Show T f c f a Y COPYRIGHT f By SAX ROHMER SERVICE Ce CHAPTER VII Continued VU-Continued Continued t 10 10 Well my friends he said taking talc tak ing a chair removing his hat and mopping his forehead I 1 have walked quickly ha hoping JIa hoping to over over- ke our Miss Kearne Kearney Hoping to overtake o her said the ships ship's doctor blankly But she was with you oU I 1 You said that you and Miss Kearney were wera going to tomake tomake tomake make some purchases elsewhere Doctor nodded his head vigorously It Is so he ho agreed It lit Is so Yes We went as I 1 said This shop Is not a hundred yards from here It belong to a Greek Greek- ha who ha-who who who has most excellent per per- fumes Miss Kearney also knows It f well I excuse myself ha whole myself ha while i she Is making her selection for I Isee Isee Isee see It will occupy her for tor at least leasta a quarter of ot an hoar yes hour yes He lIe shrugged deprecatingly I call at another establishment that I know of ot and purchase ha these ha these five hundred cigarettes look then look then hurry hurry hurry hur hur- ry back vack Miss Kearney has already left the shop of ot and so G- G continuo continue to hurry hurry and and here yes you see me The ships ship's doctor stood up It sounds fOunds very odd to me he said Port Tort Said's Sald's healthy enough In these days but not for tor a woman walking about alone Ill I'll walk back backwIth backwith backwith with you ou With Doctor he be set out Before a small shop not more than two hundred yards from the East East- Eastern ern exchange the they paused A suave suave gentleman who wore a black pointed point point- ed etI beard smiled agreeably I left a lady here about twenty minutes ago rigo said Doctor you ou remember I remember sir When I returned she had gone you you remember The surgeon was watching the speaker Did she say where she was was' going gorng he demanded r i No uNo sir She purchased a small sample of ot Jasmine such as this this this- he lIe Indicated one one a a larger size of ot attar of or roses of ot this kind kind kind- he held up a lon long glass cut-glass phial shaped like a square ruler ruler and and three small tubes of ot other essences I I forget torget which she selected The surgeon Burgeon stared at Doctor and then without a word walked walked out out of or the shop I sup- sup N 1 i 0 IN y ar r lA l- l A r nut But Not at Alit Alii Doctor Replied Genially pose theres there's nothing to worry about he admitted so as you OU seem to know an A l Egyptian tobacco tobacco to to- tobacco bacco merchant In this town doctor doctor doctor doc doc- tor I like a really genuine Egyptian cigarette myself and my stock Is low Do you mind taking me along But nut not at all Doctor replied genially When they reached the store the Egyptian owner Immediately reco reco- reco recognized Doctor The ships ship's i surgeon burgeon baffled bought fifty cigarettes ciga- ciga and departed But when they returned again to the Eastern exchange exchange ex ex- t change Eileen Kearney had hall not re rc- re- re turned At the end of or a 8 very cry uneasy half halt hour bour Doctor Heatherley stood stood up suddenly Let us see the tho ladles Into iato a taxi for the ship he sug Bested ested And then perhaps Doctor Doctor Doctor Doc Doc- tor tor you would step along to the American consulate willmo with will mo me mei As Yuan Yuon lIce Ilee See Sec sat at nt a n large lare writing eo table he pressed a belL hell A L Chinese servant dropped dropp on an n one one Knee extending a silver sUrer tray upon which u a paper lay Jay Taper Tape fingers took the document the servant servant ant went out Yuan lIce flee See read No uNo news of the Hangman llan May Iny take It for grant granted he Is drowned Len Chow has bas succeeded The Theady lad lady ady Is on her way Joseph the new Armenian did didd good d work here Mohammed reports Dawson Hal Halg Haig chief Inspector C. C I. I D. D DIs Is is dead Joseph recommended by vy Mo- Mo Io joins joins up here In place of Fernand ernand R n M. M r. r S. S Wallaroo In the Canal Onnal BrItish and American consuls Port Said very active Position on Wallaroo strained In regard to doctor and madame but legally secure Len Chow due at tomorrow tomorrow tomor- tomor row ow five fi o'clock Franz Hartog reports reports re- re ports orts from Cairo arrived ed Stamboul to- to night I Yuan nee lice See removed his glasses lasses remaining motionless for for- tor-I tor severn several everal 1 minutes minutes hL hissing ln softly I Port Said was seething with In In- When towards dusk It became evident that Eileen Kearey Kearney Kear- Kear ney ey has hns been abducted for no other conclusIon remained both the American Amer- Amer ican can and British c consulates set to work In earnest The town was combed with a nicety calculated to discover a rat ratin I In n a n cornfield But no trace could be found of ot the missing girl Irl Docor Doc Doe I I tor or account of or what had happened was simple enough Miss I Kearney Kearne had suggested walking along long to the shop of or the scent merchant mer- mer chant hant and he had accompanied her The doctors doctor's statement was confirmed con con- confirmed confirmed firmed both by the Greek scent merchant merchant mer- mer chant hant and by the Egyptian conist Mr rr Len Chow It was learned earned from the Eastern exchange had iad caught the train to Cairo Ciro only having ha had lunch In the hotel botel Of Franz Hartog no trace could be found Captain Peterson paced his cabin his tanned lined face haggard with anxiety The company's agent sat at the desk Shale the British consul con con- sul suI ul standing beside him and the American consul stood by the door Its nil all very well Mr Forman said aid Shale addressing his American Ameri Amerl can confrere But what can I do What can yo you do sir the other retorted A young youn American citizen citi- citi zen en dau daughter of ot my friend Kearney Kearney Kearney Kear Kear- ney In Colombo Is Colombo Is In broad daylight when she Is In the company of or a suspected person 1 J What can you do Suspected yes cried the other desperately But that's not proof I 1 I What puzzles me me the cap captain win Interjected trying to pour oil on troubled waters Is the absence of or Inspector tor Halg Haig If It we had the authority authority au nu of or Scotland Yard behind us we might ml-ht b be able to act Besides what evidence there Is he holds Its little enough h said the British Brit Brit- Ish sh consul consul unless unless he had added to tot It t since this morning Mr Formans Forman's face was very stern In short sir he said sald you dont don't Intend to take any steps about this gang of ot crooks youve you've got goton ot oton on board although you know ImO whatever the evidence may be and andI II I say d n d-n n the evidence I that l-that that they are certainly responsible But nut the Inspector himself assured assured as as- me that there was nothing to Justify on nn arrest said Captain Peterson Another point the attempt to murder Inspector Hal Halg Haig of off here last night Is good enough h to show shon the type of or desperadoes were we're dealing with true enough h the captain admitted But nut nobody on board ever saw the missing Chinaman speak to a soul except the stew ards Theres nothing Shale explained wearily nothing whatever er to connect connect connect con con- him with the rest of or the gang Surely you can see that Forman I mean the attempted murder cant can't bo be used ns as evidence e to hold these people Forman tu tugged ged savagely at nt his mustache That man I Is ly ly- l lying lug ing he declared outright You all think the same us itS I do How Flow cnn enn can I ever er face Mike Kearney with witha a tale like this l 1 Doctor had only Just left lert the cabin robin where he had been submitted submitted submitted sub sub- to a examination cross-examination on the exact circumstances of or his visit to those two shops with Eileen However as ns the shopkeepers had been questioned and had confirmed his statement In every cry particular there was nothing whatever er to go o upon His papers were In order or appeared to be He ne had even produced correspondence which seem seemed ell to leave have no doubt upon the point The woman E Ednam produced n. n contract with Veith nn an Australian vaudeville vaudeville vaude vaude- ville circuit and displayed n number number num num- ber of or professional photographs pro ammes and billing matter relating relating relating re re- lating to recent engagements In n Europe Eu Eu- rope She declared that although she had made the tho acquaintance of Doctor on board she bad had never met him before The TIle agent was In a quandary To hold the ship meant transferring malls mans and a n loss Joss of or thousands of oC pounds to the company And If It Eileen Elleen Ei El- leen were found any time during the night or early morning she could quite easily be transported to Suez In time to rejoin the Wallaroo there The suspects were actually on board If It only Inspector Hal Halg Haig would turn up I Forman e. e exclaimed ably He lie may hold the clue to the sHun situation Im putting all my faith In n the Inspector the captain declared Its because hes he's evidently on the Job that I still have hopes But nut theres there's nothing to show show show- Forman cried that hes he's on the Job at all I If It I understand the situation situation situa situa- tion no one has hns seen this man Halg Haig since he left lert the ship early this morning Its Us my belief bellet said Captain Peterson that he was following Miss Kearney and Doctor Its very ery odd he hasn't got In touch touch Forman cut In The agent nodded In agreement I think that odd too captain he admitted I 1 dont don't care for the look of ot It Assuming that the Inspector witnessed this outrage outrage outrage-It If an outrage outrage outrage out out- rage has occurred occurred and and went off In pursuit he wouldn't do so without leaving lea some clue to his route In Incase Incase incase case he should fall He ne was too e experienced experienced ex ex- a man for that u Might I ask Mr Dimes the exact exact exact ex ex- act meaning of or your remark Forman Forman Forman For For- man a man of ot action knew himself himself him him- self helpless and he heas was sas getting angry Are you Implying that thIs tills Inspector Halg Haig Is not engaged In looking for Miss Kearney but vu-t has also disappeared Dimes shrugged his shoulders To me It looks rather that way he agreed No man would go off oft alone on n a desperate Job of ot that kind without getting In touch either with Mr Shale here or with the commander 1 J Lie He may have had no opportunity I Shale suggested He evidently hadn't said Forman Forman Forman For For- man savagely But maybe for a different reason There are arc half halt a dozen ships on which he or Miss Kearney or both of ot them might beat beat be beat at this very moment lying along here and In the canal Weve spoken every ship In the port the commander assured him No sir They are not on board any The British consuls consul's face was very ery stern Ther Theres s 's going to be the devil to pay about this business he said Eald And Im I'm going to be the scapegoat Its It's no good gnawing your mustache Forman Im I'm as unhappy unhappy un un- un- un happy as you are nrc The only reason reason rea rea- son I dont don't act net Is because I dont don't what to do If It you have any feasible sug suggestion suggestion make make make It It Arrest this slippery pair on onboard onboard onboard board I Forman cried angrily Hold em here until were we're satisfied That's my suggestion and a feasible one The Bath of ot Feathers Feathers' never falls fails Joseph I 1 creaked creake old Mo Mo- hammed He lie chuckled Joseph that velvet eyed ed fortune fortuneteller fortuneteller fortuneteller teller who had led Ell Eileen en to the shop of ot Mohammed smiled understandingly under- under It Is best old Father of ot Mischief he replied that you now close your doors and leave me meto meto meto to carry out my orders The crate Is In the cellar It uIt Is In the cellar old Mohammed Mohammed Mo Mo- hammed replied Good Good and and the girl Is safely on the way Go now friend and report report report re re- re- re port to the Chief Put In a word for me I take up my new duties duties- although I dont don't know what they are are almost almost at nt once I have my letter letter letter let let- ter of ot travel and my tickets as far tar faras faras taras as Kench Rench After this days day's work I look for tor a kind reception 1 I will go and make my report old Mohammed chuckled I shall not forget torget you Joseph THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING Matt Kearney young American living In London says Bays good by to his sister alster Eileen on board tho the Wallaroo The ship Is IB conveying Ingold Ingold In Ingold gold to Australia Kearney meets Inspector Da Dawson Hale IIa of or Scotland Yard lard very much In love with Eileen Halt Is III 1 on the trail of or opium he Is I convinced Is la concealed In Jo Lungs Lune a warehouse warehouse- Called to other duty duly be ha beI I delegates Kearney with Detective Norwich to visit the place and find and out what ho can caD While there Kearney picks up rind carries away a notebook which he turns over to Hale Haig Yuan Yunn lice Hee See leader of or a a. band of or International international thieves Is at Jo Lungs Ho lie sends two of or his followers after Norwich Norwich Norwich Nor Nor- and Kearney one of or whom he realizes must have picked up tho the note note- book Il lInie- lInie dg Is le puzzled over cryptic notes In the book Soon after leaving Kearney I Norwich Is la murdered but Kearney Is la not overtaken While Hale Halg Is poring over tho the book a monstrous creature enters seizes pelzeR it It and escapes Yuan Yunn confers canCers with his lieutenant Pasha over o a mysterious coup they are planning Hale boards tho the W Wallaroo roo II at Marseilles disguised From radio messages he hel odes doc he realizes that members of or sang gang arc on board and that they have havo recognized him A Chinaman tries to throw Bats overboard but goes over himself In a n. d desperate struggle At Al Port Said ald Hall Haig trailing Eileen Is la lured Into a Impregnated drug bath ol or of feathers I My fy thanks Father Then return to your jour home Leave all aJl else to me How now lon long should he ie remain there They are coming for the crate at sunset You have until then But the porters must n not t see ec you ou The sound of Mohammed's s 's footsteps footsteps foot oot steps died away Jo Joseph ph walked through to the little lit lit- little tle Ue shop and went out locking the thedoor thedoor thedoor door behind him This took place nearly half nn an hour after Doctor nn and Eileen had entered the establishment of or Mohammed and antI perhaps twenty minutes after Dawson Dawson Dawson Daw- Daw son Haig following ha had passe passed through that door beyond which lay Iny laya Inya a space of ot uncarpeted passage His IUs experience had been trul truly ter ter- At the moment of or passing the Jie threshold a swift suspicion clon of ot the truth had lashed flashed through his mind He would have ha stepped back but It was too late The floor glided away beneath him ilm and he shot down Into unknown unknown un- un known cnown depths He felt himself en- en rA r A 1 f h I A As s t 1 Came lame Soft Footsteps on the Floor Immediately Above His Head embraced by some tender feathery substance which broke the theall fall all except that he went down and down Into suffocating darkness This was the B Bath th of Feathers 1 i Instantly Dawson Halg held his breath He De had bad alighted unhurt on what felt like a brick floor the feathery mass about him having broken his fall faU If It this pit should prove pro to be Identical with that which he be had known In Singapore there was still sUU provided |