Show S cup r mail M missac OU S I 1 C r by bomford yates by bj minton liln ton balch 00 oo service CHAPTER XI continued 19 f in a flash I 1 had fired and had drawn his til fire for before I 1 could think a toilet bullet had flicked the sleeve of my pistol arm this showed me once for all that so 0 o far as snap shots were vere concerned ta 1 I stood no chance whatever against uch such a man As I 1 whipped to one side 11 1 I made up my mind that I 1 must not fire again until I 1 knew for certain that icy bullet was going to kill in a word it if I 1 was to win I 1 must come ito an close quarters with ph pharaoh Ihara arnob oh if not to grips i I 1 had bad now come bath back to the table end and an instant later I 1 was crouching lillig beneath the archway with toy my pistol on the carpet before me and my empty hands outstretched upon either side I 1 had not long to wait when I 1 did not return his fire I 1 fancy the man was uncertain whether or not I 1 was dead lie ile therefore sought the spot from which I 1 had fired and finding nobody there turned and carne came to the table exactly as aa I 1 had done and exactly as I 1 had done he boan bean bogan began gan to edge his way round it the slack of his trousers brushed my hand in a flash I 1 had him by the ankles and ripping his feet from beneath him had brought him down on his side then I 1 snatched up my pistol thrust it into his stomach and pressed the trigger in vain the magazine was wag empty slovenly to the last rush hush had bad never troubled to replenish his clip pharaoh had fallen to his bis right and so 0 o on his pistol arin arm while this was taking his weight he be could not aim and though in a flash he be had flung his weight to the left in that instant my fingers had caught the wrist of his pistol hand for a moment he fought for his freedom then iben he let himself fall on his back but now my dinits its were working and before it could reach lis bis pocket I 1 had hold of his other wrist and in that instant the room was flooded with light for a moment I 1 thought that someone had entered the chamber and then I 1 guessed that pharaoh had turned the switches when first he came into the room that the switchboard itself night report the repair of the damage which whiple he be had done so for the first time that night I 1 saw my face I 1 think he must have known that I 1 was his bis assailant but the sight of me seemed to send him out of his mind ile he fought no more as a serpent but like the madman he looked his face convulsed with passion and his eyes starting out of his head at last to my relief the tempest mew itself out and he lay back spent and panting to take tak e his rest but before I 1 could think of moving movin he bad lifted his head once more ana and was staring into my eyes I 1 looked back grimly enough ne ile did not struggle he simply gazed upon me as though he would brand my image upon his memory then the fellow spat in my face so a madman made a madman it if he resisted I 1 know not but I 1 used him as a lay figure from that time on I 1 dashed his hand on the massive plinth of the table to break his wrist and when his pistol had fallen I 1 brought his bands together and got to my knees and then I 1 was clear of the table and had jerked him up to his feet I 1 I 1 let his broken wrist go whipped out his second pistol and pitched it across the room then I 1 seized his throat alth both hands turned him back to the table bent him across its corner and broke his back on the oak 0 0 0 0 0 sitting on the bench by the fireplace I 1 wiped my face and my hands on helenar He lenas lebas black silk scarf this had been arun wrung and creased and I 1 had no doubt that pharaoh had bad used it to gag her before he had carried her oft off now that the business was over I 1 found it hard to believe I 1 looked at my watch the ume time was menty minutes past twelve not an hour had gone by since pharaoh had talked from the ramparts rampart and dewdrop had read his mes cage to rush and bugle bu gle and me and now cow they were all four dead but I 1 was alive rhe reflection brought me up to my feet alive it if you please but I 1 was waa shut in a chamber from which I 1 could see no do way out for twenty minutes I 1 sou lit that door I 1 shouted and beat upon the woodwork using helenar He lenas name all 10 1 vain helena watt war locked in the turret my hand la in my pocket fing fingered ered her master cia ster y which I 1 had bad taken from rush hush but the turret no doubt had ha embrasures embra and she would be found foun and released so soon as she could make mak herself heard she had of course heard hean the firing but if the thieves were fighting what did that matter to her let pharaoh revenge her escape upon bugle and rush or seek to blast his hi way out of the secret room here perhaps I 1 should say that though hel ena heard the firing the sound was so muffled that she could not he be sure what it was while so thick were the walls walla of 0 yorick that nobody else in the castle heard it at all now kow when li He lenas elenas release was effected and geoffrey and the warden were found the three would take counsel together upon her report the position would be considered but not for long the thing was clear to open the room would be madness the council would surely decide that pharaoh Ihara oh and his companions must be lert left to dle die where they were something dazedly I 1 surveyed my surroundings surrounding no windows no doors how flow did one get out of chambers that had neither windows nor doors it was then that I 1 thought of the fireplace A grate must have a and if the chimney was wide I 1 must have climbed forty feet feel when my b hand nd encountered a ridge and I 1 47 V my pistol on the carpet before me felt a current of air and then I 1 came to a fireplace As I 1 crawled out of that fireplace replace fa I 1 knew where I 1 was I 1 had come to Il He lenas elenas bedroom roughly I 1 washed the filth from my head and my hands but though I 1 did what I 1 could to wipe the soot from my shoes I 1 very soon saw that until I 1 could change my clothing I 1 should not be fit ct to inoel in a furnished room and what clothes I 1 had were at plumage at once to get to the farm became my burning desire before I 1 did so I 1 must set helena free that was simple enough I 1 had her master key and there was tier her private stair to bring me down to the hall and bet et I 1 dreaded the duty I 1 did not want to see her at least not now I 1 dreaded the explanations which I 1 should be forced to give I 1 did not want her to know that I 1 had bad been there in ID that room that I 1 had ad seen pharaoh break her that I 1 had heard her purchase my safety for cpr ten thou sand pounds a year I 1 heard the whine of a dog and then the scratch of claws on the door that led to the ramparts in a moment I 1 had it open and there to my joy wai sabre I 1 afterwards learned that perceiving the bustle above him the dog had declared by barking that he was down in the moat ills hla rescue was effected the great dog seemed pleased to see me but none too pleased to see that I 1 was alone come and find her sabre I 1 said 1 I know where she Is the alsatian started and stared then he bounded towards me put his great paws on my shoulders and licked my face one minute later we ne stood in the lit tle tie hall with the master key in my hand I 1 turned to the turret door for a moment I 1 hesitated then I 1 took a deep breath fitted the key to the lock and pushed open the oak helena was bot to be seen neither for that matter was sabre lie ile had gone to join his mistress at the head of the turret stair I 1 was wondering whether to follow or whether to wait where I 1 was when I 1 suddenly saw that my duty to the lady was done the appearance of sabre would show her that she wils was released the way to tier her bedroom was open and she had no need of escort because the terror was laid with trembling fingers I 1 whipped the key from the lock loci of 0 the turret door then I 1 opened the door which gave to the winding staircase passed through and locked it behind me ine with all dispatch five minutes later I 1 crossed the moat by the footbridge and entered the tunnel which w would bring me into the woods 0 0 As I 1 walked to plumage I 1 remembered terrible moments how in tier her pride she had bad flung my puny efforts in pharaohs Phara face and how in tier her fear and trembling she had sought to buy my safety by committing a breach of trust no queen could have done more for the kinz king she loved loed although I 1 had come to regard record with increasing apprehension the opening of Il He lenas elenas eyes to the truth ot of course that it way wag I 1 and not bugle basle that had stood in the secret chamber and lintl had listened to nil all ole said it had never occurred to roe me that it 1 only I 1 I 1 held my tongue neither she nor anyone else need ever suspect that I 1 had entered the castle that friday night yet before my cousin had spoken a doyen word words I 1 saw that it I 1 was careful my secret would keep itself lie ile found me finishing breakfast in his room at the reaping hook well you have missed something lie he said let that be your punishment for deceiving three simple souls not that I 1 blame you this time my lady had bad no ri right bt to treat you like that I 1 told her as much in the coupe but she mould nt listen to me put nut thata by the way youve misled 1 in n a way waya weve all of u no missed the lie most astounding show that ever was seen lady helena saw a rood good bit more than enough im afraid tie he threw himself into a chair upon my soul I 1 dont know where here to begin what to you know I 1 said 1 I reel feel sure said my cousin that you will be glad to hear bear that your failure to arrive at the castle knocked the three of us flat flait we as the fact that simple honest john spencer had laid himself but to deceive us and done it so devilish well ell you certainly got your own back lady helena was wild id never have bell believed eved it of him she raged well now that she was safe in the castle I 1 was only too glad of an excuse to get out and so I 1 anna announced that halley barley hal ley and I 1 would seek you without delay she insisted that we should take sabre a and nd pave gave the dog his orders before we left its rl right ait you should know that she was extremely worried v v aled my ity cousin paused to frown on his fingertips finger tips 1 I hope in the merciful course of time to forget the way we employed the next two hours we used sabre exactly according to the instructions on the box should the dog display emotion release him at once remain exactly where you were when he left you until he returns then talce take hold 0 his collar and lie will lead you to john I 1 began to shake with lau laughter ahter quite so said geoffrey quite so after about an hour the dog displayed emotion and was released after another hour barley and I 1 displayed much more emotion and withdrew Ith drew to survey the mouth of the entrance drive we been there ten tea minutes when we heard the carlotta coming coming from the castle all out by the use of our torches we stopped her to find end that she was manned by a flying squad watchmen porters grooms groome all of them armed to the teeth they were going to compass yorick traveling east and the coupe was coming after to travel west the countess helena had bad been kidnap d yorick was alun plunged ged into darkness and my lady was gone let down in a sheet front from the ramparts iler her handkerchief had been found on the drawbridge and sabre had been found in the moat I 1 felt that it was time to say something but how I 1 began dont interrupt said my cousin listen to me well I 1 let the carlotta par lotta go deciding that barley and I 1 would do better on foot I 1 sent him east and ran west yes ran with my heart in my mouth the idea was to find the rolls I 1 the rolls had not gone 1 I found tier her nit at a quarter to one up a little track and very near cried with relief you see sec that meant that my lady was yet in the park 1 I rushed of oft and stopped the coupe which was lapping tor for the twentieth time ome told the eh chauffeur a to go on patrolling but to send me reinforcements and tell everybody lie he met then I 1 went back to lay my ambush I 1 soon had bad plenty of men and I 1 did the job well pharaoh simply an earthly though he know it that track had become the scaffold on which he and his little friends were going to die at a quarter to two a comes pelting with a message we very nearly killed him of course but by the time hed said bald his piece he was nearer death than before the countess Countes 3 helenar He lenas compliments and will mr bohun come back to the castle at orce sly ily cousin covered his face 1 I dont think ive ever felt such a blasted fool but blasted well I 1 took the rolls and drove back to hear bear lady Il helenar elenas He lenas tale TO BE CONTINUED |