OCR Text |
Show I BLACK QANG ::l By CYRIL NcNEILE ! sapper II ! "? t ; ; CopvH(j;j by qeorqb h. dokhn co. J? i D . N . IL Sendee j 1 3-M--fr4-tr$-''' 1 CHAPTER XV Continued 2a "Never farther from It In ray life. Haverton," said the other. "1 admit It seems a hit over the odds, but every word I've told you Is gospel. To return re-turn to the discoveries. Mclver found that the house was the headquarters of a vast criminal organization. There were schemes of the most fantastic descriptions cut and dried in every detail. de-tail. Some of tliem were stupid : some were not. I have Ihem all here. This one" he glanced through some papers on his desk "concerns the blowing of a large gap In one of the retaining walls of the big reservoir at Staines. This one concerns a perfectly-thought-out plot on your life when you go to I5eanehamp hall next week. You were to he found dead in your railway carriage." car-riage." "What?" roared Sir John, springing to his feet. "It would very likely have failed," said Sir Bryan calmly, "but they would have tried again. They don't like you or your views at all these gentlemen. But those are the least Important. From time immemorial wild, fanatical youths have done similar things: the danger was far greater and more subtle. sub-tle. And perhaps the most dangerous activity of all was what I have spoken about already Maybrick hall was the headquarters of these poisonous proletarian pro-letarian Sunday schools. But in addition addi-tion to that there was forgery going on there on a big scale: money is necessary for their activities. There were also long lists of their agents In different parts of the country, and detailed de-tailed instructions for fomenting industrial in-dustrial unrest. But you have it all there you can read it at your leisure for yourself. Particularly I commend to your notice, the series of pamphlets on Ireland, and the methods suggested for promoting discord between England Eng-land and France, and England and America." Sir Bryan lit n cigarette. "To return to the personal side of it. Mclver, engrossed in his search, paid very liltle attention to the row of mummies in the hall. They certainly seemed extraordinarily safe, and OHe can hardly blame him. But the fact remains that, at some period during the morning, the Italian, who, if you remember, was padlocked in a bedroom bed-room upstairs, escaped. How I can't tell you : he must have had a key In his pocket. They found the padlock open, and the room empty. And going downstairs t hey Jound the chairs recently re-cently occupied by the clergyman "and Miss Janet empty also. Moreover from that moment no trace of any of them has been found. It Is as If the earth had opened and swallowed them. Which brings us to the packet enclosed en-closed with the letter from the leader of the Black Gang." Me crossed to a safe and took out the little chamois leather bag of diamonds. dia-monds. "Nice stones," he remarked quietly. "Worth literally a king's ransom. The pink one Is part of the Russian crown Jewels: the remainder belonged to the Grand Duke Georgius, who was murdered mur-dered by the Bolshevists. His son, who had these in his possession, died ten days ago of an overdose of a Bleeping draught in Amsterdam. At ,r ln' that is what I understood until I received These. Now 1 am not so sure. I would go further, and say I am quite sure Hint even If he did die of an overdose, over-dose, it was administered by someone else. And It was administered by the bonoiieeni clergyman calling himself the lieverend Theodosius I.ongmnor the most amazing international criminal crim-inal of (his or any other age the man who, with Miss Janet and the Italian, has vanished Into thin air, right under Mclver's nose." ""And you mean to say this man has been in Kngland and you haven't laid him by the heels?" said Sir John In credulously. - "Unfortunately that Is what I mean." answered the other. "The police of four continents know about him, but Hint's a very different thing from proof. This time we have proof these diamonds: and the man has vanished utterly and completely. He Is the master mind who controls and directs, hut very rarely actually does anything himself.- That's why he's so devilishly difficult to catch. But we'll do il sooner or later." The cabinet minister was once more studying t lie typewritten communication communica-tion from the leader of the ISIa.'k Gang. "It's the most astounding affair, this. Johnstone." he said at length. ".Most astounding. And what's all this about the Island on" the coast of Mull?" Sir Bryan laughed. "Not the least astounding part of the whole show, 1 yssure you. But for you to understand It better I must go back two or three months, to the time when we li-st became aware of the existence ex-istence of 'he Black (Jang. A scries of very strange disappearances were taking place: men were being spirited way, without leaving a trace behind them. Of course we knew about It, hut in view of the fact that our assistance as-sistance was never asked to find them. nd still more In view of the fact that n every case they were people whose . room we preferred to their company, we lay low and said nothing. "From unofficial Inquiries I had carried out we came to the conclusion tiiat this mysterious Black Gang was a reality, and that, further, It was intimately in-timately connected witli these disappearances. disap-pearances. But we also came to the conclusion that the Ideals and objects of this gang were in every way desirable. desir-able. Such a thing, of course, could not be admitted officially: the ahduc tion of anyone Is a criminal offense, lint we came to the conclusion that the Black Gang was undoubtedly an extremely powerful and ably led organization or-ganization whose object was simply and solely to fight the Red element in England. The. means they adopted were undoubtedly Illegal but the results re-sults were excellent. Whenever a man appeared preaching Bolshevism, after a few days he simply disappeared. In short, a reign of terror was established amongst the terrorists. And it was to put that right I have no doubt that the Reverend Theodosius Longmoor arrived In this country." Sir Bryan thoughtfully lit another cigarette. "To return to the island. Mclver went there, r.nd after some little difficulty diffi-culty located It, out of the twenty or thirty to which the description might apply. Ha found it far from uninhabited, uninhab-ited, just as that letter says. He found It occupied by some fifty or sixty rabid anarchists the gentlemen who had so mysteriously disappeared who were presided over by twenty large demobilized demo-bilized soldiers commanded by an ex-sergeant-major of the Guards. The sixty frenzied anarchists, he gathered, gath-ered, were running a state on communist commu-nist lines, as interpreted by the ex-sergeant-major. And the interpretation interpreta-tion moved even Mclver to tears of laughter. It appeared that once every three hours they were all drawn up In a row, and the sergeant-major, with a voice like a bull, would bellow: " 'Should the ruling classes have money?' "Then they answered in unison 'No.' " 'Should anyone have money?' Again they answered 'No.' "'Should everyone work for the common good for love?' 'Yes.' "Whereat he would roar: 'Well, in this 'ere island there ain't no ruling classes, and there ain't no money, and there's dam' little love, so go and plant more potatoes, you lop-eared sons of Beelzebub.' "At which point the parade broke up in disorder." Sir John was shaking helplessly. "This is a jest, Johnstone. . You're joking." "I'm not," answered the other. "But I think you'll admit that the man who started the whole show the leader of the Black Gang Is a humorist, to put It mildly, who cannot well be spared." "My dear fellow, the cabinet Is the only place for him. If only he'd export ex-port two or three of my colleagues to this island and let 'em plant potatoes I'd take off my hat to him. Tell me do I know him?" Sir Bryan smiled. "I'm not certain : you may. But the point, Haverton, is this. We must take cognizance of the whole thing, If we acknowledge it at all. Therefore shall we assume that everything I have been telling you is-a fairy story: that the Black Gang is non-existent I may say that it will be shortly and that what has already appeared In the papers Is just a hoax by some Irresponsible Irre-sponsible person? Unless we do that there will be a cause celebre fought out on class prejudice a most In-Judicious In-Judicious thing at the present moment. I may say that Hie island Is shut down. anJ the sixty pioneers have departed to other countries. Also quite a number num-ber of those agents whose names are on the list you have have left our shores during the past few days. Il Is merely up to us to see that they don't come back. But nothing has come out In the papers: and I don't want anything to come oul either." He paused suddenly, as a cheerful voice was heard ill the office outside. "All! here Is one Ca'italn Oruni-mond. Oruni-mond. whom I asked to come round this morning," he continued, witli a faint smile. "I wonder If you know him." "Prummond?" repeated the other. "Is he a vast fellow with an ugly face?" "That's the man," said Sir Bryan. "I've seen him at his aunt's old Lady Meltrose. She rays he's the biggest big-gest fool In London." Sir Bryan's smile grew more pronounced pro-nounced as the door opened and Hugh came In. "Morning, Tum-tum," he boomed genially. "How's the liver and rII that?" "Morning, Hugh. Do you know Sir John Haverton?" ''Morning. Sir John. Joliy oid cabinet cabi-net merry and bright? Or did you all go down on I'urple 1'olly at Goodwood esterday?" Sir John rose a little grimly. "We have other things to do besides backing horso. Captain Drummond I think we hav mot at Lady Melt rose's house, haven': we?" "More than likely." said Hugh affably. af-fably. "I don't orten a:ne mere: sue I ropes in such a ghastly crowd of bores, ) don't you know." j "1 feel sure, Captain Drummond, ! that you're an admirable judge." Sir j John turned to Sir Bryan Johnstone ; and held out his band. "Well, I must be off. Good-morning. Johnstone and you've thoroughly roused my curiosity. I'd very much like to know who the gentleman is whom we've ' been discussing. And in the meantime mean-time I'll look through these papers and let you know my decision in due course.'' He bustled out of the office, and Hugh sank into a chair with a sigli of relief. "The old boy's clothes seem full of body this morning, Tum-tum," he remarked re-marked as the door closed. "Indigestion "Indiges-tion or don't the elastic-sided boots tit?" "Do you know what we have been discussing, Hugh?" said the - other quietly. "Not an earthly, old man. Was It that new one about the girl in the grocer's shop?" "We've been discussing the leader of the Black Gang," said Sir Bryan, with his eyes fixed on the man sprawling sprawl-ing in the chair opposite. Not by the twitch of a muscle did Drunimond's face change: he seemed engrossed in the task of selecting a cigarette. "You've been In Deauville, haven't you, Hugh the last few days?" "Quite right, old man. All among the fairies." "You don't know that a burglary has taken place at your house In London?" Lon-don?" "A burglary!" Drummond sat up with a jerk. "Why the deuce hasn't Denny told me?" "A very small one." said Sir Bryan, "committed by myself, and perhaps he 1 doesn't know. I took your typewriter." type-writer." For a few moments Hugh Drummond Drum-mond stared at him In silence; then Lis lips began to twitch. "I see," be said at length. "I meant to have that defective's' repaired." "You took me In, old boy," continued contin-ued Sir Bryan, "utterly and absolutely. absolute-ly. . If it hadn't been for one of the men ut Maybrick hall turning king's evidence, I don't believe I should have found out now." "Well, what are you going to do about it?" asked Drummond after a pause. "Nothing. I was discussing the matter with Sir John this morning, and we both agreed that you either deserved penal servitude or a seat in the cabinet. And siuce neither course commends Itself to us, we have decided de-cided to do nothing. There are reasons, rea-sons, which you will appreciate, against any publicity at the moment But, Hugh, the Black Gang must cease." "Carried, nem. con., Tum-tum. It shall automatically dissolve today. Now, one for you. Why did you let Carl Peterson escape? I nearly killed him that night, after I'd bayoneted the Russian." "How did you know he had escaped?" es-caped?" demanded Sir Bryan. Hugh felt in his pocket and produced pro-duced a note. "Read it," be said, passing It across the desk. "It was a pfty you forgot that there might be another key to the padlock, Captain Drummond," It ran. "And Giuseppi Is an old friend of mine. I quite enjoyed our single." Sir Bryan returned the note without with-out a wo'd. anil Drummond replaced it in his pocket. He rose and grinned at his friend. "It's deuced good of you. old man, and all that . . ." The eyes of the two men met. "If It was found out, I should he looking for another Job," remarked Sir Bryan dryly. "And perhaps I should not get the two thousand pounds which I understand the widow of the late Ginger Martin lias receivej anonymously." "Shut up," said Drummond awkwardly. awk-wardly. "Delighted, old man," returned the other. "But the police in that district are demanding a rise of pay. She has been drunk and disorderly Hve times in the last week." THE END. |