without more ado he set off to conduct them upon a tour of the dungeons. Briggs was inclined to linger. He wanted to break open all the cases; he was deeply interested m ihe counterfeit notes and the paining machine, and seemed to catalogue everything exhaustively. But Jerry was now ojgoc only to return to the Manor.

“You take cVarge then, Birgg3," he suggested amiably. “My job is done, with the exception of friend Cunningham." i “I’ve fixed that too," repled Briggs, with obvious satisfaction. He’ll bo under arrest this very minute or I'm very much mistaken." (To be continued.)