Show B lac ar it A sequel to bulldog drummond corr by ov aj axil at C NEWL m A DORM CO wv jat ja ava BLACKS AND HEDS synopsis to a gathering ot of anarchists lata in barking Dar king london suburb zal foreign egita tor tar tolls tells at 0 tile the op operations orations of 0 IL body of 0 men man who have leeome a menace to their activities ile ha a m ays aya they are masked mashed und and wear long ions black cloaks and are actinic actina without the law I 1 CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 in the doorway stood a n huge inn in bovere coverer from head bend to toot foot lit in black in each hand lie field a revolver with which lie ho covered tile fight eight occupants during tile the second or two willell which it took for half a lozen dozen similarly disguised guised men to file pnat past him ID and take up their positions round the walls and a little more educated than nan tile the remainder of ills his friends found himself thinking of old tales of the spanish inquisition and the doges boges of venice even ns na lie he huddled rl a little nearer to tile the table stand by the table all of you 11 it was wag the man at the door who spoke in a curiously deep voice rind and like sheep they obeyed him ull all save plash flash clr alp for that worthy crook though albough 1 was was not without physical cr arage the pollee police be knew better than to play the fool with but these were ivere not the police wot the lie he snarled and got no 0 farther something lilt hit him lic hind the lend head a thousand stars danced before his eyes and with a strangled grunt he crashed forward on his face for a botn nt or two there was silence and then once again the man at the door arrange the meni in a row in a second the seven remaining men were marshaled in a line while behind then them stood six motionless black figures and then the big ninn walked slowly down in front of them peering into elich roans mans face lie ile spoke e no word until lie ho readied reached tile the end of the line and then ills his inspection concluded lie he stepped back and leaned against tile the wall facing them A nauseating collection he remarked thoughtfully A loathsome brood what are tile the three undersized and shivering insects on the right those tire are three of my clerks with an assumption of bravado and I 1 would like to know in good time you will answered the deep voice three of your clerks are they imbued with your rotten ideas I 1 suppose ond find yearning to follow in fu fathers footsteps have wo we anything particular against them there ans no answer from the masked men and the leader made it sign instantly the three terrified clerks were seized from behind rind brought up to him where they stood trembling and shaking in every limb listen to me you three little worms with an effort they pulled themselves vee together a rpy my of hope wila dawning in their perhaps they were going to be lot let oft off easy my lly friend fr lendi C and I 1 do not like you or your type you meet in secret places rind nad in your slimy minds you oil co concoct ri foul reli schemes etnes which incredible though it may seem have so far had milre acore than a fair measure of success in tills this country hut but your main idea to la not tile the schemes tut but the money you are paid to carry thein tin in out tills Is your farst and lest last warning abnot another ier time you will be treated rented dif differently feren ly get out of here and see you d dont nt stop the door closed behind them nad aud two of tile the masked mn there was the sound aa 1111 of a hoot being used with i skill find strength and cries of pain i then the lite door reopened and tha the anil masked men returned they have gone announced one of them we hyped hei ped tb tani ni on their wy 1 good said bald the lender leader let et us continue tile the inspection what are these theae alvo awot A roan man from behind stepped for waird and examined them slowly then he e came up to the leader and whis pc redl his ear IB that so A new and terrible cote had crept into anio the deep volve voice my and I 1 do not like your tride trade apt swine it Is 14 well that we have come proved with tile the necessary implement tor for such a case fetch the cat ili laa silence site nee one of the men left the room and I 1 na fig hla full meaning came horie home t to the two jews they nune flung rhems J groveling on the floor for or mercy 1 a them tiie the order came out oat sharp rind ond clear grid and in an two writhing ruen men sacre acre seized find and gagged only their rolling eyes and trem trembling bilAg hands noya tile ie terr terror or they felt as they dragged themselves on their knees towards the impassive leader the cat for cases of tills sort to la used legally he fie remarked we merely anticipate the law with a fresh ou outburst of monna moans the two watched the door open and tile the inexorable black figure come in holding in his hand a short stick from which nine lashes hung filing down Ille avenal gasped lc starting forward what are you going to do 17 flos ing them to within tin an inch of their lives said bald the deep voice it Is tile the punishment for their method of livell livelihood hood five and six take charge after you have finished remove them la in number 3 car and drop droll them in london struggling impotently they were led away and the leader passed on to the remaining two men so go Za bolen oleff you came after all unwise surely in view of the police who tire are you muttered Zab oleff ills lips trembling A specimen hunter said eald the other suavely 1 I am making a collection of people like you the police of our country are unduly kind to your breed although they would not have been b e en kind to you tonight Zab oleff 1 in the doorway stood a huge man covered from head to foot in black unless I 1 had inter intervened wed sut but I 1 lot them have you youre fourer such a i very choice specimen I 1 dont think somehow that youve worked tills this little flying allt or of y yours quia yd 1 ry well of course 1 1 I know about it but bu I 1 must confess I 1 was surprised d when I 1 found that the police did too what do you mean demanded the other hoarsely 1 I ravan mean that when we arrived here we found to our surprise that the chepo lice had forestalled us popular Io Ilo pular house tills this tonight the pol police icel 1 muttered dazedly even s sa led by no less a person uge tige than inspector mclver mciver they had completely surrounded the house and necessitated a slight change in my plans where are they now cried walk dock alit ah I 1 where indeed Ini leed let us ua trust nt at ony any rate in comfort lly heaven I 1 said Zab oleff taking a step forward As I 1 asked you i before who are you 7 and as I 1 told you before Zab oleff a collector of specimens mens some onie I 1 keep some I 1 let go as you have el cl ready seen and what are you going to do with me keep you up to date you are tile the cream of my collection are you working with the police said the other dazedly until tonight we have pot clashed even tonight well I 1 think we are working towards the sli same llie end and aad do you know what that end Is za aa bo holed leff the deep voice grew a little sterner it Is the utter linal final overthrow of you and all that you stand for to achieve that object we shall show no mercy even as you tire are working in the durk so are we already you are frightened already we have proved that you fear the unknown more than you fear the police already the first few tricks are ours but you still hold bold the ace or shall we say the kingoff trumps and when we catch him you will cease to be the cream of f my collection this leader or of yours youra lt it was waa what told him I 1 suppose that eliat made him send you over 1 I refuse to say said the other ton tt ts Is obvious aud and now that hut you are caught he will come himself perhaps not at once abut he will come and then nut we waste time the money Zabo lerr 11 1 I have no money lie fie snarled you llo ile Zab Zabo oleff lerf you lie clumsily you have quite it a lot of money brought over for so eo that ho fie might carry on the good work after you had sailed tomorrow quick please time passes with a curse Zab oleff produced a small cabra bag and held it out the other took it and glanced inside 1 I see gee he said gravely pearls and precious ottin atones cs belonging olice once I 1 suppose to a murdered gentlewoman whose only crime was waa that she through no fiction action of her own wits was born in a different sphere to you and you reptile hla his voice rose it a little you would do that here Zab Za bolen shrank back and the other laughed contemptuously search him and Wal flock too two men stepped forward quickly nothing more they said after ft a while except this piece of paper there was a sudden movement on effs part instantly suppressed but not quite soon boon enough injudicious said sah the leader quiet ly memory Is better an address addres I 1 see bee no 5 green street ll 11 oxton A salubrious neighborhood with which I 1 urn am but indifferently acquainted ali ah I 1 I 1 see my violent friend lias has recovered ile he glanced tit fit flash jim who wits was sitting up dazedly rubbing the hack back of ills his head number 4 the usual there wits was a slight struggle and flash jim lily lay hack back peacefully unconscious while a faint smell of chloroform filled the alie room anti and now I 1 think we will go A most moat successful evening what are you going to do with me you scoundrel spluttered splutter ed Val dock 1 I warn you that I 1 have influential friends lenda fr who who will ask questions in in parliament it if you do anything to me who will go to scotland yard 1 I can assure you mr Wa idock that I 1 will make it my personal bustness business to see bee that their natural curiosity Is gratified 11 answered the leader stin suavely vely allut hut for the present I 1 fear the three filthy rags you edit will have to be content atti with It ti the office boy as their gulding guiding light and I 1 venture to think they will not suffer buffer lie he made a sudden sign find and before they realized what was happening the two men were caught from behind and gagged the next instant they were rustle rushed through the door followed by flash jim for n moment or two the he eyes of the leader wandered round the now empty room taking in every detail then lie stepped forward and blew out the two en candles nilles the door closed gently bellind behind him and a couple of ini minutes later biter two cars stole quietly away front from the brok en down gate along the lie cart track it wits was not until the lending leading car turned carefully into the main road that anyone spoke deuced awkward the police being there tile the big man who was driving grunted thoughtfully perhaps he returned Perli perhaps tips not anyway the more the merrier flash jim nil all right sleeping like a child answered the other peering into tile the body of tile the car for about ten they drove on in silence then nt fit a 1 maln crossroads cross roads the car pulled up and tile the big roan man got out the second car was just behind and for a few mom morno there was a whispered conversation between betwee ll him and the other driver lie glanced nt lit Zab oleff and who tip kenred to bo be peacefully sleeping on the bak seat and sniffed smiled grimly gowl good night old tuan man report as aa usual 61 night answered the driver so ao long ong the second car swung right handed mia and started northwards while tile the leader stood watching vat chIng tile the vanishing tall lamp then lie he returned to lite hla own seat and soon the first beginnings of outer london were reached and it was as aa they reached that the lender leader spoke again with a note of suppressed sup presse in ills his voice were worrying em cm were worry ing lern cm badly otherwise beever never have sent lie was too big a man to risk considering the police its the police that I 1 am considering said ills his companion the big man laughed lauy hed leave that to me old man leave that flint entirely rely to me first blood for the blackst and a pretty good job and so delight delightfully mysterious as well as efficient TO US CONTINUED |