Show ai V T V T AP roo ica U ca DO MM 0 N adventures of a mobilized demobilized De A ey by CYRIL mcneile officer azo found peace dull SAPPER by geo H n doro dorau 0 synopsis in december 1918 four men gathered in a hotel in berne and heard on one of the quartet quarter carl peterson outline is a plan to paralyze paralyn great britain and at the be same lime elzo alize world power the other three hocking american and Stel neman and von grata germans all millionaires li lion on aires alres agree to the scheme providing another or man hiram potts an Amerl american rai Is taken in capt hugh bull ilog drummond Dru romond a retired officer advertises for work wont that will give him excitement signing XIO 11 As A a result he be meets phyllis benton a young woman who answered his hi ad d she tells him of strange murders and robberies by a band headed beaded by carl Pete riton and henry LA kIngton she tears fears her bar father Is ie involved drummond goei to the marches larches Lar ches miss mies Ben bensons bentons Be tons hame next door to the elms petersons place during the night drummond Drum nond leaves the larches barches and explores the elms lie he discovers La kington and peterson using a thumbscrew on potts who signs a paper drummond rescues potts pond takes him film to his own home lie he also gets halt half of the paper torn in n the fight peterson visits drummond Drun mond de departing parting with a threat ti return and recover potts and the torn paper hugh substitutes tor for potts the band carry oft off and hugh to the elms when peterson Pc terson discovers the hoax drummond la Is made to stay all night irma petersons ter sons handsome daughter warns hurt he will be killed lie he goes exploring during the night eight runs into a cobra escapes mysterious death and refrains from breaking petersons neck drummond Drumri ond eril collita loots the aid ot of aigy longworth toby sinclair ted and jerry seymour the lauar an aviator drummond discovers a man imper rousting ron sting potts CHAPTER V continued 9 such Is your rule and I 1 think you have failed you you unpleasant specimen of humanity how will they kill you I 1 wonder it atna aa at that moment that the lie man made his mistake ile he looked away only for a moment nent but he looked away just as aa a cats nerves give after a while and it looks round for an avenue of escape so did the crouching man take ake bis eyes from hugh and quick as any dog hugh sprang with his left hand band he seized the mans right with his right he seized his throat then he be forced him upright against the door and field him there even evec when inch by inch be shifted ills his grip on the mans knife hand band he never took ills his eyes from his opponents face even when with a sudden gasp of 0 agony the man dropped his knife from fingers which of a sudden hail had become numb the steady merciless lesa glare still bored into his brain youre not very clever at it are arc you said hugh softly it would be so easy to kill you now and except for the inconvenience I 1 should undoubtedly suffer it be a bad adea but they know me downstairs and it would make it so awkward aben I 1 wanted to dine here again so taking everything into account I 1 think ol there was a sudden lightning movement a heave and a quick jerk the impersonator of potts was dimly eon con 0 1 ith his left hand he seized the th mans man right wrist with his right he soiled seized his hi throat scions of flying through the air and ac of hitting the floor some borne yards from fro the door lie he made a frantic effort effo to rise but the patti pain was too great gree slid and he rolled over cursing while tl the soldier his bis bind band on the doorknob door knob kno laughed gently ill keep the toothpick he re t marked as ft a memento the oneat ir he was wag striding along the woI orthor llor toward the ele e vator AS a figat it had been a poor po one but ills his brain was wa busy with the t information he be lind hail heard true it lind had been scrappy in the extreme anil and in ili port part had only confirmed what lie he lind had suspected all along tle wretched granger lind find been foully done to death for no other reason than that he was the millionaires secretary hughs jam tightened it revolted his sense of sport it as if the poor blighter bad done anything merely because he existed and might ask inconvenient questions he be had been removed and ns the elevator shot downwards and the remembrance of the grim struggle lie he had had in the darkness of the elias the night before came back to his mind lie wondered once again if he hail done wisely in not breaking petersons neck while he had the chance lie he was still debating the question in his mind as he crossed the tea why captain drummond you look pensive A well known voice from a table at his side made him look down and he bowed a little grimly irma peterson was regarding him with a mocking smile ile he glanced at her companion a young man abose lose face seemed vaguely familiar to him and then hla his eyes rested once more on the girl even his masculine intelligence could appreciate pre preci clate ate the perfection in a slightly forc foreign n style of lier her clothes and as to her beauty he had neier been under any delusions the carlton seems rather a favorite resort of yours she continued watching him through half closed eyes 1 I think thick youre very wise alse to make the most of it while you can while I 1 can said hugh that sounds rather depressing ive done my best continued the girl but matters have passed out of my hands im afraid again hugh glanced at her companion but he had bad risen and was talking 0 to o some people who mho land had just come in Is he one of the firm be re marked his face seems familiar oil oh no said the girl he Is lust a friend she leaned forward guil suddenly ud denly why dont you join us istead instead of so foolishly trying to light ight vs as believe me monsieur hugh it Is the he only thing that can possibly save you you know too much Js Is the invitation to amalgamate official or from your own charming brain murmured hugh made on the spur of the moment she lie said lightly but it may be re corded forded as official im afraid it must be declined on tie the spur of the moment he an s a ered in the same tone and equally to be regarded as official well ai ag revoir please tell mr air peterson how bow sorry I 1 am to have missed him 1 I will most certainly answered tle le girl but then mon ami you kill iiii be seeing him film again soon without doubt I 1 she waved a charming hand in farewell and turned to lier her companion bit alt drummond though he be went into tte tie hall outside did not immediately leithe the hotel instead he button holed an exquisite being arrayed in gorgeous apparel and led him to a point of vantage you see that girl he remarked ieving tea with a man at the third table from the mg bg palm now can yu tell me ine who ho the man Is I 1 seem to know his face but I 1 cant put a nome DE me to it that sir murmured the exquisite mug with il the faintest perceptible at such ignorance Is the marquis of haldley Lal dley ills his lordship Is frequently here haldley laidley Lal dley cried hugli hugh in sudden ex cli haldley Lal dley tiie the duke of son you priceless old stuffed ti fred tomato the plot thickens completely regardless of the scandalized dalli zed horror on the exquisite beings face he be smote him heavily in the stomach steinach and stepped into pull mall for clear before his memory had conie come three lines on the scrap of paper lie be had torn from the table at the elms that first night when he had grabbed the dazed millionaire from under petersons Ieter hona nose earl necklace and the are at present chess of lamp the darchess of pearls were world famous the marquis of 0 haldley was apparently enjoying his tea and between the two there teemed seemed to be a connection rather too obvious to be missed THREE im glad you two fellows came down said fold hugh thoughtfully as he h entered the sitting room of his bunga low at goran Gorl sit dinner was over and anc stretched in three chairs were peter darroll darrell algy alay longworth ll and toby tob sinclair did you know that a man mai came here this afternoon peter 1 I did not who was wag it mrs denny has just told me hugl hugh reached out a hand for big hl pipe and am proceeded to stuff muff it with tobacco he came about the water and he hi told her that I 1 tied told him to come com unfortunately id done nothing of the th sort what do you mean hugh asked tobt sinclair its obvious old boy said bald hugh grimly 1 I should say that shout about five hours ngo ago peterson found out vint our one and only hiram C potts was upstairs good lord I 1 spluttered splutter ed darrell danell dan ell by now very wide awake what do we me do sergeant major we take it in turn tuma two at a time to sit up with potts hugh glanced at the other three 13 n it you von blighters brighters bligh wake linke cupl up 1 I dont know what it Is darrell said rubbing ills eyes 1 I feel most infernally fer nally sleepy well listen to me confound you toby I 1 sorry old man with a start sinclair clair sat up in his chaibi clial and blinked at hugh almost certain to try ind and get him tonight went on hugh having given the show away by leaving a clue on the wretched secretary they must get the real man as soon as po possible Ible its far too dangerous to leave the leave the ills his head dropped forward on his chest a short half strangled snore came from his lips it had bad the effect of waking him for the moment and he be staggered ered to his feet the other three sprawling in their chairs viere mere openly and unashamedly unas hamelly asleep even the dogs lay in fantastic attitudes breathing heavily inert like log wake up shouted hugh wildly mildly for gods sake wake api upi up 1 weve been drugged an iron froli weight seemed to be pressing down on his eyelids the desire for sleep grew stronger and stronger for a few moments more he fought against it hopelessly despairingly while his legs seemed not to belong to him and there was a roaring noise in his ears and then just before unconsciousness overcame bam there cama came to his bemused brain the sound of a whistle thrice repeated from outside the window with a last stupendous effort he fought his way toward it and for a moment he stared into the darkness there were dim figures moving through the shrubs and suddenly one seemed to detach itself it came nearer and the light fell on the mans face his nose and mouth were covered with a sort of pad but the cold sneering eyes were unmistakable La kington I 1 gasped hugh and then the roaring noise increased in his head his legs struck work altogether ile he collapsed on the floor and lay sprawling abile La kington ills his face preyed pressed against the glass outside watched in silence draw the curtains La kington was speaking his voice muffled be hind the pad and one of the men did as he be said 0 there were four in all each with a similar pad load over ills mouth and nose where did you put the generator brownlow in the coal scuttle A man chom mrs denue denu would have had no difficulty in reco recognizing even with the mask on his face carefully lifted a small black box bos out of the scuttle from behind some coal and shook it gently holding it to his ear its finished lie remarked and La kington nodded an ingenious invention Is gus gas 11 he said addressing another of the men we owe your nation qu quite te a debt of gratitude for the idea A guttural grunt left no doubt as to what hat that nation was and laking ton dropped the box into his pocket go get mm him lie he ordered briefly and the others left the room contemptuously La kington kicked one of the dogs it rolled over and lay iny motionless in its new position then lie he went ment in turn to each of the three men sprawling in the chairs with will no attempt at gentleness lie he turned their faces up to the light and studied them then lie he let their heads roll back again with a thud finally lie he went ent to the window and stared down domn at drimmond in ills his eyes m was as a look of cold fury and lie he kicked the unconscious man savagely in the ribs you young saine he be muttered do you think ill forget that blow on oil the jaw ile he took another box out of his pocket still and looked at it lovingly shall I 1 with a short laugh ile he replaced it bics its too good a death for you captain drummond Drum roond D S 0 51 C just to snuff out in your sleet sleep no my friend I 1 think I 1 can devise something hetter better than that something really artistic two other men came in as he be turned away and La kington looked at them well he asked have you got the old woman bound and gagged in the kitchen answered one of them laconically are you going to rio do this crowd in the speaker looked at the unconscious men with hatred in his eyes they encumber the earth this breed of puppy ney will not encumber it for long said La kIngton softly but the orie crie in the th kirilow there Is not going to die so easily I 1 have a small unett unsettled led score with him 11 all right hes in the car A voice came from outside the window and milli a last look nt at hugh drummond La kington turned away then well go he remarked ali ail revoir my blundering young hull bull before ie finished with you scream for mercy and you wont get it through the he still night air there came the thrumming of the engine of 0 a powerful car gradually it died away and there was silence and then with a sudden crack peter darrells head rolled over and hit the arm of its ills chair CHAPTER VI in which a very old game takes place on the hogs back ONE A thick grey mist lay over the thames it covered the water and vie low fields to the west like a thick white carpet it drifted sluggishly under the old bridge which spans the river between goring coring and streatley Str eatley it was the hour before dawn and 1 oil I 1 e in his eyes was a look of cold fury and he kicked the unconscious man savagely sleepy passengers rubbing the windows of their carriages as the plymouth boat express rushed on toward london shivered and drew their ru rugs s closer around theta them it looked cold cold and dead slowly aimont imperceptibly tole tie vapor rose and spread ou outwards tards up the wooded hills by Ba basilion basildon sildon it drifted through the shrubs ah rubs and rose bushes of a little garden which stretched from a bungalow down don to the waters edge until at length aspis wisps Is pis of it brushed gently round the bungalow itself suddenly the window ot 01 one of the downstairs down stair rooms was blui open and a man with a white haggard face leaned out drawing great gulps of fresh air into his lunga lung three other men lay sprawling uti in chairs and two dogs lay motionless on the alie hearthrug after a moment or two the mau withdrew only to appear again with one of the others in his arms and thon then having dropped his bis burden through the window on to the lawn outside lie be repeated his performance with mith the remaining two finally be h pitched the two dogs after them chium and then lion with his hand to his forehead he staggered down dovin to the waters edge holy smoke he be muttered to himself as he plunged his head into the colli cold water talk about the morning after I 1 after a while with the water still I 1 dripping down his face he be returned to the bungalow and found the other three in various stages of partial insensibility wake up my heroes he remar remarked kea and go aud and put your great tat fat heads in the river we were all of u us s drugged or doped somehow and now lie he added bitterly weve all al got heads and we have not got potts 1 I dont remember anything said toby sinclair except falling asleep have they taken him of course they have said mid hugh just before I 1 went off I 1 saw eta eia all in the garden and that swine sine La |