BLACK QANQ
By CYRIL McNEILE
SCOTLAND YARD
SYNOPSIS—To a gathering of
anarchlata tn Barking. London
suburb. Zaboleff, foreign agita
tor. tells of the operations of a
body of men who have become a
H«
SAPPER
Cvpvnqht
by QEOffQS H DORAN CO.
WO SAID
“I would rather obey
than work miraci«»."
Ihthe ®
JUNGLE
“So,” said Sir Bryan quietly. "These
' JLJART1N Ll’TIIER, the author of
two were at Barking hist night F
the worths quoted above, who Is
"They were, sir," answered the In
known to history ns one of the great
spector.
"And their line?" queried the chief. religious reformers, wus destined by
"White slave trattlc of the worst bls father to be a lawyer. He was
IT WAS A RAINY DAY
type." said McIver. "They generally deeply religious from his youth, how
drug the girts with cocaine or some ever, and In 15tXl, contrary to his fa
dope first. What do you say to my ther s w tshes, lie entered the monas Tl' WAS pouring Not a ray of sun
tery ut Erfurt, Germany.
theory now, sir?"
shine greeted Cheerupa when Iio
Five years after his entrance Into «IH'livd Ids eyes. All the world wus
"It's another point in Its favor, Mc
Iver," conceded Sir Bryan cautiously; the monastery Luther made a pilgrim- gray, mid nothing could be heard hut
"but It still wants a lot more'proof. age to Rome. That pilgrimage hnd a the sound of great drops tinkling on
•
And, anyway, whether you're right or great effect upon Ills Inter life. Many his tiny roof.
“I gu<<Hs 1 shall have to stay nt
not. we can't allow It to continue. We of those occupying high places in
shall be having questions usked In the established chi|rvh In Rome were home today, sure enough,” chuckled
untrue to the high trust reposed In he, wagging his topknot; "and no vis
parliament."
McIver nodded portentously. “If 1 them as the heads of the church nnd itora will come either, Unless the ducks
I feel a trifle
can't lay my hands on n man who can their conduct changed Luther'» atti manage to get out.
lift me up like a baby and dope me, tude toward the Itoman church. He moist, but it's worse for the Qulxlva
may I never have »nother case. Like wrote his celebrated ninety the theses 1 out there on their aplderw ebs In nh
condemning the stile of Indulgences, 1 ' i his rain. Uh. Hrlghteyes, Qulckcar,
a baby, sir. Me—"
anil the consequent action of the re- I | unftfoot, Knlffsnlff ; come here anti
He opened his hands out helplessly, llgious authorities In declaring them
and this time Sir Bryan laughed out heretical drove I.uther to still further get under ns much cover ns this sum-
nw house of mlns offers !”
right. only to turn with n quick frown activity.
The Quisles didn't tuke long In an
as the door leading to the secretary's
Luther originally Intended no separ
office was flung open to admit a man. ation from the established church. He I swering that call. They were nil very
wrote a modest letter to the pope
seeking pardon and asking that sev
eral reforms be Jncorporatod In the
church law. This* was followed shy n
bull excommunicating Luther and hla
friends. Aroused to passion. Luther
publicly burned the bull of excom
munication and hla aeverance from
the establishes! church was completed.
The
refiwniHtlon
now
spread
throughout Germany nnd the power of
the established church to curb Luther
by means of bulls of excommnnlca-
tlon whs rendered useless. In his light
Luther was greatly aided by u power
ful German prince whose protection
saved him from punishment.
i
Luther died Februnry IS, 1540. at
J
Eisleben. Germany, hla birthplace.
Wayne D. McMurray.
Wh Chee rupi and ¿heQtuxies
ty Grace Blisj Steward
forward to Investigate myself. Thera
the great glossy leavra wers fastened
was a little chink In the wooden shut
on two sides of ths house In u twin
ters of one of the downstairs rooms
kling. with strong grasses und bits of
long black cloaks and are acting
through
which the light was stream
twisty vine, und the jolly little Quil
without the law
He Is Inter
Ing. I took a glimpse through, and
rupted by the men he Is desertb-
les. nil snug und wurni, "nt down In a
found that everything was just as had
circle ubimi lUieeriips, their eye« sititi-
up the meeting, sentencing some
been reported to me. There were eight
Ing. and their enrs pricked for a story
of the participants to condign
of them there, and an unpleasant-
"Most stories begin 'Once upon a
punishment and carrying away
looking bunch they were. too. Zabo
others.
memorandum found
time,'" said Cheerupa, beaming, for
on Zaboleff give* an address In
leff I saw at the head of the table,
he was enjoying himself Immensely,
Hoxton, which the leader of the
and standing next to him was that
"but tills one stiirts with just ’Yester-
attacking party considers of Im
man Waldock who runs two or three
portance.
day.' Do you boys remember Mr.
of the worst of the lied papers. There
Hoopoe, who came for a singing lee
was also Flash Jim. and 1 began to
son ?”
wish
I
d
brought
a
few
more
men."
CHAPTER II
"Remember him? I should say »oF
McIver smiled ruefully,
"It was
piped Quickear. “1 was out tin the
about the last coherent wish I ramem-
edge of the desert eating prh kly pears
In Which Scotland Yard Sit» ber. And," he went on serlously,
with Jacky Monk, and I heard him all
Up and Take» Notice
"what I'm going to tell you now, sir,
thnt Way. Goodness, but he made u
Sir Bryan Johnstone, director of may seem extraordinary and what one
noise, worse than Fourth of July burk
.criminal investigation, leaned back In would expect In detective fiction, but
home."
his chair and stared at the celling with as sure as I am sitting in this chair,
''There's quite n remarkable story
a frown. His hands were thrust deep it is what actually took place. Some
about
«alti Cheerups
into his trousers pockets: his long where from close to, there came the
hastily, trying to change the subject.
legs were stretched out to their full sound of an owl hooting. At the same
It made him n little homeaick to think
extent under the big roll-top desk In moment I distinctly heard the noise
of the Fourth of July, anti he auw n
front of him. He was puzzled, and of what seemed like a scuffle, and a
tear In Roftfoot'a eye.
the report lying on the desk In front stifled curse. And then, and this is
"Well, In Arabia, which la n country
of him was the reason.
what beats me, sir." McIver pounded
lying beyond the Desert of Sahara nnd
For perhaps ten minutes he re a huge fist Into an equally huge palm.
the lli-il sea, far awny from our jungle,
mained motionless, then he leaned for “I was picked up from behind as If I
the people have n legend about Mr.
ward and touched an electric bell. A was a baby. Yes, sir, a baby."
Hoopoe and King Holomon, who lived
Involuntarily Sir Bryan smiled.
girl secretary came quickly Into the
long, long ngo. once when King Solo-
room.
‘ You make a good substantial In-
mon was traveling through the desert
“Miss Forbes.” said Str Bryan, “I fant, McIver.”
— for other lands have deserts,
"Exactly, sir," grunted the Inspeo
wish you would find out If Chief In-
you know-he grew very faint from
spector McIver Is in the building. If tor. "If a man had suggested such a
the hot rage "f big bright Mr. Sun.
iso I would like to see him at once; If thing to me yesterday Id have
Phen a flock of Hoopoes came mid
laughed
in
his face. But the fact re-
not, see that be gets the message as
formed n screen just above his head
mains that I was picked up just like a
isoon as he <x>mes in."
to protect him. King Solomon wni no
delighted und thought It was so kind
I The door closed behind the girl, and child In arms, and doped, sir, doped.
after a moment or two the man rose Me—at my time of life. They chloro-
of the Hoopoes thnt he linked wlint
<© by Users« Matthew A Um, >
Crests With he could do for them as a reward.
from, his desk and began to pace up formed me. and that was the last I
Whits and Black Tip».
and -down the room with long, even saw of Zaboleff or the rest of the
What do you supporo the foolish
strides. Every now and then he would gang."
things asked for? Why. crowns of
wet
except
Sniffsniff,
who
aald
he
had
The
inspector
leaned forward and
stop and stare at some print on the
gold upon their heads! Uf course, the
found a big mushroom to crawl under.
wall, but it was the blank stare of a stared at his chief.
king granted their request nnd they
"Now.
tioys.
Old
Brother
East
Wind
“You've heard the rumors, sir,” he
man whose mind is engrossed in other
were
very liuppy mid proud of them
has Just whls|H>red to me that he's go
went on after a moment, "the same as
matters.
selves for a while, looking Into all tho
ing to keep this rain up all day. What
I
have."
His eyes came round to the desk
pools, and even the dewdrops to catch
shull we do? Supposing we play
"Perhaps." said Sir Bryan quietly,
once more. the desk on which the re-
their reflations. But soon men be
games
!"
gan to trap them and hunt them to
port was lying. It was Inspector Mc "But go on, McIver. I’d like to hear
>>n, please. Mr. Oheerupa.” begged get their guillen crowns. The Hootmes
Iver’s report—hence his Instructions what's on your mind."
Has Someone Stolen the Gold Fl»h?"
LOUIS XVI
Brighteyes, "tell us a story!”
“It’s the Black Gang, str," said the
were most dreadrdhy frightened then,
to the secretary. It was the report on
Queried Sir Bryan With Mild Sar-
"Yes, yes. a story," chimed the oth nml some of thejn went back to King
a very strange matter which had inspector, leaning forward Impres
casm.
sively.
AST of the French kings before ers in chorus, clapping their Imiids Solomon nnd begged Hint he would
taken place the previous night, and
the Revolution. wenk-wllled and and aqueallng with delight.
“There have been rumors going He caught a vague glimpse of the
hike away the horrid crowns. Ths
after a while Sir Bryan picked up the
with no special desire and certainly
<>h, well, if it's n story you are kind king listened to their troubles,
typed sheets and glanced through round, rumors which our men have scandalized Miss Forbes hovering like
no
aptitude
for
statecraft—such was wanting, you provoking young niacala, of course, mid gave them crow ns of
them again. And he was still stand heard here and there for the past two a canary eating bird-seed in the back- Louis XVI.
I suppose I enn find one tucked away feathers Instead of their golden ones.
ing by the desk, idly turning over the months. Fve heard ’em myself; and ground; then he turned to the new-
He was born August 23, 1754, at in my head somewhere," said Cheer- Ever since then these birds have worn
pages when the secretary came Into once or twice I’ve wondered. Now I’m comer.
sure—especially after what Flash Jim
I the room.
Confound it, Hugh," he cried, ‘I’m Versailles, grandson of Louts V, be ups, smiling. "But I am getting de brown crests with whlb> nnd black
came heir to the throne when he was cidedly damp on one side, and If you tips. Didn’t you notice Mr. Hoopoe's
said.
That
gang
is
no
rumor,
it's
solid
busy."
“Chief Inspector McIver Is here. Sir
fact.”
eleven, and was married at sixteen to want a story, you will have to keep
Bryan." she announced.
Hugh Drummond grinned all
Mnrle Antoinette in order to make your story-teller dry In some way."
"Have you any information as to his face, and lifting a hund like
I “Tell him to come in. Miss Forbes.”
•'Oh.
Mr Cheerupa, we did,"
- ----------------- a leg*
I A square-jawed, rugged Scotsman, what their activities have been. as- of mutton he smote Sir Bryan In the more firm the peace between France I “I know how." cried Quickear. "We ll cried the Quisle« in glee. "for we
I McIver looked the type to whom Holy sumlng for a moment It Is the truth?" back, to the outraged amazement of and Austria. At.first he did not care get some big leaves nnd hung them were peeking from behind the bread-
for his wife, but after a time, during I like curtains on the side of the house Jrult tree all the time, except Quick*
Writ was Holy Writ only In so far as asked Sir Bryan.
Inspector McIver.
which he had ascended the throne, he | where ihe rain cornea In." Before ear, who was away eating fruit Ttuink
“None for certain, sir; until this
it could be proved. He was short and
“You priceless old bean." boomed
I thick-set, and bls physical strength moment I wasn't certain of Its exist Hugh affably. "I gathered from the came considerably under her Influ Cheerupa could suggest that they you. sir; thut waa a lovely story."
enee.
ence.
But
now
—
looking
back
—
there
would get all wet while doing It. they
"But you see now, don't you," said
was proverbial.
female bird punching the what-not
The young queen had reacted I were off ami back again with the Cheenips, with a merry twinkle In hla
“What the dickens Is all this about, have been quite a number of sudden outside that the great brain was
McIver?” said Sir Bryan with a smile, disappearances. We haven't troubled heaving—hut. my dear old lad, I agalnst her very strict bringing up. leaves; almost before he hnd time to eye, "that
"Golden crowns nnd nil the rest
when the door had shut behind the officially, we haven’t been asked to. have come to report a crime. A crime and was pliingltig recklessly Into the put on his little red «hoes and straight
dissipation and gayety of the times. en up bin topknot for the day. Then
Hardly likely when one realizes who
secretary.
which
I
positively
saw
committed
with
"I wish I knew myself, str,” re- the people are who have disappeared.” my own eyes: an outrage: a blot upon Politics were like a seething cauld
ron, then, bound to boll over; Indeed
“AH conjecture, McIver.” said Sir
turned the other seriously. *T’ve never
this fair land of ours.”
It
did boll over—Into the Revolution
Bryan.
“
They
may
be
lying
doggo,
or
been so completely defeated In my
He sank heavily Into a chair and of 1792. Marie Antoinette, by her ex-
they'll turn up elsewhere."
life.”
What’s in a Name?”
“They may be, sir," answered Mc selected a cigarette. He was a vast travagance nnd because she was Aus
Sir Bryan waved him to a chair and
By MILDRED MARSHALL
Iver doggedly. "But take the com individual with one of those phenom trian (and there was n growing feel
sat down at the desk.
plete disappearance of Granger a fort enally ugly faces which Is rendered ing ngnlnst her country), became very
F»cti «bout your nsms; its history:
“I've read your report,” he said,
nwsning, wh«nca It was d«rl»«d, sig.
night ago. He’s one of the worst of utterly pleasant by the extraordinary unpopular. Louis, meantime, wanted
still smiling, “and frankly, McIver, if
By H. IRV IN Q K I N Q
wncance. your lucky day. lucky juwal
charm of its owner's expression. No nothing but to spend the days In
the
Red
men
and
we
know
he
hasn
’
t
It had been anyone but you. I should
human
being
had
ever
been
known
to
have been annoyed. But I know you left the country. Where Is he? Ills be angry with Hugh for long. He was hunting. Never bright mentally, he
wife, I happen to know. Is crazy with
became more nnd more stupid and re
YVONNE
THE PIG’S TAIL
anxiety, so It don’t look like a put-up either moved to laughter by the peren- tiring us time passed.
Job. Take that extraordinary case of nlal twinkle In the big man's blue
The revolution came and the gayest
uncommon belief among
the Pole who was found lashed to the eyes, or he was stunned by a playful court In the world was literally ^^VONNE Is almost u mime without
a history, it Is a feminine name
« Is that If you cut off n
railings in Whitehall with one-half of I blow on the chest from a fist which thrown Into prison. Louis was con
his beard and hair shaved off and the rivaled a steam hammer. Of brain he demned nnd guillotined early In 1793 obviously invented from the rnaacu pig's tall he will fatten more readily
you will have n good fat hog at
motto ‘Portrait of a Bolshevist' paint apparently posses»ed a minimum: of One by one, the figures who make the line form for the purpose of honoring
ed on his forehead. Well, I don't need muscle he possessed about the ordi- tale of these courts so fascinating, the name; It hud no parallel growth "killing time.” This Is one of those
were driven through the streets to ami no particular reason for being. In agricultural superstitions which go
to telt you, sir, that that particular nary men's share.
And yet unlike so many powerful their death—for the most part, going short. It Is one of the few names In bsfk to the most primitive times mid
Pole, Strambowskl, was undoubtedly
a messenger between—well, we know men his quickness on his feet was as- with dignity and n look of contempt etymological records, which were prob can be dearly trm ed to that phase of
who between and what the message founding—as many a good heavy for the rabble who hnd them In pow- ably originally bestowed upon some nature worship the worship of the
weight boxer had found to his cost, in
was. And then take last night.”
The queen herself was beheaded girl baby to perpetuate the name of grain spirit whit h In some of its
the father In the event that there was forms regarded the spirit of the crops
the days of his youth Hugh Drummond In 1793.
“Well, what about last night?”
no snbsi queiit male heir,
<© by Osnr»« Mstthsw Adams )
“For the first time this gang has —known more familiarly to his Inti
as taking on the shape, or nt least as
------------- O
---------
The history of Yvonne dates buck symbolized by, un animal. To this day
mates as Bulldog—had been able to do
come Into direct contact with us."
to legendary times when n i’erslan at harvent time In Bourgogne, the Inst
“Always assuming the fact of Its ex the hundred In a shade over ten sec
mimed ivlinr establlslnsl a her- sheaf gathered 1« so Id to be "the fox."
istence."
onds. And though the mere thought
he young lady bishop
mitage in Huntingdonshire In the A score of ears of grain are left stand
"Exactly, sir,” answered McIver. of such a perfomance now would have
ACROSS THE WAY
century, mid provided a pu ing near the sheaf to represent the
“Well, they've got Zaboleff and they've caused him to break out Into a cold
tron for many an Ivar of Danish li nd "fox's tall."
got Waldock, and they laid eight of ts sweat, he was still quite capable of a
Norman extraction. The use of this
out to cool. I guess they're not to be turn of speed which many a Ilgliter-
The reapers then throw their sickles
name spread
i
throughout France, nt It ahd cry. We have cut off the
sneezed at."
built man would have envied.
where It was known as Yvon or Ivone. fox's full I” nt the same time giving
With a thoughtful look on hfs face
Between him and Sir Bryan John
Yvon became popular among the vent to cries of a peculiar nature
Sir Bryan rose and strolled over to stone existed one of those friendships
chroniclers. It was Yvon de Tnllle- which may be words of some long for
the window. Though not prepared to which are founded on totally dissim
bol», who Was the villain In the story gotten language. This proceeding Is
go quite as far as McIver, there wore ilar tastes. At school, for some In
of ‘Tiereward” and his camp of Supposed to ensure n good crop for
certainly some peculiar elements in scrutable reason, the quiet scholar
refuge. There was also the good St.
the situation—elements which he. as ship of the elder boy had appealed to
next year. In Scandinavia. Esthonln,
Ivo de Chartres, who suffered unjust
head of a big public department, could the kid of fourteen who was even
parts of Germany and among some
imprisonment, and St. Ives of Brittany, Slavonic races the favorite repre
not officially allow for an Instant, then a mass of brawn. Their friend
hit»
the advocate of the poor.
however much It might amuse 1dm as ship started then, and it never died,
sentative of Ihe corn spirit appears to
|“MI»s Forbes,” Said Sir Bryan, “I a private Individual.
There have been scores of Yvonnes have been'the hog; for In those re
though their ways lay many poles
In ballad and romance, to any nothing gions nt times of planting nnd of har
Wish You Would Find Out If Chief
“We must find Zaboleff and Wal apart. To Johnstone a well-deserved
of modern literature. Though most vest ihey pay the same attention to the
Inspector McIver Is in the Building.” dock,” he said curtly, without turning knighthood and a high position In the
round. “Waldock, at any rate, has land: to Drummond as much money
popular In families of French descent, hog ns the Burgundian peasants do to
far too well for that. Look here”— friends who will make a noise unless
Yvonne enjoys great vogue in tills the fox.
as he wanted and a life of sport.
he pushed a box of cigarettes across he’s forthcoming. And . . ."
country.
“Has someone stolen the goldfish?"
In I'ourland when'barley Is sown
the table—"take a cigarette and let's
The opal la Yvonne’s tallsninnlc
But his further remarks were Inter queried Sir Bryan with mild sarcasm'
the farmer’s wife bolts n hog's chine
hear about It.”
gem. It Is said to hHng her that mys-
rupted by the entrance of his secre
and tall. The chine Is eaten hut the
“Well, sir," began McIver, "this Is tary with a note.
terlous fascination which Is associat
tail Is cut off nnd stuck up In the
briefly what took place. At ten o’clock
"For the Inspector, Sir Bryan," she
ed with superwoman charm. It will
Well, with Scotland Yard on
field to Insure a "fat" crop. The con
last night as we had arranged, we said, and McIver after a glance at his
also
guard
tier
from
unhappiness.
Fri
the Job, the three-handed war
nection between the primitive custom
completely surrounded the suspected chief, opened the envelope.
For a
day Is her lucky day and 7 her lucky
ouqht to be lively—and then
of the peasants of northern Europe of
house on the outskirts of Barking. I while he studied the letter In silence,
number.
some.
cutting off the pig's tall to Insure fat
had had a couple of good men on duty then with an enigmatic smile he rose
by WhHl«r Syndicate )
----------- O--------------
crops and the custom of the farmers
there lying concealed the whole day, and handed It to the man by the wfn-
of American stntCTi of cutting off the
and when 1 arrived at about nine-thir dow.
Babies
Finger-Printed
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
pig’s tnll to Insure u fat hog Is ob
ty with Sergeant Andrews and half-a-
"No answer, thank you. Mlns
At Pellstown, Ireland, It has become
dozen others they reported to me that Forbes," he said, and when they were
necessary to fingerprint babies under vious. The latter Is a survival of the
Road» to Failure
at least eight men were Inside, and once more alone, he began rubbfng’hls
three months of nge when they are worship of the grain spirit but little
Two battered old wrecks were slt-
that Zaboleff was one of them, He hands together softly—a sure sign of
discharged from the maternity hospi changed In Its passage ncross the
ting
on
a
bench
In
the
common,
when
ocean nnd through the centuries from
had been shadowed the whole way being excited. “Curtis and Samuel
The young lady across the way says tal there. Such n *'heme Is designed the heathen rites of our bnrbnrlan nn-
down from Limehouse with another Bauer, both flogged nearly to death one remarked: "I’m a man who never
to
help
the
police
to
discover
the
took advice from anybody.'
Shake. she’s always glad to see thnt a boxing
cestora.
man, and both the watchers were and found In a slum off Whitechapel.
brother,” said the other. I'm a man match was won on points as she hates mother or foster mother of the desert
f© by McClure N^wxj.sper Syndleat«,)
positive that he bad not left the The note said two of ’em had been
who followed everybody's advice."_
to think of them actually striking each ed child. The Idea was suggested by
bouse. So I posted my men and crept flogged.”
Merchants Record.
h
woman
barrister
who
became
Inter
other.
The Nile flows for more thnn 1,600
ested in babies.
4© br McCluu ¿i«wsMuax
miles without a tributary.
J
<THE WHY of
SUPERSTITIONS
T