OCR Text |
Show , ' I ' Yu'anliee Yuanliee . ' an anHee . Hee See Sec SeeLaughs SecLau4tk Laughs Lau4tk = = : . , . , . . ROHMERmms.I ROHMER IIaoa Ia _ _ mms.I mmsI "WNU WNU " Servlco _ . " _ _ By By.SAX BySAX SAX six _ v < > y "IiU IiU " "T T " 0 > . . . u . . . III IIIv CHAPTER VII-Continued VII Continued VIZ - Continued ContinuedDimes VIIContinued9 -9- 9 - - 9Dimes 9Dimes - Dimes shrugged his shoulders . . uTo "To To "Tome uTome "Toxne Toxne " me It looks rather tint tll'1t tll1t tilt ' way " , " he heagreed heagreed heagreed heagreedNo agreed -No No "No - " man v . would ould go off oft nlone alone nloneon aloneon aloneon on a desperate Job of that l kind lnd with with- tvitlr- tvitlr without tvitlrout without - out getting In touch either with yfr .Mr.Shale Mr.Shale MrShale . [ r . Shalc Shale , here , or \ with Ith the commander commnnder 1 ! " "He He " may mny have had no opportunity opportunity'Shale opportunityShale ! ! ' Shale suggested ' He evidently hadn't hadnt ' , , " . said s'lid slid ' I'ormansavagely 'orman orman I'orman Iorman 'ormanISDvngely [ ' Pormansavagely ' ISDvngely savagely . "But But "nut nut " ma maybe be for a n dltrerent different dltrerentre'lson differentreason differentreison re'lson relson reason ' . .There There . . are halt half a n dozen d01cn shIps shIpson shipson shipson , on which he , or Miss nss Kearney , . or both bothof bothof bothof of them , , miglit nught might be at this verv vcr\ vcr vers vcrmoment \ moment momentlying , . , ylng lying ) along here and In the tfiU'l tfiUl cnna cauil ' ] " "We\ "We We "We've Weve "Wee "We'se Wese " ' \ e spoI spoken en e\ e every eery \ ery ship ] In n the theport theport theport port . " , . " the tlle commander fiS fiSII nssuicfl asstiied < ; \II II \ eel hlm him hlm"No him"No him"No himNo "No No " , sir They are not on 1,0 10 ho l , o ml ird nny any anyBhlp nnysblp anyehip sblp Bhlp ; . " ' The British consul's consuls ' ' face f.lle flle fate . \ was \ as sery serystern \ veryetern ery eryEtern Etern stern . "There's Theres "Thero's Theros " ' going tu to be he tlie the de\ de deII desil desilto devilto \ II IIto to pay about this business bustne.s bustnes : . , ' , ' he hl " s'lld slld slid s'lld"And slid"And slid"And slidAnd ' "And And " " ' I'm Im ' ' going to be the "t t " sciptr.oatIt's sciptr.oatIts sciptroatIts capt 'lpt lpt ' .lIat lIat . , . .lIatIt's oat oatIt's It's Its ' no good gna gnawing mg your ol1r luust must IChe rche icheFormin , Form'1n Form1n Forman ' ' I'm Im ' as unhippv unh'1J111\ unh'1J111 unh1J111 unhippt unh'1J111as ' \ as J 5011 ynit 011 are areThe areThe areThe The only reason rE'ason ' I don't dont ' act is be because because because cause I don't dont ' ' know " what "hat hat to do tlo If10u If Ifyou 10u you ou have hae hace ha\ ha \ e any an nn ; feislble fC'1clble fC1clble feislbie ' ; susscbtlon susegestton- susegestton sn susegesttonmnka ( ' tlon- tlon - - " - ; " 'A A ' . board I ! I"Forman IForman " "Arrest Arrest this slipi cry ery pilr 1111r pair on UIl Forman cried angrily nngrlIy . "Hold Hold "lluld lluld " cm em here herel1ntll hereoath hereuntil l1ntll oath we're were ' satisfied Tliat's Tliats That's Thats ' ' my sug sugges suggestion suggestlon ges gestion tl on , and a fe'1 fe1 feisiblo feasible ' < ; lble one " . . . . 4 - . . - "The The " 'Bath Bath ' of Feathers reathers ' never neer , falls fails fallsJoseph , Joseph Joscph I " creal creak created ed old Mohimmed Moh'1mmed Moh1mmed Mohammed ' He Hechuckled Hechuckled Hechuckled chuckled . Joseph , that"eh that \ " velv \"eh "eh eh vels et eyed forl1Ine fortune forl1Ineteller fortuneteller forcuneteller teller who had led ; Eileen IUeen to the shop shopof shopof shopof of Mohammed , smiled smdell understnndlngly understandingly understandlngly"It understandlnglyIt . . NIt "It It " Is best best , . , old Father rather of Mischief , " he hereplIed hereplied hereplied replIed , "that that " you now close your doors doorsand doorsiend doorsend and iend l leave ve me to carry CIlrrJ out my orders ordersThe ordersThe ordersThe The crate Is In the cellar ? ' 'It It ' It Is In the cellir cel'1r cel1r cellar ] ' , " old Mohammed MohammedreplIed Mohammedreplied Mohammedreplied Mohammedreplied"Good replIed replIed"Goodand "Good-and "Good Good and "Good Good " - - and the girl Is safely s'1fely s1fely ' on the thewny theway theway wny way . Go now , friend , and nnd report to tothe tothe tothe the Chief Clllef . Put in a word for me . I Itake Itake Itake take up my new duties-although duties although duties - - although Ic I ICame c I , 1 1L L , l I 1 1s s ( ii iii ,1 1 ,1Came , i Came Soft Footsteps on the Floor FloorImmediately FloorImmediately FloorImmediately Immediately Above His Headdon't Head Headdon't . . . ' , . . . . . , . _ - , . . , . . . . . don't dont ' . know l.now lnow what they are-almost are almost are - - almost at atonce atonce atonce once . . I have ha\e ha e hate \ my letter of travel trael , aDd and aDdmy andmy andmy my tickets uchets as ns far as Keneh After Afterthis Afterthis Afterthis this day's days ' work , I look 1001 . for a kind hind re- re receptlon reception re reception - - ceptlonII ception ceptlon ' ' , II " II"I "I I " will wl11 go and mike m'1ke m1ke make ' my report , " old oldMohammed oldMohammed oldMohammed Mohammed chuckled chuchled 'I I ' I shall not for for- forget for- for forget forget - get you , Joseph ' "My My " thanks thaDks , , Father Mohammed MohammedTllen MohammedThen MohammedThen Tllen Then return to your home Lel\ Lel Leave Lele Lease : \ e all nil allelse nilelse allelse else to me . . , . How long should he he1'emaln heremain heremain 1'emaln 1emaln remain ' there ? , " ' "They They 'They " ' are coming for the crate at atsunset atsunset atsunset sunset . . You have until unW then But the theporters theporters theporters porters must not see you " , Old Mohimmed Moh'1mmed Moh1mmed Mohammed ' shuffled 'Joseph Joseph ' away nway , aDdJoseph andJoseph and aDd Joseph stood for a moment by the doorwhich doorwhich door which opened out of the room of cnr car cnrpets carpets corpets pets , listening Then , kneeling , he ap appned applied appiled pned plied his ear to the uncovered boards boardsImmedlllte boardsImmedlately boardsImmedlateb Immedlately Immedlllte ] be beyond ond this thIq door\\v door v doorwaypres doorwaypresently doorway \ , pres presently presently ently to rise , smiling smlllng with wlth satisfactionThe satisfactionThe satisfaction satisfactionThe footstepshad The sound of Mohammed s footsteps had died away nway , . , . . , . Joseph walked wnlI.ed wnlIed . through to the littl littlshop lIttle lIttleshop littleshop e shop and aDd went out out , , locking 10c1.lng 10c1lng . the door nearlyhalt nearlyhalf nearyhalf behind doorbehind him This took place nearly neary 9 half an hour after Doctor Oebtler Oestler Oe tler and d dEileen Eileen andEileen had entered the establIshment establishmentof of Mohammed , and perhaps perhnps h\ h tss henty twentyminutes \ enty entyminutes ent entminutes y followinghad minutes after Dawson Dnwson Halg Haig . , followlng following , had passed through that door beyond"bicb beyondwhich beyond which "bicb bicb " lay of a space uncarpcted uncarpeted pas- pas passage passage pas-eage pas eage paseageHis - - sage sageHis His experience had been truJ truly ) terrable terrl terra terrlble ternble ble At the moment of pa&slng paslng passing pa & slng th ththreshold the thetbresh thethreshold e tbresh threshold _ ld , , ji a swift wift susplcIojL suspicIon of or of tin the e truth tiad had flashed nashed nasned through hia his mmd mind mmdTIe mindlie mindlie TIe lie would have stepped back bach bacL , . but It Itwas itwas Itwas was too lateThe lateThe late lateThe The floor ftoor hoer glided gHded a"ubeneath avvuv a"u\ a"u au aut " \ beneath nhu attn nlui.and nluiand . and he shot do\\ do down doD \ D Into uDkno\\ uDkno uDknon unknown uDknodepths unknowndepths unknowndepths \ n depths tie lie felt himself enveloped emcloped enteroped , em embraced embraced embraced braced , , by some render tender feathery featherv sub substnnce substance substance stnnce stance which brol broke < e the fall fnll , e except exceptthat exceptthat ce(1t ce1t ce(1tthat ( that he went tvent down uown anrl and aor ) down into sur suf surfoc'l suffloating suffociting foc'l focl floating ' tIng dn darkness darkne's darknes rlcne < : ' s . . 1hl ' Ihis this < ) was as the "Batn Batn "Bath Bath " of reamers f'eatners featners reatnersl ' I " t ! Instantly nstnntly Da\\sC'n Da sC'n sCn Dawsc'n Dawscn Daw \ son ' ' Halg Haig held bin hiJ ! , alighted unhurt on onwhat onwhat onL breath brenth He IIe had hnd I what felt like I1kC " a n brick brJch door floor . , the feathery featherymn featherymass featherymass mn mass s about him hiving h'1Ing iising h'1\ h'1 h1 ' \ Ing broken brohen his fan fall fall.He fallHe . . of ofhfehe oflifehe oflife had one chance He . knew 1.new 1new that he hfe-he hfe he life-he life - - he counted the seconds of or time timewhIch timewhich timewhich whIch remained to him . , . . If It this pit should pro\ pro prove proe prose \ e to be Iden Idea Ideaticil Identic'll Identicil I tic'll ticll ticil ' with wJth that which he be hid h'1d h1d ' Lnow I.no Ino known . n In InSingapore InSingapore InSingapore Singapore , there n ' wis 'is is ' still sUII hopeprosided hope-pro hope pro hope - - providcd sided \ ided he could hold hoJd his breath so long longOne longOne longOne One Inhalitlon Inhahtlon Inhalation . , he hnewould knew hnew . , would \\ould ould \ befatil be befa befatil befatilStanding fa fatil t'1J t1J ' t'1JStandIng fatilStanding Standing upright In the t1nlT fluffy ID'iSS IDiSS miss misswhich misswhich ' wl1lch which enveloped eDveloped lilm hIm ltlm , , . he vismllzed rlslI'1l1zed rlslI1l1zed vlsualized ' his hisposItIon hisposition hisposition posItIon Twelve T\\ehe T ehe Twelse \ seconds second cecond : : . ; ! hid h\d h d ' \ elacped etasped etaspedAnd elacpedAnd elaspedAnd ; And since he hid h'1d h1d ' not Inhaled deeply deep deeply.as deeplyas ] , ) , . , ns as for a dive dIVC , , his time nme tlme was sliort short He Hestepped Hestepped stepped back bacl a n pice p'1ce p1ce pace ' , . , touched tlie the "all all wall " wallgroped , , groped along It to the : left eft , . ind 1nd and ' knewthat bnew knew bnewthat knewthat that heH1S he \ was \H1S H1S under the trap , . renched reached renchedthe reachedthe readiedthe the angle nngle , . groped fm fmther fuither tiler and andtouched andtouched andtouched touched the rune runC ' of i 1 ' wooden liddcr 1'1rlder 11rlder hrlder ' * ' He sun shun s\\ s swuns \ un ; right n rJ ht , pliced pl'1ced pl1ced placed ' his feet uponthe upon uponthe uponthe the 1 rungs ung , and began llegnn to mountFisc mountFiw mount mountFivp Fivp Fiw Fisc ' rungs he ho mounted ' ind 'lnd lnd and seemed seemedto to be free of tLe t1.e t1e the . damnible damn'1ble damn1ble damnable ' fe'1thers fe1thers feathers feathersHigher fe'1therslIIgher feithersHigher ' lIIgher Higher vet ret , cautiously cautloucl ; His ills head headtouched headtouched headtouched touched the roof Still Stm holding hodlng ] his hisbre hisbreath hisbreith bre breath 1th < he ( felt 'It It ( ' about with his left haDd hand haDdHis handHis handHisjungs His lungs were " wereJuistinjL ere bUlsUng bursting ) : It \ vvas was \ as igony 1gon agony agonyto ' He lIe l looked ol.ed oled . up-and up and up - - and saw sJ.w sJw . a faint gleam gleamot gleamof gleamof ot of light Ilght through tllrough a chink chinl In the "ood ood wood "oodwor woodwork " woodwork work wor ! . nbo\ nbo above nboe \ e Raising HaIsmg liaising lm ItTh Ina > face faceto facetowards facetowards to\\ to toardc towards \ ardc ; It , he began so slowly ] Jy to Inh'11e Inh11e inhile inhileThe Inh'11eThe inhileThe ' The scent sceDt ' " of the drug impregnating the thefeathprs thefeathers thefeathprs feathprs feathers feathprsJ.S \ was \\J.S J.S . museitins n'1use'1t1n n1use1t1n nitiseitini ' ' , , but the air air"is air\vis air vis "is is \ " \ 1S ' just breithible bre'lth'lble brelthlble ' ' He lie hilf h'1lf h1lf half ' filled his hislun"s hislungs hislungs lun"s luns lungs " He ne knew hDew that death must come comeat comeat comeat at iast last . , , If he was forced to remain inthat In Inthat Inthat that atmosphere But , , at least leact : , , , he hehad hehad hehad had sursitedCame survived sunhed sursited survivedCame sunhedCnme Came Cnme soft footsteps footsreps on the floor Ooor 1m im 1mmediately immediately 1mmediately mediately abo\ abo abos above aboe \ e a his head bead headJack - . . . . . - Jack Rattray nattrat nattra nattrathe t , the first officer othcer ofrcer , . wall.ed walled walked walkedout wall.edout walkedout . out of his cabin onto the boat dech deck dechIt deckIt deckIt It " was "ns ns a perfect evening evemng Ihe 'lhe lhe ' ? lie tur fur turquolse furquoise turquolse quolse quoise blue waters water of Lake Lahe Tlmsah Timsah Tlmsahmirrored Timsahmirrored Timsahmirrored mirrored an azure sk sky : } He walked walkedforward \ walkedforward alhed alhedfor for forward " ard , and aDd stired st'lred stlred stared ' out acioss nCIOSS across the thebows thebows thebows bows of the ship to where Ismaillaguarded IsmaIlla IsmaIllagtJ'1rded Ismaillaguirded gtJ'1rded gtJ1rded guarded ' the de&erc deerc de.ert deert desert & : . . . . Behind him the theradio theradio theradio radio crachledAn crackledAn crackled crachled crackledAn An operator came out to look 1001 . for forhim forhim forhim him Rattray Hattrny Ilattray stared gravely grarely at the themes themessage themes&age themesage message mes & age he brought brought"What . . "What What " shall I 1 do about It If ? ' ' ashed asked ashedthe askedthe askedthe the Marconi man "I I " know hDow Mr Ir . I\ear I ear Kear Iearney Kearney \ : Kearney ney Is a n friend of yours ours It's Its ' ' rather ratheraful ratherawful ratherawful a\\ful a ful awful \ to think thlDk he doesn't doesnt ' know what whathappened whathappened'S whathappened happened happened'S happenedS happened'S"Poor " . ' "Poor Poor " old Mate Matr Matt , , " muttered Rattray Ilattray Ilattray"Ire Rattray"I RattrayI "I I "Ire Ire " ve been e expecting pectlng pecting this any moment moment"He momentHe , " . He lool looked ed up "I I " suppose there s no nonews nonews nonews news news ? ' ' " "None None "NoDe NoDe " whatever whatcer whateser whatc\ whatc \ er erIr , . : \ Mr \Ir Ir . , . Rattray llattray Ilattray , about abouteither abouteither aboutcither either of them " Jack Jach Rittray R'1ttraJ R1ttraJ IIittray ' , staring starmg hard at theflimsy the thefiimsy theflimsy fiimsy flimsy , suddenly 100I looked ed up "I I " may be bewrong bewrong wrong \ rong , , . " " he admitted , "but but " honestly honesUy , , 1f If IfI'd 1fI'd IfI'd IfId I'd Id ' ' been beeD In ID the Old 01d Man's Mans Ban's Bans ' shoes , . , I'd Id I'dha'e I'dhave ' I'dhave Idhave ' ha\'e ha 'e e have \ ' Bhoved shoed shored sho\ sho \ ed Doctor Oestler ashore at atPort atPort atPort Port Said , , or else chucked chuched him Into the theCanal theCanal theCanal Canal I . _ . . ' They 1'hey 1hey ' w \ were ere both old oldfrleDds oldfriends oldfriends frleDds friends of mlne-wh'1t mlne wh'1t wh1t mine-whit mine whit mine - - whit ' the de\ de devil de11 dell \ 11 can weanswer we weans weanswer ans\\ ans anser answer \ er ? After all nll , , there's theres ' still n a achance nchnnce achance chnnce chance she may mny be discovered Can t twe twe twe we sort of break breah the news genU gently ? ' gently , ) ? ' "Well Well "Nell Nell " ; , " said the Marconi MarcoDI man maD , "I I "Imight "Imight "Imight Imight " might reply , . 'Miss Miss ' Hss Kearney went ashore ashoreat ashoreat ashoreat at Port Said Advise Advlse communicateagentsor communicate communicateageDtsor communicateagents ageDts-or ageDts or agents-or agents ' - or something of that sort " "That'll Thatll |