Show s 1 I I I I 9 i II 0 r COPYRIGHT BY lY J MI 0 s SYNOPSIS John Spencer and his cousin Geoffrey Geoffrey Geoffrey frey Bohun are vacationing In tn Austria Aus Aus- tria Geoffrey Is a gifted portrait painter but prefers to paint land land- While strolling In the tho forest John hears hoars English v voices and decIdes decides decides de de- to Investigate From safo cover cover cover cov cov- er he be finds four men burying a man manIn manIn manin In green Kreen livery who evidently had been murdered Pharaoh is tho the lender leader load lend the others Dow- Dow er or of at the gang are drop Rush Bush and Bugle Unfortunately John makes himself known kno to tho assassins by dropping a n. letter with his name and address on It lie He tells Geoffrey and his chauffeur Barley of his adventure Geoffrey realizing that Johns John's life Is In danger declares he must vanish Spencer discovers that the liver livery of the murdered man corresponds to the livery of tho ants of YorIck castle and tells Countess Helena mistress of tho castle what he had seen With Geoffrey and BarIc Barley John starts for tor Annabel a 3 nearby village They encounter en- en en encounter encounter en- en counter Pharaoh In making their seta getaway way they exchange shots with the tho gang without serious result J They arrive at tho the YorIck estate whore where Lady IA-dy Helena had requested John and his cousin to meet her CHAPTER II Continued II 3 3 Now bow how think they feel about Mr Spencer They know that he has the power not Dot only ODly to ruin their game but to send them to prison and death Of Ot course I cant can't answer for them but If IC I were In ID their position Ill I'll tell you how I I should feel I should not Dot rest until I Mr Spencer was dead Im Inclined to agree said frey We bumped Into them at Annabel They'd made the Inn InD there their headquarters and aDd John walked Into their arms arms My God said the girl But as you see said Geoffrey Geoffrey Geoffrey frey he also walked out To tell you the truth we had the best of the brush We put their car out of action They wont won't be able to move for fory twenty four hours y t b a start worth having ha He lIe could be In London tomorrow It If you left to tonight My cousin sighed My lady he lIe said for or one ODe thing he wouldn't go and for another another nn- nn an an- other It wouldn't be any aDy use Their finding that letter was deadly It bore his London address Then what's to be done He lIe must have his wish said Geoffrey Fate has played Into his hands and the only thing he be becan can do Is to stand and aDd fight Lady Helena HeleDa arose As Geoffrey and aDd I stood up up- up Im sorry she said coldly From what Mr Spencer told me I fully believed I could count up upon on your support Hes He's very young and aDd downright and he can caD see nothing but red But I fully believed you would see that my consent must be given before you took on these men meD The man who Is dead was my servant and aDd the men are after my goods If It you stand and fight you will therefore be fighting my battle and that gives me the clear right to decline your help And I Ido do decline It Mr Bohun If London's London's Lon Lon- dons don's not safe saCe then theD leave for Paris tonight Im damned If It Im I'm going said I I. I Lady Helena turned upon me with blazing eyes I beg your pardon My blood was up and aDd I gave her herback herback herback back look for look I said Im Tm damned If Fm rm go- go lug Ing And Ill I'll tell you another r thing Im I'm damned It If Im I'm going to be treated as though I were were seven years ears old Lady Helena did not Dot reply I suddenly felt ashamed Uneasily I turned to my cousin but he be hrIC hall had strolled down clown the apron and was regarding his barn For a n mom moment nt I hesitated Then I made my way to the farther r side of the Rolls RoBs And there I was sitting on OD the running board staring on the beauty beauty beauty beau beau- ty before me and cursing my unruly unruly unruly un un- un- un ruly tongue when I heard beard a stepon step stepon on the pavement and before I could move mo my lady sat down dowD by my side Where are you sta staying she said I swallowed I I dont don't quite know I answered c j. j We ye haven't found a place yet The girl gazed Into luto the distance I hope you'll stay here I could hardly believe my ears Here nere At Plumage I l' cried I 1 hope so BO I can answer for the theman theman theman man and aDd his big wife and aDd you'll have havea a privacy here that you wouldn't get at an Inn Its hits Ideal Ideal I heard myself say- say sayi i Ing Simply Ideal Well We'll bo be ODthe on OD the spot yet In hiding But why why why- I dont don't understand If It you yon Insist on fighting my battle battle bat bat- tle tie the least I 1 can do is to billet you yon you Youre very generous I 1 said S I Her Ber eyes left mine mine to to light on k the driving mirror all aU splintered and oDd starred After a long look they returned to me mc Was that she said nodding a present from Annabel Yes And you were driving I 1 1 was Tell me exactly what hap When I had told the story she drew a deep breath If It you'd joud knocked on that door She shivered May I look at that letter of yours I put It into her hand She examined the envelope care care- fully Then Then Then- Have you looked Inside she said since you got It back I raised my eyebrows As liAs a matter of fact I haven't I never gave It a thought She pushed aside the torn edges and drew out the shoemakers shoemaker's bill The note on Its back was printed print ed and easy to read Dear DC Mr Lir Spencer Tho The gentleman In green had done dono something which ho he m must st have known I should not like That Is I why ho he was being burled buried sap i Yours very truly We had read the words together her ber face two Inches from mine Then TheD we turned and aDd looked nt at each oth other r But I had no DO thought for the note Dote Her hair had stung my temples and aDd I could only wonder wonder won won- der wh whether ther she knew how terribly terribly terribly terri terri- bly attractive she was She sat very still for a long moment mo mo- mo- mo ment And then she was up and was pushing her hair from her temples as though to be rid of or her thoughts Come Lets Let's talk to your cousin cousin cousin cou cou- sin and then theD we ve can caD look at your rooms Over her shoulder she threw me a dazzling smile To liTo tell you ou the truth they're ready ItOU If It you OU Insisted on staying I hoped you'd sta stay here We Ve must go o to bed said my cousin Weve had an nD Arabian day daj We had bathed and aDd changed and aDd eaten and aDd now DOW we were strolling ODthe on OD the apron un under er the stars Never fight Fate Geoffr Geoffrey y said My one De Idea this morning ivas was vas to toI I get you out of oC the way To say so soI I would have been beeD foolish for tor the blood was up In your head and you wouldn't have gone But I m meant ant antto to cool you at Annabel let Annabel-let let you flirt with the hope of oC finding your men meD then Barley was going to report report re reo re- re port that hed he'd seen seeD Pharaoh in I Salsburg when we meet him at atI I Villach tomorrow you'll youn see Its It's the first thing hell he'll say So we should have left for Salzburg And after a week or two there young Florins Florin's face would have faded and andi P i f I f 1 1 r t I 1 I 1 My Lad Lady Sat at Down by My Side you'd have haye come home Very dishonest dishonest dis dis- dis honest of ot course But put yourself yourself your your- self Bel In ID my my place and aDd you would have done the tho same same sameI I dont don't think I should I said frowning Yes yon would said Geoffrey Im your keeper you know and aDd when people like Pharaoh get going go go- fug ing ordinarily people like us must pass puss by on the other side The moment moment mo mo- ment Barley comes back weve we've got gotto gotto gotto to locate these blackguards First come first served you know Bedrew He Be drew In his breath We simply must find fiDd them John before they find us ns With that he Insisted that we should retire for tor the night Sharply at eleven next nest morning Lady Helena Yorick rode up to the farm form Her groom croom led cd two spare horses for after otter we had consulted Geoffrey and aDd I were to ride to Yo Yu- Yurick rIck for tor lunch As I stepped to her side side side- Nothing new 1 sn she Nothing said I I. I And ADd you She shook her head Except that my brothers brother's return- return Ing I wish he wasn't Just now but It cant can't be helped At least hes he's coming alone Hes He's very young you kno know v and people spoil spon him and and aDd and sometimes he makes the wrong friends Wheres Where's Mr Bo Bo- hun bun Map rending said I. I His man with our big luggage luggage- will get to to Villach tonight Hes He's got ot to be met of ot course What Geoffrey Is trying to do Is to work to-work work worl o out t how holy we can fetch him without fetching Pharaoh too That show at Anna at-Anna Anna Annabel's bels bel's eaten Into into his his brain 0 I wish It would eat Into yours Hero Here Geoffrey walked out of the house and gave gae her good day And now tell teU me this said he Had young Florin ke keys s upon him No said the girl Irl While hes he's within the castle the watch night man maD carries keys but before beCore he goes out he leaves his keys with his mate Well you beat them there said Geoffrey Young Florin was wa's killed for the keys which he hadn't got gotI I think youre you're wrong said the Ule girl To enter Yorick wont won't help them Im I'm the person that maU matters rs They've got to bring me to my mj knees Geoffrey looked at her hervery very very hard Then Then Then- Lady Helena HeleDa versus Phar Pharaoh oh and others You know I belp cant can't help feeling th that t you ought to go o to to the police My lady pulled ore oft her ber gloy gloves s. s Lets walk In ID the m meadows ado vs she said and aDd Ill I'll tell jell you one or or two facts In silence we left the apron and aDd took to the fields My father she she said said had vis- vis Ion He lie knew the great war wai war was coming and aDd he saw saw sate that after the I Iwar iwar war the world Itself wo would ld fall faU upon evil times Mother had Mothe had a avery avery avery I very great fortune and aDd father Fas was rich and aDd his one ODe Idea was was' wasso so to Invest invest In in- vest this money that while the lean lenn years were passing It wo would ld be perfectly perfectly per per- safe I think he really reany wanted wanted wanted want want- ed It for Yorick Our motto Is All An things pass but endures A And d dhe he wa wanted ted to Insure that YorIck would always be maintained as It has been maintained for about five hundred years Well Wen this Idea obsessed obsessed obsessed ob ob- ob- ob him and aDd I th think that my mothers mother's death eath alJe affected tE his brain braiD He threw back to his ancestors and aDd he put his whole fortune In gold Golden s sovereigns mostly She put her hands lo to h her r rey ey eyes s. s I 1 t tell you Its It's the curse of oC my life lied You dont don't mean mean meaD began j gan- gan ganmy my cousin Yes I do said the theirl girl s L Lying ID IDIn In the cellars at Yorick Is the best part of two million pounds Its It's going of course We live upon upon capital cap cap- ital But even so It'll last for a n hundred and fifty years And long before that of ot course the Idea was to change It back hack Good God said sold Geoffrey And then theD But what astonishing tor foresight foresight fore fore- sight your father had He was wise wIse wIse-In In theory But how would you like to hare have charge harge of at two million pounds In gold The The only oDly people who know are old are old Florin Flor Flor- in and I. I I 1 said It was In the cellars cel lars lays but It Is not as easy as th that t. t Its It's In ID a private cellar The way to which nobody knows But of course cours course It was bound to come out Ive I've done dODe my very best but theres there's been 0 n a leakage leafage somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where and aDd Pharaoh knows Well there you OU are He lIe obviously cant can't get away with a million pounds He could D never v r transport It for or one ODe thing Very well what's his object I Imagine to levy black ma mall mail I. I Of t course Curs r r r hi hant but I cant rd to let the post post- position tion be known That's why I cant can't go to the police Id I'd be sn an n outlaw tomorrow w If It people w Everyone's Every ery ones one's hand would b be against me and halt half the thieves In Europe v would uld be camping outside my gates The remedy's too obvious said Geoffrey Why dont don't you you get get rid of t the stuff Because I have passed my word My father made me swear that until until un un- un til the world was settled d Id I'd keep our fortune In gold gold Vell w u lino know Y why Pharaoh Pharaoh Pharaoh Pha Pha- the the Great Is here He may prove hard to deal with but but Im Im I'm In InDO Inno inno no DO l personal danger I dt danger nger-I nger I think 1 that's Mats clear j r o Y This was too much Clear Clean I I cried I I dont don't think Its It's clear at all I think youre you're In ID very great grent danger by day and night The man maD Is la ruthless you ruthless you know it It ItI I I Ien en entirely Irely agree said ald Geoffrey offrey And Ill I'll tell you another aDother thing b In ID view of at what youve you've t told ld us this morning I tl think It It was no mere chance that sent John down downto to that dell deli brick YorIck was like no DO castle that that- I have seen for though though It was moat moat- ed the moat was was not not under D' D er Its walls and aDd the pile s seemed emed to rIse rise from an Island which Nature had hall brought from a 0 distance and aDd setin set setIn setIn In a fold of the hills We crossed the moat by a drawbridge drawbrIdge drawbridge draw draw- bridge that could n no longer be he moved and oDd a gravel road brought us up to the castle gateway which must have been twenty feet high This was now shut by vast cur cur- curtains curtains talus of silver gray and to my surprise my lady rode str I straight lt between between between be be- tween them her horses horse's head and V shoulders parting them as the she went went- In the hall my lady left leU us as to togo togo togo go and change and when we wc had washed our hands a 8 servant ser leJ us ns to to the terra terrace e where a a table was laid The view from here was wits astounding astound ID ing for we looked clean over the the forest which seemed to spread out like a fa fan on aD the the foothills and mo mountains which stood I In their ancient an nD- dent o order der the nearest Dearest some some seven seveD miles off oaf An Austrian lady Joined us liS a Madame Olava Oi who plainly lived at nt atthe atthe the castle for tor Lad Lady Helena's sake Bit thou though h In this way convention was doubtless observed as ns I have shown my m my laity lady went unattended whenever she she chose When luncheon was done my cousin went oft off with Madame Olave to see the gallery of ot pictures but Lady Helena HeleDa walked with me round th the ramparts showing me certain landmarks and telling me the Heat lie He of at the land After a little little little- Was that gray all nil right this morning Yes said L He ne gave me a lovely ride I I thought he would You shall have him to take tale you back I shall keep keel three horses at Plumage e as a I i t. t I Ia a i thi 4 1 11 J i a 4 This Thle Is the Gentleman of Whom I II I Spoke long as youre you're there With a groom of or course You may have news any aDY moment which I should hear I l shall shan ride to Yorick said I to to how see you are re But ut not DOt too early says she Yorick wakes up at six but its ts eyes aren arent aren't t properly open till eight So dont don't ride rde |