Show a jf I I Ft h F FI f j SJ The Detectives Discomfiture BY EDWARD TOWLER 4 o of i tf cj taw T Tt To that the British E t t ay public was crying aloud against the police for ef efI E I y no arrests In connection with rr the crimes committee committed at the Norfolk t p it i bank and the bullion robbery from the lh t K l t van of the Northwestern Northwest rn express l t i f i but feebly expresses the nations senti sentiments sentiments I I ments n The press ress and people alike i howled howled for tor the arrest of oC the gang sang for Cor it vas clog 18 felt Celt that such stupendous un I i del takings could never be accomplished by a man wt king There H oft t must be a master mind the heads of ot ofa a 1 t Scotland yard ard wets were assured but who I Y h j was he Where did he ha come from i f Secure the leader of the gang and then I If j t there would be no more terrible tragedies l 5 t dies Ah oh to get him It was a distinct I Case of catch your our hare There Ther was asi as asyet i I f yet crime et no clue to the perpetrators of oC f the I rime crime In Norwich and there was much t legs Je s evidence to guide them In tho the af affair l h fair 1 lr of the specie van So It came about I t that Inspector Bullen of Scotland Yard Ir f I N j was deputed to undertake the unravel unraveling H i I ing Ins of oC the mystery m i 11 i Inspector first step was to Journey down to Liverpool and make t the most rigid Inquiries Aft An the infer Inor information i t mation m at i o n he gained was the fact that the thelast F last carriage a had been reserved for two i It men Further Inquiries went to con confirm cont t firm rm the Inspectors Impression that i 1 j there was an American at the bottom of o oft Wf t I II 1 1 i the affair Point one An n Important r J 1 t factor in support of that idea was wa that before the Eastern Century bank rob l bory there thore had been two gentlemen j staying at Ve bume In Norfolk under l the names of Roland T Rowlands and c n Henry J Point two to In 1 f support of first theory The Thc f I i i Man lion on taking the tho rooms had given glen gleni i I l I rt n lame ame In the American style Ft le viz OI I I ROwland Kowland T Rowlands and to the In Inspector inSpector i t fl l this was an Indubitable clue fi 1 i Therefore he hi was satisfied in his own 1 I i f mind that they were Americans j ii His next step ateI was to proceed to Norfolk Nor Norfolk 1 I folk tolk and continuing c his inquiries there ther It I f he found the cottage at which Rowland T Rowlands and Henry J I J had bad stayed and for tor a week Inspector j I Bullen went moth hunting on his own it t account One thing he found out from fromI i I i I f the local coastguard and that was tho the ther r sudden appearance and equally sudden h I I disappearance of or a submarine off ort Cl Cla y I tit jt the day of the bank robbery at Nor Norwich J P with Could there be any an link between q the circumstance and the the crime rime How to connect the two occurrences was the theof thea of a h t t question que From the polle e he h e learned earned i i f jr i rI t that they the had stopped slopped the th e driver of a ar r if on the road between Cromer If f t t and Sheringham on the date of tho the rob robbery robbery II bery ber Were these tho and tin the 1 L J i r ri submarine links In the chain of evi evl i iJ lidl dence dente He felt he im was on the track oo of the miscreants at last In his own mind he was convinced of ot the accuracy of his deductions but yet the affair of ot the specie van robbed In showed no possibility of oC a submarine being used in that connection Stay yes was there not the chance of the bullion being in it Jt Ah Au find the sub submarine submarine submarine marine and he was assured that he would find the bullion Yes that was it The question again arose find it Only the coastguard had seen it and that only oLly for tor a moment out at sea Therein lay la his greatest difficulty He was hot hotfoot hotfoot hotfoot foot on the chase and his spirits rose as he turned the mystery oer over oyer and over oer in his mind during his journey back to London It was the habit of the Inspector to search the agony c of the papers every morning and two days after his arrival ha saw the following There Is no hope unless forward the money mone as the patient must take a sea voyage o age Mexico He cut that out and determined de determined determIned to follow tho the correspondence and the next mornings paper contained the following Have Hav been to sani sanitarium sanitarium sanitarium Very ill m Something must be bedone done dore Mexico That he also cut out Then rame ame the answer Meet leet me postoffiCe Charing Cross 10 p m to tonight tonight tonight night Inspector Bullen determined to tobo bo ho there also to see if the correspond correspondents were any of the numerous birds he wanted in his net not He did not for forthe forthe forthe the moment connect them with his sub submarine submarine submarine marine gang There Therm was no ono one in particular about when he tool took up ip his position to watch at but promptly at the stroke of oC 10 two men met by the post postoffice postoffice office entrance For a moment they conversed In low tones then the quick ear of ot the detective caught the words Still sun ill That convinced him he had before him the advertisers in the morn mornIng mornIng morning Ing paper He decided to follow them They took the next bus to the bank riding outside He took the same bus inside selecting a scat near the door The two outside passengers alighted at nt atthe atthe the bank and the inspector followed toll owed them to the Metropolitan railway sta station station station tion They were ere booked to Inspector Bullen still uric unc rode In the guards van to tha tat tai ta and then carefully keeping In the shadows followed stealthily in the wake of the two men It was a long and tedious track but at last it came to an end bj by one of the dark and almost almot deserted docks of the riverside The men suddenly disappeared disappeared and the next moment Inspector Bullen was seized from rom behind and his arms pinioned A bag was thrust over his head and a stunning blow bereft rett him of consciousness s When he regained Ills his senses he found he was alone In a cabin of a small yacht unbound and free and around him a silence as of ot death For some same moments he took in inthe inthe inthe the situation Then the door opened and a man entered the cabin It was one of the men he had hod tracked Good evening Inspector he said saidI I trust your journey will not incon inconvenience Inconvenience Inconvenience you ou Journey was the answer I 1 do donot donot donot not understand you ou The other smiled You arc are taking It ft now Inspector The Inspector was mystified and his face showed his hi surprise The other went on Possibly the slight tap you received two hours ago Inspector has somewhat dimmed your usually clear brain You ere are down don the Thames Es near Gravesend I believe you came caine aboard at Wapping The reason you feel fecI no motion and hear no sound is because you are arc In the object of 0 c your search the submarine For a moment even the phlegmatic calm of the Inspector or deserted him and his faco face showed the tremendous effect the statement had upon him Mm The gen gentleman gentleman gentleman no other than the ii Man scrupulously attired as usual smiled as he saw the thrust had gone i home for tor he Jle added I take it that It ib was the object of oC your search In Inspector Inspector Inspector The inspectors nerve returned and he smiled blandly You may ma take it that it was he ho answered And now no that you have found us or rather I should say sa we have hae found you Inspector have havo you OU any special plan of action ready Surely your for forthe the brain has already conceived some scheme whereby we and the Submarine are to be transplanted lock stock and barrel shall I say sa to New Nev Scotland Yard 1 Inspector Bullen determined to show no sign of ot fear teRr though he was vas only too well aware that his life was not worth much in the tho hands of these men menI I have no objection to so doing he answered banteringly but at the mo moment moment moment ment I must confess that i Y see no noway nowa noway way wa The Man Ian answered tartly tarU tarUNo No You see no way wa Inspector you ou see no way For the second time to tonight tonight tonight night you ou are arc blind The advertise advertisement advertisement advertisement ment was well planned Inspector tor well en planned but we were afraid you might tumble and not follow fonow our decoy deco How was It your our astute brain saw no connection between the advertisements and us ch eh h Mr Inspector For per I do not think you connected it with us Inspector Bullen Builen replied simply I 1 i did not It Is my habit to study ad I it Is my business and seeing yours In fn the course of that busi business business business ness was on hand at your our rendezvous rendezvous rendezvous The Onee ed Man sneered You saw no connection You are not a ae sharp as we gave you credit for It was signed Mexico Does Doos that con convey convey convey vey anything to you Ou Mexico said raid the Inspector Mex rex ice ico I co coTes Yes Tes Mexico again sneered the Onee ed Man lan Are Arc you still sUll blind eh For the moment the brain of tho the Inspector was working under forced draught Then he knew Like a flash It passed through his mind Good heavens he exclaimed involuntarily In Involuntarily Involuntarily voluntarily So Se I Mr Inspector you seo sec now My M lieutenant Is known as the Greaser You were aware of or that Now Greaser Is essentially a Mexican word That was why we used it to lure you here What we were afraid of ot was that you ou might have hae the decoys ar arrested arrested arrested rested as suspicious persons There again If I may teach you ou your duty you ou missed your point On the other hand seeing no connection you ou could not take it it Naturally Really In Inspector Inspector I 1 fail fan to see how you OU have haYe achieved your present standing in Scot land Yard You Tou are arc no Sherlock Holmes Mr Bullen 4 The inspector In pe tor winced You may ma mamake make what remarks you ou like he re replied replied plied You are not yet et out of the wood Nor are you out of ot the Submarine Personally I do not think you OU will be for some time and when you OU are it will wilt be in such a state that wo we are as assured assured assured you cannot pry into any further urther secrets of ours You threaten me said the In Inspector Inspector I 1 threaten Pardon me me I believe in inthe Inthe inthe the old adage Threatened men live lire long and I never mer threaten Mr Bullen I perform You hear me I per perform perform form onn The Inspector looked him fearlessly in the face tace Your record bears you out for tor the murderer that you are he answered He was determined to show no signs of ot fear tear to this man manThe manThe manThe The Man smiled You have hae a good memory he said I have had many alases but that of murderer has not been applied before That may be Your victims never neer live to accuse you OU answered the in inspector inspector sector The Man ran shrugged his shoulders Well Wen hit he said I ac knowledge the point they do not May I ask your our intentions as re reo o gards garde myself m self Inquired the tho inspector Certainly We take you out to sea lash you to our little platform by the conning tower ands andr And what haU hoarsely h asked ask the theother theother theother other v vAnd And sink after a time was the cold brutal reply Inspector Bullens face paled but It was not from fear In the innumerable tight corners In which he had been he had had many a rough and tumble fight One was W S a fight in hot blood when knives flashed like a glint of oC sunlight and a bullet pinged against a wall like the hum of ot a bee He knew no fear but what paled his cheeks now was the horrible slow relentless ss death that he pictured a death where the agony agon was prolonged possibly for tor hours Sink after a time After Ater a time What length of or time Then his eyes lit with hope There was one chance a passing ship might see him would before beCore the boat sank for or would ho he h not be the only one upon the fatal platform of the conning tower The Tho Man noticed d the re renewed renewed renewed light In the Inspectors eyes and said You think you ou may ma be seen and ana rescued Sir Mr Ir Bullen You must have a poo opinion of our meth methods methods methods of busness bus ness We have a periscope and although we are aro underneath the waves the surface of the sea Is seen I en by b us as In the tl camera obscura You follow me meThe meThe meThe The heart of oC the inspector died within him I follow ollow he said saW sim simp simply Ply p The Man went wont on It Is usual for a Submarine to stay below the water for tor four tour or five hours only You have hav been be n below for nearly n that period But our boat differs from all aU others In that we can remain below for a month If Ir necessary So you ou SEe soe SEeth th there re rc is no occasion for us to hurry The special invention Is our own By B the way what would It be worth to your our government Mr Ir Bullen It be bo cheap hoop at a million or cheap at my pardon Possibly I may ma offer It when I 1 get In the corner orner you are in Who knows The Tiro pitcher that goes You know the rest You are fond of ot proverbs pro erbs Mr Inspector Gets broken at last Mr Ir Rowland Howland T Rowlands said the Inspector The Man Ian laughed that win wintry wintry try tr laugh of his the laugh that pro pre preceded ceded the death of ot the tho two men In the Euston road Hit again Inspector hit again So you ou tumbled to that Well ell well apon my m word you ou are really smart mart You Youcan Youcan Youcan can follow you and aid your urse cursed l police pollee That is all aU you can do Follow follow fillow like a flock flok of sheep but they never catch the master they th y never nover have the brains for that Immediately they scent something som they the rush oft off to the papers and blazon forth the fact that they the have got a clue That is all th thy they y will got get of mine mino Let Lot them follow it I J may amy sleep rn n i ithe wish you OU goodnight you the cushions In the morning you OU v be off Harwich then we wo will see to you vou oU With that he left the cabin Inspector Buttens Bullens eyes traveled round round and round the cabin There Chere was as absolutely absolutely absolutely I no escape for tor him It Jt was vas like a ship Had it been bean he might have tave rushed upon the deck and sprung over oer overboard overboard board trusting to Providence But Here Hereit it was prison indeed for water was round and above aboe him He got up and nd tried the door The moment his hand touched the handle a bell rang out roud foud ly h He started back astounded A mo moment moment moment ment after a man entered You rang he said what do you OU require Supper said MId the inspector brusque brusquely ly Do you Intend to starve me I And he scanned the face of the man to sew if he knew him but he did not Good I will bring It It answered the he theman theman heman man You have a good heart Mr t Ir Policeman The Inspector smiled So fo you know my fate at do you he queried I 1 do was the reply We Ye all an do here No one who comes into this W web B escapes Is there a hope for or me mo asked the the inspector If It you could help me I 1 would make It worth your while The man smiled The price pricer he asked The price How would a thousand pounds do oio doand and a pardon supposing we captured this craft and its owners he whispered whis whispered pored thousand nd I The man mun grinned A thou pounds Great Scott a man could ao aoa do doa a lot on that Yes Ye said MId the inspector tor he could I would guarantee you that amount and und anda unda a |