Show w 1 i y 1 I B a ai i 1 COPYRIGHT Dy SAX ROHMER SERVICE CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued Continued 15 15 Burned up p by Impatience not impatience not daring to speculate about Eileen Eileen- he be walked slowly toward the northern northern northern north north- north north- ern extremity of his patrol And Anda a curious fact obtruded ed Itself All the eunuchs had bad disappeared I r And now coming In n sight of or the wall which marked the boun boundary ary on onI I the north he be heard again dimly that bab babel l of or many tongues but outside In the distant tree bor dered street which led led down to to the I town to At one p point an nn old tree tree overhung the great wall Haig ran to It mounted to the tile most lower branches climbed higher and could coul see over o the wall A straggling procession procession pro pro- cession was winding down the street towards the port below I The eunuchs eunuchs eunuchs eu eu- eu- eu he be could identify by their liv Uv- liveries eries eIles but there were many others who wore no distinguishing dress There had been an exodus from the great house Could he be take advantage advantage ad ad- vantage antage of or It It Along a n path bordered bordered bor bor- dered by almond trees he walked wallett Above everything he he must keep cool Always Eileen came Into the foreground foreground but but he ho knew and his conscience cried out that even en greater reater stakes s were being played for A state of the wildest excitement prevailed aboard the Wallaroo What had bad happened Had war sud suddenly enly been declared red The un underwater underwater craft craft- bore rio no distinguishing distinguish distinguish- ing numb number r and flew flew- no flag ag Then a smartly dressed man wearing a tarbush had come off oft In her boat Up In the captains captain's room mom Pasha stood by the d desk sl smiling He had boarded the Wallaroo alone and apparently unarmed leaving one ope man a a recognized pugilist on duty at the lad ladder er head There was something some some- some something thing terrifying In the Egyptians Egyptian's smiling au audacity Captain Peterson's Petersons Petersons Peterson's Petersons Peterson's Peter Peter- sons son's gray face was very grimI grim I carry three hundred passengers passengers passengers gers said he a ia hundred d an and eighty of or them women and rind children children or o or by G G-d G dl r I Id I'd take you at your word The Egyptian s shrugged rugg d his ders aWe Wo ne both under orders of or my commander In the submarine and you at the moment under mine It appears to me sir Rattray said turning to Captain Peterson that this things thing's an unholy great bluff Through a window of the captains captain's captains captain's captains captain's cap cap- tain's cabin Pasha pointed to where the wreckage of th the mainmast mainmast mainmast main main- mast lay half haIt over oyer the starboard rails You see sec see we do not hesitate he murmured The dhow how has reached position the Egyptian went on and and- and glancing at a Jeweled jeweled jeweled Jew jew- wrist watch watch watch-III I must notify 0 e J y s i r r r Len Len Chow the tile Second In Command Delivered Them you that you now have exactly three minutes In which to make up your our mind Captain A boat packed with negroes and antI manned by four Arab rowers was coming from the dhow how The captain exchanged glances with Jack Rat Rat- tray troy No alternative sir sir none none whatever whatever what what- savagely Passengers Pas Pa ever said the latter gelY come first We risk lt It It The skipper nodded and crossing swung open the door of or o u safe lIe He handed keys to the purser And so from Crom- Crom the bullion room b between between be be- tween decks two millions of or minted monc money was removed taken down 1 i the ladder and transferred to the dhow It was contained In wooden boxes each holding five thousand pounds and not too heavy y for tor one man to carry The work was done by a team of or huge negroes In a Q constant procession coming and going goIng go go- In Ing like o magnificent black ants they worked until all the tho boxes were removed removed re re- re- re moved mo from the Wallaroo The transshipment carried out with admirable dispatch under the theor or orders ers of Pasha at the head bead of or the ladder was completed in less than a quarter of or an nn hour CHAPTER XI XIN N THE TAE control room of or the submarine submarIne submarine sub sub- INT IN marine Yuan Hee Flee See received constant contant messages from an unnamed unnamed unnamed un un- un- un named source source Len Chow Cho the second second second sec sec- ond in comman command delivered them P lip ft 0 O BENDIGO INWARD AnD TWENTY MILES SOU SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST SOUTH SOUTH- EAST BIBBY LINER OUTWARD FIFTEEN MILES NOR NOI NORTHWEST AMERICAN FREIGHTER JOHN CLAY ADEN TO SUEZ TEN MILES DUE SOUTH On receipt of this third message Yuan Hee See spoke into a tube There Is is- too much dela delay he said Signal to All to draw off In the dhow He studied the scene on the Wal Wal- laroo at the head of or the ladd ladder r raised his hand signifying that the order had already reached him Three negroes carrying chests the last of or the consignment climbed Into the boat followed I IThe The boat pulled off ocr to the dhow Yuan Hee Ree See spoke again down the tube All Is to take both boats In tow without transshipping the load lond This order was transmitted II to a man forward on the deck of ot the submarine and shouted to As As- Pasha Captain Peterson headed bare ed gray-faced gray stood on the bridge of the Walla Wallaroo roo It all nIl seemed unreal utterly Impossible Even now It was difficult to believe belle that the pirates pirates pirates pi pi- pi- pi rates had bad been actually on board his wIthout without a blow struck had removed that precious cargo under his eyes Yet Yet had there been any alternative alternative alternative alter alter- native Even en If it the Wallaroo had carried a n gun the fate rate of or all aU these women and children below must have ha rested upon the success of or one shot He stood listening to the pulsing of or the auxiliary engine on board the d dhow watching dhow watching the negroes scramble onto her stern Then the e boats swung out on two lines and the dhow headed In for the head bead of that rocky Island near to which they lay Her TIer decks were black with negroes Sud Suddenly enly all signs of ot life lite vanIshed vanished vanished van van- from the submarine Came the faint sound of or a bell on the I Wallaroo's s 's bridge the ship began to vibrate but Stand by all nIl boat stations I the captain roared T The e order was transmitted In dying echoes from point to point of or the ship Stand Standby by all al boat stations stand by boat stations boat stations Peterson a sprang to the telegraph and Jammed jamme full speed ahead then leaped to t the le side of oC the brI bridge ge gean an and lo looked ked again He was was too late Inte I r Yuan flee Hee See sat In the control room of or the of-the the submarine Seen through the periscope the towering hull hun of ot the Wallaroo seemed almost to overhang the vicious little warship Yuan nee flee See First spoke softly tube he ho said And the first torpedo torpedo tor tor- tor was launched against the helpless helpless help help- less tess liner Frightened faces of ot stewards and other members member of ot the crew some of them them with war experience peered out of ot portholes Men were a running there was tumult tumult tumult-desper- desper Yuan uan flee Hee See began to lau laugh h. h That weird piping laughter swept S around the oily little tittle compartment like hike a breeze from hell heH The torpedo burled buried Its wicked nose nose nose-Jo Jo Lung was clever square clever I square squarely ly Into the engine room There was wasa a monstrous explosion which shook the submarine from stem to stern Smoke and st steam m dropped a veil between the doomed liner and the watching eyes of oC Yunn Yuan Hee See Yet he ho trusted the Wasp his chief torpedo operator Second tube he be directed If It the tho first explosion had been an enormous one the second was such as seemed to rend the very ery heavens I The second tor torpedo o had registered In Number Two Hold HoltI where twenty II cases of ot potted potte Stilton for Colombo were stored They had come aboard In Marseilles Just before Doctor went ashore They contained enough high explosive e to destroy a small town Yuan Yunn lIce Hee See rubbed his plump Lands hands han s together and be began an to laugh again Although they had drawn away from the Wallaroo a veritable tidal wave wa swept them but Yuan laughed laughed on At last recovering himself Order All to cast the boats bonts off ort and head the dhow back came his pitched high Instructions He ne glanced up to find Len Chow at his elbow He lIe took the message which his second In command had hind brought adjusted his his' spectacles and still sUIl chuckling read NEWS OF EXPLOSION RF RE RELAYED I. I AYED PORT SUDAN EMS InIS PA PANTHER PAN PAN- THER TilER HEADED FOR Fon YOU Yuan Yunn lice Hee See nodded read the message a n second time and lIlI began very ery softly to hiss Jack Rattray chief officer who had seen the torpedo was racing for the bridge ge He lie had Just reached the lad ladder er when It crashed into the engine room One of ot the boll boilers rs went and he ho was heaved Oed off ort his feet lost his hold of or the rail and pitched Into the scuppers Dazed temporarily confused he staggered up Somewhere behind and below there was a shambles shambles- shrieks which he was as never ne to forget forget forget for for- get to touts ills hIs dying day He tottered again for the ladder an and was half haIr way up when the second torpe torpedo o I found Its ts billet In the secret car car- go The whole of ot the Wallaroo forward forward forward for for- ward of or the bridge ge burst upward like a n volcano The deck planking bellied upward and shot him Into the sea sen as ns if Ir he had been propel propelled ed edby by a catapult He came to the surface surface surface sur sur- face Imme Immediately lately beside a floating deck chair Upon this he rested his ban hands s for tor the moment content to tobe tobe tobe be alive all But he would have ha gambled a n year of or the chance of or life that remained re rev maIne to him to have been spared the spectacle he be was now compelled to witness The Wallaroo was sinking fast Pushing the timely piece of wreckage wreckage wreckage wreck wreck- age before him he ducked his head and kicked off ocr wildly Then restIng resting resting rest- rest Ing on the fragile raft he watched The forward part of the ship broke free of or the hull The bowels of the Wallaroo dropped out of her through the gaping hole below her ber bridge bridge and and the big ship dived Rattray clutching his little raft threw one arm across the folded wooden struts Shaken though he was he knew Its presence alone spelled salvation sal And pushing It before him he began to swim slowly slowly slowly slow slow- ly yet further ou out to sea towards where a hundred and forty five miles mUes due southwest Port Sudan nestled on the African coast and IL H. M. M S. S Panther Captain Harwood raced toward him S S The mass of or wreckage was spread over o a great surface of or the sea sean The two machine guns In the submarines submarine's submarines submarine's submarines submarine's sub sub- marines marine's conning towers crackled into activity sweeping that area where survivors ors struggled ted In tl the e flotsam of ot the wrecked liner From the deck eck of or the dhow men armed with rifles picked out more distant swimmers And now now now- now darting darting actively about amongst that marine shambles shambles now now came the fins of ot the sharks Yuan lIce flee See from the deck leek of ot the submarine wat watched hed thoughtful thoughtful- I ly I 1 had counted counte on the sharks be he said but nevertheless ne we must take no chances From the deck of or the dhow black marksmen were making good pray tice Kid lcJ Brown his face ince ver very white fired once or twice but wildIs wildly wild wild- ly Is and never at nt a n ln lI living target In n his C capacity as ns As Pashas Pasha's bod bodyguard guard he lie knew that he lIe served a n soulless villain maw but his own rec rec- J ord ori WAS ns far from unblemished and somehow be he had made terms with his elastic conscience He knew that the German freighter freight freight- er had been sunk with all nil hands nearly two years before but he hadnot had hall hadnot not been present at her actual sinking sink sink- Ing He TIe had hall been on the submarine submarine rine when the American yacht was held up Explosives es had hod been smuggled smuggled smug smug- bold hold In some way and he had seen her bel go up like a Cr Crystal stal palace firework display Although no rescues were attempted attempted at at- I tempted there had been none of ot this sniping The sniping was too much for his stomach He lIe threw his rifle rille on to the deck of or the dhow Gor blimey Y 1 I he be shouted clenchIng clenching clench- clench In Ing his fists I cant can't do it I Its It's bloody murder 1 That's what it Is Is- Is bloo bloody murder 1 l lYou You are arc s conscIence t r 11 1 I c k ken e n again Mr ill Brown 1 The Kid l turned Pasha stood pointing a vicious looking automatic automatic au au- straight at the Kids Kid's ach I have ha watched you with Interest for some time the Egyptian Egyptian Egyptian tian went on In Paris and in Egypt as well as here I regret It but but I can no longer trust you ou Pasha pressed the trigger But swiftly as he acted lIe he neverthEless nevertheless nevertheless never never- thE less acted too slowly to check that Maxim silencer left lert of or the Kid As the boxer dropped coughing to hang over oyer the sl side e pumping his lifes life's blood into the nie Red ned sea As As- Pasha temporarily passed e Into forgetfulness his once classic nose a mere memory On the submarine Yuan rice Hee See gave the order to cease firing It will disturb the sharks he ex ex- ex- ex lIe He rang on the engines to Dead slow ahead An And old raising his eyes to the In Indicator as It tinkled grasped the levers automatically automatically- and then sank his debauched face Into nto his han hands s sobbing as only a drunken man can sob when sober he looks down upon what ho has become S In the great gardens of or the old oM palace an unusual quiet reigned The negroes seemed to have e disappeared disappeared to a man Even Eyen the great engine shed a adjoining the garages and Its annex with the tall radio masts were deserted The big house was still sUlI Halg strode along the path close under the wall which marked the southern boundary of his patrol His brain was racing again and he knew that he be must keep a grip on common sense He ma made e a detour so as to pass the window of or the hut but he shared with the Jackal The shattered drug Creole sprawled across his bunk breathing heavily Halg Haig realized that practically he had the run of or the place a guardIan guardIan guard- guard Ian nn who was himself a n prisoner Foolhardily he be had thrust himself Into the place and he knew that it was not the call of or duty but ut n a amad mad anxiety for Eileen which had driven him He had bad seen geen the room In which she was Imprisoned apparently under uner under un un- der er the guardianship of or a woman He lIe wondered If any of or the eunuchs remained on duty Inside the harem barem enclosure Ho TIo walked along the path below the wall wan Very faintly at times he had heard the murmur of or surf fn farbelow far below Cautiously he mounted the steps of the first of or the little ers There were ere several women Inthe in inthe inthe the garden but Eileen Elleen was wag not among them Passing on he cautiously mounted mount mount- ed another |