The Ban Dhu.

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19565, 2 May 1935, Page 4

The Ban Dhu.

SYNOPSIS. Sean Burke, trapping rabbits, by accident catches a pet rabbit belonging to Kathleen' MacMorrough. She is enragecl and refuses to forgive him. She returns home to her grandmother, Cauth MacMorrough, who hates the Burkes for some mysterious reason. She makes Kathleen swear on the skull of an ancient wolf that she will never love Sean Burke. There Is some old legend connected with the skull which the grandmother will not reveal, Lionel O’Hara and Mr Prestwich are in .a club-room when word is brought to the latter that his steward, Munroe, has been dangerously wounded by some unknown assailant when near a curious limestone pinnacle, known as The Witch's Hock. That night Mr Prestwich, his daughter Johanna apd Lionel, visit Munroe. While they are there a stone is thrpwn through the window, Hound it is wrapped a bloodsmoared paper.

CHAPTER V, With a snarl of rage, Lionel dropped Johanna’s arm and dashed up the slope. “Come back, oh, come back, Mr O’Hara,” cried Sean frantically, “ 'tis runnin' to your death ye are like a fool. Gail him back, miss!” The girl stood mqte, her hands clasped close to her breast. She felt it would be useless to try to stop Lionel just then, and a glow of pride thrilled her more than anything in life had ever thrilled her before. “Go after him. Go after him, Sean, and help him if he wants your help.” For an instant the young man hesitated, all the superstitious fears that had woven themselves round him throughout his life clawing at him with their ghostly fingers and holding him back. “Sean!” Johanna pushed him gently from her side.

“Redad an’ I will!” he cried with sudden determination, gripping his bundle of .wire snares whip fashion. A poor weapon truly, hut the best he had at the moment. “Are' you all right, miss?" “Yes, yes, I’ll be all right; now go, please.” Sean flew up the slope towards where the crackling of the bushes told him that Lionel was making his wild search.

“J, m loomin'," he called, partly, it must be confessed, to keep up his courage, put partly to avoid a clash In the'dark with an ally.

“Why did you leave Miss Johanna?’! cried Lionel, when Sean came up with him. u You> shouldn’t—

"She told me to, I wanted to stay and mind her, Mi' O'Hara,”

“She mustn't ibe left alone. She got a great shock Just now, and one never knows—— " “She wouldn't let me stay," reiterated Sean doggedly. “She’d say 'twas afeared I was If I didn’t come along after you. But you’re in the right of it, 'tis no time nor place to leave Miss Jonna after all that’s happened this night. Come along, sir, we’ll go back an' bring her home—-leave 'the Ban Dlju be. Anyway, ’tis the best thing to do with it.” “You’re right, Burke, “we'll get back at onoe." They had gone farther than either of them thought in that quick rush in the dark, ,hut surely it was not ten minutes from the lime they had left the .clearing until they reached It again. At the other end of it, Johanna, a dim figure in the starlight, was again lying on the ground. “She must have fainted again," said Lionel. “Oh, we shouldn’t have left her. “Twas my fault." They raced across the grass to where the still figure lay. She was on her face, her arms thrown out as If she had fallen without power to help herself. Lionel turned her gently, pillowing her head on his shoulder. A thin stream of blood streaked her forehead 1

“She must have fainted," said 'Burke, “and hit her head agin a stone. We’ll carry her easy down between ’ the two of us to the house. Johanna was not a light weight, but she was no trouble to the powerful young men. Silently and'quickly they (bore her to the house. Only the dim light In (Munroe’s room showed in its dark mass.

As they reached the steps, Johanna moaned and stirred.

“It’s all right, my dear," whispered Lionel. “You’re at home now.”

Johanna came to herself abruptly. “What happened? Oh, 1 know — something hit me ana I fell; I suppose I was stunned." She slipped from their arms and swayed dizzily against Lionel.

“Do you mean to say you were attacked again—just in the few minutes we were away from you. This is absolutely damnable I What hit you?" “I don’t know, I heard nothing. I suppose it must have been that Banjo or whatever you call It, at it again. My head will be sore all over. Two bumps from him and one from mother earth all in one evening is a bit too thick. I hope my head is thick too—'twould want to be if there is going to be’much of this sort of thing i" She passed her hand over her forehead.

"Ugh! Blood! Beauty spoilt for a fortnight, if not forever."

Lionel was amazed at Johanna’s pluck. In spite of their long acquaintance from childhood, he had never known of the strength that lay behind her light-hearted manner. Without a word ho ran up the steps and rang the bell. Soqn shuffling footsteps were heard within.

"Dad,” whispered Johanna, "padding down in his slippers, lie knows the servants have gone to bed. Not a word about Banjo, he’d go off the deep end and that wouldn’t do any good. I was out moon-gazing with you and fell over something—met Sean —you both helped me home—hush!”

"Who’s that?" came from within. “Just us, Dad, back from a li’l walk.”

The young men looked at one another. Certainly Johanna was an amazing .girl. She spoke cheerily in spite of all she had gone through. “Keep it up, lads,” she whispered as the door opened. Mr Prestwich stood there, blinking, slippered and dressing-gowned. "You young minx,” lie began, then "Hello! what the dev ”

"Now, Dad, no language: remember yoai aren’t playing golf. The Shannon Scheme wasn’t functioning on the hill and so your much beloved daughter came a cropper. Behold the result.” She pointed to the cut on her forehead. “What were you at? Come in all of you. You've got io lell me what you were doing." Mr Prestwich led Iho way to the dining-room. “Well, young Burke, so you were on I lie expedition 100. 'reaching them lo snare rabbits, you young blackguard!” This wa?; said good-luimoureclly and iscan grinned in silence. "You helped Miss Johanna, so’il let *ou aix with a can-

By DESMOND LOUGH. (Author of “ Judgment," “ The Wager,” Etc., Eta.) A DELIGHTFUL LOVE STORY IN AN UNUSUAL SETTING.

tion this time, tout X can't have these ■expeditions just now after Munroe’s affair. Here, Jo, take this." He handed Johanna a glass of whiskey. “Help yourselves, boys," he added, nodding towards the decanter. “Now, then, what was all this game of yours, at mid-night, too, or nearly?" "We were searching the grounds," ■ said Lionel.

, , “Ha!" Mr Prestwich pulled at his grizzly moustaohe thoughtfully. “So you young people were trying to do a bit of detective work, I see. I was too old to be taken with you, or perhaps you didn’t think that I’d be -fool i enough to go with you in the dark, j asking that ruffian to stab me in the back. I didn’t think it of you, Lionel, I didn’t think that you’d bring Johanna into such danger; I didn’t Indeed." "That’s not true, Dad. Lionel didn’t do any such thing." Johanna sprang to her feet in eager defence. “lie did just the opposite. I wanted to .go with Hiim and he wouldn’t let me. I was peeved and I went out by myself after he had gone." “Sorry, Lionel," said Mr Prestwich. “Now tell me all of it. We mugt all be in the thing, so let there be no hiding. I may tell you I think you have hidden something about this expedition of yours; for instance, liow did Johanna get that wound on the head? The truth now." “Dad’s not such a fool as I hoped," said Johanna. “Go ahead, Lionel.” “WouldnT it be better to tie up Miss Jonna’s head first?" suggested Sean. “Burke’s right. He’s the best nurse of the lot," approved Mr Prestwich. “I’ll call Mary. She can take her off her room and make her comfortable.” In a few minutes Mary, stout, motherly and sleepy; arrived with a big shawl thrown over her shoulders, her hair curl-papered and pigtailed for the night. “Wisha, miss, what’s all this about? The master does be telling me that your poor head got a knock of a stone. Come along with Mary and we’ll make you comfortable in bed with\, the blessing of God. Oh, dear I Oh, dear I But ’tis the terrible knock ye got. Sure you shouldn’t be gallivantin’ at this hour of the night, up by the place •Where nobody should be goin’, specially in the dark too! ’Tls the mercy O' God that ye didn’t meet —Ah, well, come along, acushla!" An atmosphere of entirely ordinary common-sense seemed to surround the good woman. It gaye much needed relief to their tensed feelings; yet it was evident that Mary had, for a moment thought of the legend of the Ban Dhu —that showed plainly in her unfinished sentence. * “lii the words of-the wireless ‘Good night, everybody' " said Johanna, making a brave attempt to be herself “Come along, Moll; a plaster on my forehead, a soft bed and thou, will be enough for me for the present." “Phewl" breathed Mr Prestwich taking the stopper from the decanter, “what a girl I Boys, another three fingers. By Jove! we want it!” A sudden scream from upstairs out through his words like a knife. The three dashed upstairs, terror in ..'their hearts. What new surprise was tb-be theirs?

, Mary, who had been the screamer, was t exclaiming and crying In the doorway’ of Johanna’s room, and Johanna herself was seated in an arm-chair, very pale, with a puzzled expression on her face.

“What is it? What is it?” cried Lionel, who was first up. Johanna pointed to the window. The glass was shattered and a stone lay on the floor.

“Another bombardment,” she said with an attempt at bravado. "As soon as we brought in the light—biff!—or words to that effect. The dear creature that dotted me one evidently thought that he hadn’t paid me enough attention for one night. I beg to differ.”

"What the ?” began Mr Prestwick, and stopped. Words failed him.

“Don’t get apoplexy, 'Dad. I’ve ibeen thinking things over ever since I sat down here fifteen seconds ago,” said Johanna calmly, “and I think I ■can guess what it’s all about. Somebody—the Ban Dh.u, for preference— I've got the name right this time, I think—doesn’t like us, and so, having patted Munroe and self on our heads —a (bit too hard to be wholesome, I’ll admit —shelled his room first and then mine, just to show he wasn’t Joking. I had been a naughty girl, •prying into its affairs and getting myself disliked therefore, so he thought that he’d speak, so to speak, with 'a little more emphasis, by doing this.” She waved her hand at the disorder. “The creature seems to spy on us everywhere. That means that if we are sharp enough he can toe caught. We’re too close on his tracks for him to feel safe. I’d back you two boys ■against any Ban Dhu that ever happened—you top plus little me," she added, “for I’m going to toe in it, whether you like it or not, my dear Lionel. I have spoken." Mary, unashamedly terrified, was whimpering and sniffing. Sean, nervous, too, looked from one to the 'other in silence. Mr Preslwich snorted and puffed lik a volcano about to erupt. It was Lionel who spoke first. “I’m going through with it. of course; I’m more determined than ever. You two people,” lie turned lo Scan and Mary, “needn’t be afraid of whoever did this”—lie kicked a splinter of glass—“that’s' no ghost’s job, if the Ban Dhu is a ghost- It is •somebody frying lo make an effect.” | “I believe you arc right,” said Mr iPreslwicli, ".some rapscallion " j “For the Lord’s sake, sir,” broke in Mary, “don’t call the—the—ii— j names —you don’t know what it’d do on us. It may toe listenin’ to you ibis blessed minute. You haven’t the knowledge what the —what the good one is able lo do if it likes!” ( “Pooh! Pooh!” I Mr Preslwich could think of nothing more convincing to say, and it did nol sound very convincing, even to himself. Johanna held up a diplomatic hand.

“Good people all, I am very tired. The reception is ended, willi your Kind permission. Mary will tidy up, and if the B.D. allows me, I’ll pet to •bed.” (To bo continued.'