Show IN 4 t 4 t bull lawis U ord d 4 4 4 0 the adventures of a mobilized demobilized De ed by officer who W ho found peace dull cyril C sapper S mcneile me P r 14 eile I 1 copyright kgb I 1 by a oeo aeo I 1 n M L D doran or co DONT LAUGH Synopsis in december four men gathered in a hotel in beine and heard one of 0 the quartet cart carl peterson outline a plan to paralyze great britain and at the saml same time seize world power the other three locking hocking I 1 american and Stel neman nenian and von gratz germans all millionaires agree to the scheme providing another man ill ran ram potts an american Is taken in capt hugh blugh dull dog doe drummond mond a retired officer adae advertise sea for or work word that will e efin raci excitement ce signing 19 n an fn i 10 As a result ho meets phillia benton a young woman who answered hla his all ad she tells him of strange murders and robbed robb ciles les by a band headed by carl peterson aid henry glenry Laking toll she fears her father Is involved drummond goes to tile the larches barches Lar ches I 1 miss bentons bensons Ben tons homo home next door to tile the elms petersons ons place during the night drummond leaves the larches barches and explores the elms he discovers La kington and peterson using a thumbscrew on potts who signs EL paper drummond rescues potts polls and takes him to his own homo home lie he also gets half the paper torn in ill the struggle peterson visits drummond departing with a threat to return and recover lecove r potts and also the torn paper which potts signed the band abduct hugh and a friend he has substituted for potts and take them to the elms peterson Pete raon to is furious over the mistake I 1 CHAPTER IV continued 7 A fixed determination to know what lay in that sinister brain replaced his temporary indecision events up to date had moved so quickly that he be had hardly had time to get his big bearings even now the last twenty four hours hounsl seemed almost a dream and as he be looked at the broad back and massive head bead of the man at the window and from him to the girl idly smoking on the sofa he smiled a little grimly he had bad just remembered the thumbscrew of the preceding evening assuredly the de mobilized officer who found peace dull was getting his moneys worth and drummond had bad a shrewd that hat the entertainment was only just beginning A sudden sound outside la in the garden made him look up bp ho saw the white gleam of a shirt front and the next moment a man pushed open the tha window and came uns unsteadily tendil y into the room it was mr denton benton and quite obviously he had been seeking consolation in the bottle have you got himy he demanded thickly steadying himself with a hand on en petersons arm 1 I have not said peterson shortly eyeing the swaying figure in front of him contemptuously for heavens rake sit down man before you tall fall down lie he pushed benton roughly into a chair and resumed his impassive stare into the darkness the girl took not the slightest notice of the new arrival who gazed stupidly at drummund drummond across the table we seem to be moong mo ong in ili an atmosphere mo sphere of cross purposes mr benton said bald the soldier affably 1 I hope your daughter Is quite well er quite thank you muttered the other tell her will you that I 1 propose to call on her before returning to london tomorrow with ills his hands in his fits pockets peterson was regarding drummond from froin the window you propose leaving us tomorrow do you he said quietly drummond stood up 1 I ordered my car for ten he answered 1 I am quite sure that I 1 shall be more useful to mr peterson at large than I 1 am cooped up here I 1 might eien een lend lead him to tills this hidden treasure which he thinkie F e got you will do that all right remarked peterson nut but at the moment I 1 was wondering whether a lit uttie persuasion now might not ghe gli e me loe all the Inform information adon I 1 require more quickly and with less trouble A fleeting vision of a mangled thumb flashed across hughs igind once again lie heard that hideous cry halt half animal half human had echoed through the darkness art the preceding night and for an instant his bis breath came a little faster then he be smiled and shook his head 1 I think you are rather too good a n judge of human nature to try anything so BO foolish he said thoughtfully you te e unless you kill tile me which I 1 dont think would suit your book you might find explanations a little difficult tomorrow for a while title there was silence in the hie room broken at length by a short laugh from froal peterson for a young man truly your per f placita Is grf great dt he remarked heil ir mn ann Is the hie blue bine room ready if so ell lulal to show captain drummond to it 1 I will show him film myself the he answered rising flu hugh gh saw ta look 1001 of annoy annoyance lince pass pasa over petersons Peter sotis face as he be turned to follow folio gir the girl and tin it truck him that that gentleman was not epst pleased at trie turn of events then ohp he door red ond and hr he foll followed ved Ms ills nae up tile lite bani italic the e Z rl opened the door or i a room and SWI switched on tile alie lislie ht then slie fared faced hills smiling and hu 1 I looked tit at tier lier sten beadily tea dlly dily tell tile me oil ugly mail dal she mur murmured inured why you you are arc such stich a fool hush Sili smiled llod and as lias has been sall 1 before II smile transformed liis ills face 1 insist remember that opening ile he said it establishes a biss of 0 intimacy nt at once it il slie she SN swaged na cj a little toward liim and tile lie realized realize tier lier in is tion she rut plit a liand hand oil mi ills his shoulder xe r dont you understand she ahls III fiercely 4 that kill you volt she peered vast him half fearfully and then turned to him again C go 0 you idiot go 90 while theres time get act out olit 0 of f it go abroad do anything an tiling but dont tool foot round here it seems ft cheerful household remarked hugh with I a smile may I 1 ask why youre all so 80 concerned about me your estimable father gave me tile the same 1117 ne advice yesterday morning dont ask why she answered feverishly ly because I 1 cant tell you only you must believe that what I 1 say Is the truth you must its just po possible that if you go now and tell them where youve hidden tile the american be all right but if you dont her hand dropped to her side suddenly breakfast will be at nine my hugh until then au an revoir he turned as she left the room a little puzzled by tier her change of tone standing nt at the top of the stairs was peterson watching matching them both in silence I 1 TWO in the days when drummond Drummo iid had been a platoon commander he had done man many y dangerous things the ordinary joys of the infantry subalterns subal terns life such as going over the top ano and carrying out raids had not proved sufficient for his appetite ile he had specialized in peculiar stunts of his own onn stunts over which he was singularly reticent stunts over which his men formed their own conclusions and worshiped him accordingly but Drumn drummond icid was no fool and lie be had realized really frd the vital importance of flitting fitting himself for these to the best beet of hi his 8 ability E n p physical h strength Is a treat great asset but it carries with it certain natural disadvantages in the first arst place its possessor Is frequently clumsy hugh had practiced tl ed lu in france till lie he could move over ground wit without holit a single blade of grass rustling van dycka dyck a dutch trapper had first shown him the trick by which a man goes forward on an his elbows like a snake and Is here one moment and gone the next nest with to no orie the wiser wiser again its ita possessor Is frequently slow hugh had practiced in france till he could kill a man with his bare hands in a second olaaf a japanese had first taught him two or three of the secrets of his trade and in the intervals of resting behind the lines lie he had perfected them until it was even money whether the jap or he be would win min in ft practice bout and there were mere nights in no mans land ak when ben his men m would hear strange sounds and knowing that drummond was abroad on his wanderings would aa 0 N tell me you ugly bigly man she murmured why you are arc such a fool peer eagerly 0 y fr r tile the parapet into ant tile llie enste in ill arout bill B de torn lp lb ba P 11 they neer v anything even fann s went want liling lil ing 1 tile preen green yli otly un till into the darkness anil and ibe HIP danced faint fantastically all wa wnm alent i and still 1 lisp flip sudden i ciril li ril wills not apt rpt witted coming lk k m oui 1 ps a patrol 1111 dellI lit il I 1 tN aport 11 glerman enn Mi 1 alc ills bell hole with tin n trace of a ANI bul it brol 11 i tiet t la k liel ix l 1 11 patrol sound found an thing but what per ill lie report hugh billy aily grini ineil and ain saw to 10 lils ills men inell 2 1 l which Is ali 1113 these are in ki tolay bolay day gulte a 1 number of i who nIllo ledge only illy two abc kins mid and hugh tild anil they would willingly lie die for col either tie alp ve result allt on drummond was n not ot sur irl sing jig ai a i nearly asa man may lie ile lie be r s without lt fear anil at when the hie ideis chino to 10 as lip 11 sat a an ilip eov or of iia i lied lly putting pulling off IT its ills sio si 0 h no io question nc stion of ta the 0 possible ilsk into id ills milid to exit explore I 1 0 re lie ile loue 1 I seemed tile most tiati natural Z 1 in I the odd noid and it wilh charach er itic fatuity lie summed ned up tile the still antio ati M ris i fl struck him bill thoa suspect astl sliest me arbow in ill fact abey know I 1 took 1 potts bitts th therefore crehore orn if they ahey catch me pas passage age creeping I 1 in no no wor sp ilian I 1 bill am now and I 1 ali might ht lind find something of interest There therefore fole earry carry on oil brine heart it was lark dark in the passage outside as lie he opened tile hie door of his room and ant celd toward tile the lot lop of the stairs the collar of lils ills brown lounge coat was up ani and ills his stocking feet made to no on tile the heavy pile carpet like a huge e shadow ile he vanished shed into tin tile blackness feeling ills way forward with tile uncanny instinct that cohues conies from practice every now and then ile he I 1 paused all ed and listened lisl lill ened intently Int enIly but the ticking of the he clock below and tile lie occasional ere creak of a hoard board alone broke the stillness to tile left lay tile room in which vl ilch he hild had spent tile HIP ec eel enning ning ling and drummond Dru nimond turned to the right As lie he had gone up tr ti avd ile he had bad noticed a door screened hy by a heavy beatry curtain which lie he thought light be the room Ill phyllls sIlls benton had spoken of tile the room mom whore henry La kington kept his ill gotten treasures ile he felt ills way troy niong alons tile nail all and at length his hand toli clied tile lie curtain only to drop it again at once olle from close beside him bad come a sharp angry hiss ile he stepped back a pace and sto stood od rigid I 1 staring at the spot from which the sound had seemed to come but lie he could see nothing then he leaned forward and once more moved the curtain instantly it came again sharper stud ud angrier than before ilu hush h passed a hand over his forehead and found it damp germans he knew and things on two legs but what was this that hissed so viciously in tile me darkness at length he determined to risk it and drew fron from his pocket a tiny electric torch holding it well tima from his body he switched on oil the light in the center of the heam swaying saying gracefully to and fro was a 9 snake for a moment he watched it fascinated as it spat at the light angrilli N lie he saw the flat hood where the vicious head beat was set on the upright body then lie he switched off the torch ant and retreated rather faster than he had tome come A convivial household he muttered to himself through lips that vere mere a little dry A hooded cobra is an unpleasing pet hugh hall had just determined to recon the curtained doorway again to see it if it was possible to circumvent the snake when aben a low chuckle came distinctly to liis ills ears from tile the landing above lie he lelnd flushed angrily in the dar darkness knes there was no doubt whatever Nhat ever as to the human origin in of that laugh and hugli hugh suddenly realized that lie he was making tile the most profound fool of himself to be laug laughed heil nt at by some same dirty swine alion lie he could strangle in fit balf a us impossible ilis his falts clenches clenched find lie swore softly under ills his breath then as silently as a he had find come down donan he commence to cli climb nill tile hie lairs again ile he had a hazy idea 01 lie ile bould like to ill hit some thina liala there were vre nine stairs lit in the first ila half of r 11 clr 1 fl I 1 arlt t ant and it as as lie he stood on oil me lie fifolt that lie again heard the tow low buckle at tile the same saine instant In tant so son mehin leiling bizzel bIz zed cd past ills hond head so sn low that it 11 alim t touched ills his hair and ti clero ere was a dune clang on oil the wall ile be side aide ilam lie he duet ducked ell instinctively an adf regardless of noise raced up tip the remaining stairs on all fours ilia hl law jaw was mas set like ilke a 8 nim ise ills his eyes were mere blazing in rac fact hugli hugh drummond Dru nimond wag seeing nil n il ile he p iid ien iben lie he readied reached the top lop crouching in tile hie darkness close to mul lm lie could feel some one else lind and holding his breath it lie listened then lie he heard abr iran an in oe o e only the very gilld bolt 11 is ellough thought lie he sprit without wit bont a ind and ills builds dom d oil human flesh tie he laughed gently biilly ci illy then lie he rought fought in it ili kit op ri n lt it n nl orona ithee taw ti but bilt after a minute lie he WK will averl aap alre a child in I 1 H h grasp li anrod muttered larl ll rl choked we or r twice ta on 1111 n elligh dipped 11 ia onto aie 1 c inns hard right 1 1911 liioi it 11 4 til it boned slowly round M ill Ms s ihil 1 t 0 iseff lov nelv I 1 1110 ll 11 i ili 1 blead I 1 ebli lr lik li k irr ill W gait ont n acied alv add i tile brehme I 1 OK ie alf irli rp lv bentle hn 01 il liidi li iii v I 1 I 1 TO rei in halx cr r 11 lillge I 1 been not nd vir wr ck bokon ak it is it II will IC he ery san or t ome tome dalp another 11 alme li nugh lr iia danz irous then like it ghost t tie he vanis vanished liell along tile the passage in the direction of lili i riwu room THREE at eight the next morning a burly looking ruffian brought in some hot water and a cup clip of tea As tie he pulli pulled ol up the blinds ahr abi light fell full on his battered rugged face and sud denly hugh sat up tip in bed anti and stared nt at film good lord he cried arent you tells lem smith the mail swung round alle a hash flash ind and glared nt at tho the bell bed wot lle ell us as eliat got gate to ilo do div ou lie snarled nat ld and tren men his face changed why strike me ile pink if it 11 nent young drummond allu hush h grinned it 11 ailt t lii ill one ano jem what in tile the name of fortune ire you doing in 1 this outfit given up the game it give me up tip when that cross eyed son of st a guu gun young voting blaxter fought that alons dow oil it n at oxton dawd if I 1 could get the swine just once again sc lp tile me id words tailed railed lie hie ex es brill ser lie he could only li hugh sill let lly tile lie ay y lini anyone 1 beof of it a stiff neck in tile house this stiff neck echoed tile man strike tile ine pink if that ill nent n funny y I 1 tie he laughed gently then ht he |