| Show W air taw V by SAX ROHMER III I 1 copyright by sax tax bohmer rohmer wiro service SYNOPSIS matt kearney young american in london says good by to his bister sister elleen eileen on board the wallaroo bound tor for colombo the wallaroo Is convey las ing IS in gold to australia kearney meets inspector dawson halg haig of scotland yard very much in love with elleen eileen halg haig Is convinced opium plum 1 Is 13 concealed in jo lung a ware house called to other duty he dele fates gates kearney with detective nor to visit the place and find out what he can while in the warehouse kearney lkearney picks up a notebook yu an hee see chinaman whom halg haig has long been seeking as the leader of a bund band of international thieves is to at jo lungs lung a discovering the loss of his notebook he sends two of his told followers after norwich and kearney one of whom he realizes must have picked it up soon after leaving kear ney norwich Is murdered halg haig Is tied sled over cryptic notes in the book referring to stops to be made by the wallaroo while be he Is poring over the book a monstrous creature enters seizes it and escapes kearney s etory story of hearing horrible laughter while at jo lungs satisfies halg haig his waa was in biding there he lecog izing the IDe peculiar cullar malignancy of yu an a laugh CHAPTER IV continued 5 the big scot drew one gnarled hand out of his pocket and banged it on the table before him the arab waiter shuffled across from some hiding place brandy brandyl 1 the arab retired but almost imme returned and as be he set more cognac before the customer he dropped a green slip upon the table instantly the big man grabbed it drank his brandy at a gulp and crossed to the stairs he mounted unsteadily drew the curtain aside and disappeared hello said dawson halg haig borne some thing has happened did you notice yes ye his com companion compin pinion lon nodded but it Is I 1 think as I 1 have said there are other rooms here no doubt some company of 04 tools fools Is meeting in one of them to discuss the overthrow of the present russian or something tom ething of that bind kind our brandy swilling friend has been summoned to loin join them possibly the other murmured but I 1 should have liked a glimpse of that green slip alven as he spoke the portuguese clapped his hands ordering the waiter to bring cigarettes and when this or der was executed a green slip accod panted the little blue wrapped packet 1 the customer visibly started at sight of it stood up a small lithe figure and started up the stairs as the other had done 11 m I 1 said dawson halg haig A sec see end ond chance missed I 1 would give a years pay M ballon to be present at this meeting you speak of the meeting to which dawson halg haig referred was taking place in a large room two floors above A singular corn pany was assembled A case of champagne had been opened in the center of the floor upon a big marble topped table were hot bot ties of whiskey brandy gin absinthe and even arak boxes of excellent cigars upon many of the smaller tables placed before the settees set tees the air was gray almost with tobacco smoke out of those thick glass mugs ily ally employed to serve lager the guests were engaged in demoll demolishing shing the varl DUO beverages provided As the big man entered pipe in band and stood swaying and looking about him with bleared eyes wild yells of greeting went up the new comer seemed bemused by his riotous reception one could almost watch the blow slow workings of that fuddled brain then evidently having discovered the person he was seeking he picked his way to a narrow settee between two curtained windows on which one man lounged in supercilious isolation this was a sprucely groomed groo toed egypt tian his sleek black hair growing very low upon his cheek cheekbones bones with his clean shaven olive face and very white teeth he was a languorously handsome figure A scarlet tarbush lay beside him where he reclined support sup by many silken cushions and there was an open case upon the floor apparently full of papers hello gaelles he said greeting the newcomer in english which he spoke with facility but a slight accent you are late you and find one other are last to report watching the heavy lip twitching lander a graying mustache be he thought only desperation has made you report at all I 1 had h Is work and a was the reply 1 I dadna a bean I 1 ive ve had bite bor nor sup since yesterday morning and I 1 walked here from calais I 1 you had a well lined purse the last time we met mac mae and its your own fault if it Us a empty now but the egyptian smiled into the debauched face it will soon be well filled again show me your papers and I 1 will see that you have supper the scotsman laid a number of pa pers include ng a greasy passport upon a little table there iou ou are chief II 11 I 1 e man addressed as chief glanced the documents and the pass I 1 lort ort then from the case he tool a long envelope he ile removed the biti a a mi contents enumerating them as he did so one fifty pounds he said two a week s pay in advance three your ticket for trieste you leave in the morning four cabin accomma dation trieste to alexandria five in the small envelope the bane nan e and address of the man from whom you will alit take further instructions when you get there he ile replaced them all add ng those papers which gaelles had given him then deftly slipped an elastic band around envelope and passport hand ng it back with a smile and now go to it mac he said its your last night from now on you are under orders but his keen brain was ras busy and he was thinking this man Is efficient but dangerous I 1 must be prepared to replace him macales turned and loo ed about the smoke laden room it would hav have e been difficult to find within any similar area a more complete set of ruf ruffians flans their nationalities were various but most of them had at least one quality in common they were drunk in the matter of villainy there was little to choose between them there was a huge cross eyed swede bearded nearly to the eyes who apparently possessed no name other than red an italian with sly sidelong eyes answer ing without resentment to the name of the wasp a chinaman with an evil scarred and pock marked face this creature was apparently known as one eye other ruf ruffians flans there were black white yellow and brown draining tankards of champagne and shouting coarse personalities you look rotten mac mae you do I 1 shouted a coarse voice come and feed your face old cock uncle tom here wants to talk to you macales started in the direction of the speaker a thickset bull necked in scars of the ring visible upon nose and ear his companion uncle tom orn was a powerful negro whose little sunken eyes seemed to hold a red dish light so that they resembled those of a gorilla Ala macales ciles joined these two at their table and the negro drew a laden supper wagon alongside As a man who Is fam shed the scotsman helped himself the ex prize fighter filled for him a mug with champagne just as the portuguese came in he was greeted with cries of berdyl scared seared you ferdy didn dian t think you was goin to join up again ferdy this last from kid brown the cock ney fighter loud laughter clapping of hands and stamping of feet feel the new arrival made h s way to the settee where the chief reclined watch ing him and thinking this man is afraid he may destroy us downstairs in the restaurant the russian politician continued his ap parent ly interminable harangue the two men who had penetrated to the mysteries beyond failed to return dawson halg haig turned to the french detective I 1 may be chasing a shadow he said but I 1 am not satisfied I 1 mean to wait until one of them comes out again then I 1 mean to follow him Is there any other way out of this place cot that I 1 am aware of the frenca french detective replied he smiled there Is perhaps a political meeting going on I 1 fear you are wasting t time ime mon bleur having nothing better to do at the moment dawson haig returned grim ly I 1 intend to go on wasting my time for at least another hour upstairs the party was as growing riotous As a result of some small dis dis red the huge swede very drunk had challenged one eye the china man to a wrestling match one of the tables had been overturned by the corn com batanus and much glass broken but all carried on merrily the elegant chief sipped coffee and smoked egyptian cigarettes exchange ing light badinage with various mem meni bers of the company but always he remained reclining amidst his cush ions watching weighing men and es ti mating motives two guests were nere singing at the top of their voices one in german and the other in portuguese the supporters of these rivals who were not singing the same song added their voices to the choruses and in the midst of this uproar the wasp drawing a knife from his sleeve leaped across the table before him and sprang snarl snarling ln upon the german singer you sing that about me you swine I 1 he shouted both vocalists ceased abruptly and the german fell back on a table immediately behind him which was smashed by bis his weight so that its contents were spilled all over those seated near it at the same moment with great pres ence of mind he kicked the italian in the stomach the wasp s knife fell from his hand and howling with agony he dropped and lay writhing on the floor A big blond brandenburger extract ing himself from debris of the broken table sprang upon the fallen wasp italian eigl I 1 strangle youl you I 1 he roared the chief stood up smiling no longer orders I 1 he cried in a sharp vo ce the brandenburger hesitated drew back cat calls cheers and laughter ceased the agonized italian groan ing struggled to regain his feet in the space of ten seconds complete silence came all faced the chief I 1 have to remind you of orders the egyptians voice cut through the stillness I 1 will overlook this breach it Is the first to night but any other infringement I 1 must report to mr king to h 1 with mr king kingi I 1 the ger man exclaimed thickly his murderous I 1 glance still set upon the wasp the chief slowly turned his lumin ous eyes upon the speaker the lust just of battle faded from the german s ex pres slon and he looked almost with despair at that slim figure standing at the end of the room regarding him this Is regrettable franz the chief continued in his calm voice most regrettable gret table tonight when we are newly reassembled nevertheless I 1 cannot possibly overlook it he began to glance about from face to face all eyes were suddenly averted not the adder I 1 the german whis don dont t send for the adder I 1 don t mean to do it chief I 1 am drunk see and when it Is so I 1 am mad to fight I 1 I 1 shall make due allowance for the fact and now the chiefs chief s glance rested upon the battle scarred face of the london prize fighter kid 1 he called sharply with obvious reluctance the kid obeyed stepping forward almost sheep ashly yes chief the egyptian pointed to the big brandenburger thrash franz tor for me he directed calmly do not injure him seriously but teach him to respect orders drunk or sober mention of that seemingly common place name mr king as it if it pos aej ax 6 A there a no malice franz hessed some magic quality had sobered the company all drew back to the ut most limits of the room but all avoided the neighborhood D e I 1 of the chief the kid who wore a double breasted coat with a woolen pullover beneath removed first the coat then the pull over when finally he had discarded his vest he displayed a formidable torso with bulging biceps and rippling shoulder muscles the german also shed his coat and as he did so thank tha q h you chief he said look ing alo along ng the room I 1 take what it Is coming to me turning he be faced the pugilist I 1 im in sorry mate said the latter but orders Is orders no offense ense cover up as well as you know ow with which friendly warn ng he shot a left of deadly accuracy to the man mans s jaw the sound of its impact echoed around the room it was the maxim silencer in the words of one sport ing critic for which the kid had been celebrated in the prize ring a piston rod blow which if it registered flesh and blood could not withstand and incredible though it seemed the kid meant it kindly he knew that swift oblivion followed by an ach ing head was preferable to a mangling franz staggered threw up his arms and fell to his knees stooping he spat a tooth upon the floor kid stood over him amazed when he did not topple forward has he had enough chief he asked no hit him again but make him stand up stand up franz he or dered the big german looked up almost pathetically into the face of the kid then slowly he rose to his feet blood streamed down his chin put yer ands up brown demand ed make a fight for it it 11 make me feel better the brandenburger rushed closed with the boxer and held him in a bear like grip the kid brought a short one to his right ear but that grizzly hug continued chief I 1 the fighter cried make lin break away I 1 I 1 told you to thrash him was the calm reply the kid rained blows upon the head and body but the tenacious powerful german was slowly lifting him off his feet and now he had him clear of the floor I 1 I 1 A hoarse suppressed cry of excitement from the onlookers greeted this feat drink fumes cleared from the fight er ers s brain and ring craft came to his aid suddenly he seemed to crumple up in that strange hug which was squeezing the life out of him he col lapsed dropped limply from those em ein bracing arms and even as the ger man looked down at him panting with his giant exertions the kid came to his feet like a catch released and that piston onrod rod left drove again straight to the point franz crashed down so as to shake the room good said the chief lay him on the settee there until he comes to his orders were obeyed and the party continued merrily in the restaurant below dawson halg haig and his paris confrere exchanged reminiscences M ballon was growing restless thel stipulated hour having expired would it be possible said halg haig apologetically to arrange for some one to follow any persons coming down from above and leaving the restaurant tonight why certainly was the reply 1 I can go and arrange for this now it if you care to wait wait said halg haig he settled their account with the arab waiter and lighting a cigarette was turning over the mystery of the whole thing in his mind suddenly the curtains at the head of the stairs were drawn aside two men came down one support ing the other the man supported was heavily built and of definitely teutonic type from time to time he spat into a bloodstained handkerchief he walked unsteadily his companion who wore a brightly colored pullover and gray flannel trou brou sers seemed much concerned about him sure you re all right mate he asked as they reached the foot of the stairs I 1 in all right kid was the guttural reply 1 lou I ou do me well but you do me decent they began to cross the floor making for the doorway there theres s no malice franz there Is none orders Is orders haig realized that the fighting man with that sublime insular ignorance of his class took for granted the fact that no one else in the restaurant un der stood english I 1 anyway ill see you to a taxi he said and well ave a drink together in cairo they had nearly reached the curtain draped in the opening beyond which the stout lady presided over coffee beans dawson haig held his breath for me not cairo the german re p piled tied I 1 go to marseilles tomorrow and by the wallaroo halg haig stood up and followed by some unfortunate accident a taxi passed at the very moment of their exit and he came out onto the street only in time to see it pulling away and to meet the glare of vicious sunk en eyes as the cockney fighter con fronted him lookin for anything in quiren the latter truculently yes said halg haig do |
