HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNEKy OREGON, THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 1926.
PAGE THREE '
C77c
A Sequel to Bulldog Drummond.
BY CYRIL MmiLE
H. DORAN CO.
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I. To a (fathering of anar
chiitU in Barking, London suburb, Zaboleff,
foreign agitator, tells of the operations of
a body of men who have become a menace
to their (ntivities. He is interrupted by
the men he Is describing (the Black Gang),
who break up the meeting, sentencing gome
of the participants to condign punishment
and carrying away others. A memorandum
found on Zaboleff gives an address in Hox
ton, London, which the leader of the at
tacking party considers of importance,
CHAPTER If. Sir Bryan Johnstone, di
rector of criminal Investigation, hears from
Inspector M elver, sent to arretit Zaboleff
the night before, of his discomfiture. He
had been seised and chloroformed and his
raid frustrated. Hugh Drummnd, man of
leisure and old friend of Johnstone's ar
rives and tells of seeing the kidnapers and
their victims. He becomes an unpaid agent
of the police, to be under the direction of
Mclver, and takes up his duties at once.
CHAPTER III.
In Which a Bomb Bursts at Unpleas
antly Close Quarters.
NUMBER 6, Green street, Hoxton,
was not a prepossessing abode.
A notice on one of the dingy
downstairs windows announced that
Mr. William Atkinson was prepared
to advance money on suitable secur
ity: a visit during business hours re
vealed that this was no more than the
truth.
The second and third floora were
apparently occupied by the staff,
which seemed unduly large consider
ing the locality of his business. Hox
ton is hardly in that part of London
where large sums of money might be
expected to change hands, and yet
there was no doubt that Mr. William
Atkinson's staff was both large and
busy. . So busy, indeed were his
clerks that frequently ten and eleven
o'clock at night found them still
working hard, though actual business
of the day downstairs concluded at
six o'clock eight, Saturdays.
It was just before closing time on
the day after the strange affair down
at Barking that a large, unkempt-looking
individual presented himself at
Mr. Atkinson's office. His most press
ing need would have seemed to the
casual observer to be soap and water,
but his appearance apparently excit
ed no surprise in the assistant down
stairs. Possibly Hoxton is tolerant
of such trifles.
The clerk a pale, anemic-looking
man with an unhealthy skin and
hook nose rose wearily from his
rest.
"What Jo you want?" ho demanded
morosely.
"Wot d'vor think!" retorted the
other. "Cat's meat?"
The clerk recoiled, and the blood
mounted angrily to his sallow face
"Don't you use that tone with me,
my man," he said angrily. ' I d have
you to know that this is my office."
"Yus." answered the othor. "Same
as it's your nose fitting there like a
lump o' putty onto a suet pudding.
And if I 'ave any o' your lip, 1 11 pull
it off see. Throw it outside, I will
and you after it you parboiled lump
of bad tripe, Nah then business
With a blow that shook the office he
thumped the desk with a huge fist. "1
ain't got no time to waste even if
you 'ave. 'Ow much?"
.He threw a pair of thick, hobnailed
boots onto the counter, and stood
glaring at the other.
"Two bob," said the clerk indiffer
ently, throwing down a coin and pick
ing up tne boots.
"Two bob!" cried the other wrath
fully. "Two bob, you miserable
sheeny." For a moment or two he
spluttered Inarticulately aB if speech
was beyond him: then his huge hand
shot out and gripped the clerk by the
collar. "Think again, Archibald," he
continued quietly, "think agnin and
think better." ...
But the assistant, as might be ex
pected in one of his calling, was pre
pared for emergencies of this sort.
Very gently his right hand sua along
the counter toward a concealed clec-
trjo bell which communicated with
the staff upstairs. It fulfilled several
purpose, that bell:- it acted STs a call
for help or as a warning, and accord
ing to the number of times it was
pressed, the urgency of the matter
could be interpreted by those who
hoard it. Just now the clerk decid
ed that two Tings would meet the
case: he disliked the appearance of
the large and angry man in whose
grip he felt absolutely powerless, and
he felt he would like help very ur
genty. And so It was perhaps a little
unfortunate for him that he should
have allowed 'an ugly little smirk to
adorn his lips a second or two be
fore his hand found the bell. The
man facing him across tho counter
saw that smirk and lost his temper in
earnest. With a grunt of rage he hit
the other square between the eyes,
and the clerk collapsed in a huddled
heap behind the counter with the bell
still unrung. .
For a few moments tho big man
stood motionless, listening intently.
Then, with an agility remarkable in
' nr.. .n hiir. he vaulted the counter
.nJ Insnectcd the recumbent assist
ant with a professional eye. A faint
arln unread over his face as ho noted
that gentleman's condition, but after
that he wasted no time. So quickly
nH methodically in fact did ho set
-i that It seemed nB if
the whole performance must have
been cut and dried beforehand, even
to the temporary Indisposition of the
clerk. In half a minute the latter
was bound and gagged and under the
counter. Beside him the big man
placed the pair of boots, attached to
which was a piece of paper which
he took from his pocket. On it was
scrawled in an illiterate hand:
Have took a fare price for th
boots, yer swine." Then quite de
liberately the big man forced the till
and removed some money, after which
he once more examined the uncon
scious man under tne counter.
"Without a hitch;" he muttered
Absolutely according to Cocker. Now
old lad of the village, welcome to
the second item on the program. That
must be the door I want.".
He opened it cautiously, and th
subdued hum of voices from above
came a little louder to his ears. Then
like a shadow he vanished into the
semi-darkness of the house upstairs.
It was undoubtedly a house'of sur
prises, was Number 6, oreen Btreet.
A stranger passing through the dingy
office of the ground floor where Mr.
Atkinson's assistant was wont to sit
at the receipt of custom, and then as
cending the stairs to tha first story
would have found it hard to believe
that he was in the same house, But
then, strangers were not encouraged
to do anything of the sort.
There was a door at the top of the
flight of stairs, and it was at this
door that the metamorphosis took
place. On one side of it the stairs
ran carpetless and none too clean
to the ground floor, on the other
ide the picture changed. A wide
passage with rooms leading out of it
from cither side confronted the ex
plorer a passage which was efficient
ly illuminated with electric lights
hung from the ceiling, and the floor
of which was covered with a good
plain carpet. Along the walls ran
rows of bookshelves stretching, save
for the gups at the doors, as far as
a partition which closed the further
end of the passage. In this parti
tion was another door, and beyond
this second door the passage contin
ued to a window tightly shuttered
and bolted. From this continuation
only one room led off a room which
would have made the explorer rub
his eyes in surprise. It was richly
almost luxuriously furnished. In
the center stood a big roll top desk,
while scattered about were several
choirs upholstered in green leather.
A long table filled one side of the
room; a table covered with every
imaginable newspaper. A huge safe
flush with the wall occupied the other
side, while the window, like the one
outside, was almost hermetically
sealed. There was a fireplace in the
corner but there was no bign of any
tire having been lit, or of any pre
parations for lighting one. Two elec
tric heaters attached by long lengths
of flex to plugs in the wall, com?
prised the heating arrangements,
while a big central light and a half-
a-dozen movable ones illuminated ev
ery corner of the room.
In blissful ignorance of the sad
plight of the clerk below, two men
were sitting in this room, deep in
conversation. In a chair drawn up
close to the desk was no less a per
son than Charles Latter, M. P., and
it was he who was doing most of the
talking. But it was the other man
who riveted attention: the man who
presumably was Mr. Atkinson him
self. At first he seemed to be afflicted
with nn almost phenomenal stoop.
and it wus only when one got nearer
that the reason was clear. The man
was a hunchback, and tho effect it
gave wns that of a huge bird of prey.
Unlike most hunchbacks, his legs
were of normal length, and as he
sat motionless in his chair, a hand
on each knee, staring with unwinking
eyes at his talkative companion, there
was something menacing and impla
cable in his appearance. His hair
was gray; his features stern and
l.nrd; while his mouth reminded one
of a steel trap. But it was his eyes
thnt dominated everything gray-blue
and piercing, they scorned abla to
probe one's innermost soul, A man
to whom it would be unwise to lie
man utterly unscrupulous In him
self, who would yet punish double
dealing in those who worked for him
with merciless severity. A danger--
ous man.
"So you went to the police, Mr.
Latter," ho remurked suavely. "And
what had our friend Sir Bryan John
stone to say on the matter?"
"At first, count, lie didn't say much.
In fact ho really said veiy little all
through. But once ho looked at the
note his whole manner changed.
Thore was something about the note
whicW interested him."
"Let me see it," said the count,
holding out his hand. ' '
"I left it with Sir Bryan," an
swered the other. "Ho asked me to
let him keep it. And he promised
that I should he all right." ,
The count's lip curled.
"It would take more than Sir Bry
an Johnstone's promiso, Mr. Latter,
to insure your safety. Do you know
whom that note was from?"
"I thought, count," said tho other
a little tremulously "I thought it
might be from this mysterious Plnck
bang that ono has heard rumors
about."
"It was," replied tho count tcrsoly.
"Heavens"' Btammcrcd Latter,
"Then it's true; they exist."
"In the last month," answered the
hunchback, staring fixedly at his
frightened companion, "nearly twen
ty of our most useful men havo dis
appeared. They have simply vanish
ed into thin air. I know, no mat
ter how, that it is not tho police;
the police are as mystified as we are.
But the. police, Mr. Latter, whatever
views they may take officially are in
all probability unofficially very glad
of our friends' disappearance. At
any rate until tonight."
"What do you mean?" asked the
other.
"Last night the poliee were balked
of their prey, and Mclver doesn't
like being balked. You know Za
boleff was sent over?'
"Yes, of course, inat is one of
the reasons I came around tonight.
Have you seen him?"
"I have not," answered tho count
grimly. "The police found out he
was coming."
Mr. Latter's face blanched; the
thaught of Zaboleff in custody didn't
appeal to him. It may be mentioned
that his feelings were purely selfish
Zaboleff knew too much.
But the count was speakii.g again.
A faint sneer was in his face; he
had read the other's mind like an
open book.
"And' so," he continued, "did the
Black Gang. They removed Zaboleff
and our friend Waldock from under
the very noses of the police, and, like
the twenty others, they have disap
peered. "
"My G d!" There was nj doubt
now about Mr. Latter's state of
mind. "And now they've threatened
me."
"And now they've threatened you,"
agreed the count. "And you, I am
glad to say, have done exactly what
I should have told you to do, had
I seen you sooner. You have gone
to the police." . .
"But but," stammered Latter, "the
police were no good to Zaboleff last
night."
"And it is quite possible," return
ed the other calmly, "that they will
be equally futile in your case. Can
didly, Mr. Latter, I am cbmpletely
indifferent on the subject of your fu
ture. Yqu have served our purpose,
and all that matteis is that you hap
pen to be the bone over which the
dogs are going to fight. Until last
night the dogs hadn't met officially;
and in the recontre last night, the
police dog, unless I am greatly mis
taken, was caught by surprise. Mc
lver doesn't let that happen twice.
In your case he'll be ready. With
luck this cursed Black Gang, who are
infinitely more a nuisance to me than
the police have been or ever will be,
will get bitten badly."
' Mr. Latter was breathing heavily.
"But what do you want me to do,
count?"
"Nothing at all, except what you
were going to do normally," answer
ed the other.
"Hullo! What's up?"
From a little electric bell at his
elbow came four shrill rings, repeat
ed again and again.
The count rose, and with system
atic thoroughness swept every piece
of paper off the! desk into his pocket.
Then he shut down the top and
locked it, while the bell, a little muf
fled, still rang inside.
"What's the fool doing?" he cried
angrily, stepping over to the big
safe let into the wall, while Latter,
his face white and terrified, follow
ed at his side. And then abruptly the
bell stopped.
Very deliberately the count press
ed two concealed knobs, so sunk into
the wall as to be invisible to a strang
er, and the door of the safe swung
open. And only then was it obvious
that the safe was was not a safe
but a second exit leading to a flight
of stairs. For a moment or two he
stood motionless, listening intently,
while Latter fidgeted at his side. One
hand was on a master switch which
controlled all the lights,, the other
on a knob inside the second passage
which, when turned, would close the
great steel door noiselessly behind
them. ,
He was frowning angrily, but grad
ually the frown was replaced by i
look of puzzled surprise. Four rings
from tha shop below was the recog
nized signal for urgent danger, and
everybody's plan of action was cut
and dried for such an emergency. In
the other rooms every book and pa
per in the slightest degree incrimin
ating were hurried pell-mell into se
cret recesses in the floor which had
been specially constructed under ev
ery table, in their piaco appeared
books carefully and very skillfully
faked, purporting to record the bus
iness transactions of Mr. William
Atkinson.
In the big room at tho end the
procedure wns even simpler. The
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More for your money
and tlje best Peppermint
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Look for Wrifiley's P. K. Handy Pack
H on your Dealer's Counter 07 H
CX ,
RK.
count merely passed through the safe
door and vanished through his pri
vate bolt-hole, leaving everything in
darkness. And should inconvenient
visitors ask lnconvoni nt questions
well, it was Mr. Atkinson's private
office, and a very nice office, too,
though at the moment he was away.
Thus the procedure was simple and
sound; but on this occasion some
thing seemed to have gone wrong.
Instead of the indust.i us silence of
clerks working overtime on affairs
of financial import, perfect babel
of voices became audible in the pas
sage. And then there came an agi
tated knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" cried the coui.t sharp
ly. It may be mentioned that even
the most influential members of his
staff knew better than to come into
the room without previously obtain
ing permission.
"It's me, sir Cohen," came an agi
tated voice from outside.
For a moment the count paused;
then with a turn of the knob he
closed the safe door silently. With
an imperious hand he waved Lat
ter to a. chair, and resumed his
former position at the desk.
"Come in," he snapped.
It was a strange and unwholesome
object- that obeyed the order, and
the count sat back in Mb chair.
"What the devil have you been
doing?"
A pair of rich blue-black eyes, and
a nose from which traces of blood
still trickled, had not improved the
general appearance of the assistant
downstairs. In one hand he carried
a pair of hobnail boots, in the other
a piece ox paper, and ne brandished
them alternately while a flood of in
coherent frenzy buist from his lips.
For a minuto or two the count
listened; until his first look of sur
prise gave way to one of black anger.
"Am I to understand, you wretched
little worm," he snarled, "that you
gave the urgency danger signal, not
once, but half a dozen times merely
because a man hit you over the
nose?"
But he knocked me silly, sir,"
quavered the other, t "And when I
came to, and saw the boots lying
beside me and the till opened, I kind
of lost my head, I didn't know what
ad happened, sir and I thought I d
better ring the bell in case of trou
ble." He retreated a step or two toward
the door, terrified out of his wits by
the look of diabolicU fury in the
unehback's eyes. Three or four
lerks, who had been surreptitiously
THE SUREST
Steadfast, unfailing quality
has earned for Chesterfield the
confidence of
peeking through the open door, melt
ed rapidly away, while from his chair
Mr. Latter watched the scene fascin
ated. He was reminded of a bird and
a snake, and suddenly he gave a
little shudder as he realized that his
own position was in reulity much the
same as that of the unfortunate Co
hen. And then just aB the tension was
becoming unbearable there came the
interruption. Outside in the passage
clear and distinct, there sounded twice
the hoot of an owl. To Mr. Latter
it meant nothing; but to the" count
the effect was electrical. With a
quickness incredible in ono so de
formed he was at the door, and into
the pabbage, hurling Cohen out of
his way into a corner. His powerful
fists were clenched by his side; the
veins in his neck were standing out
like whipcord. But to Mr. Latter's
surprise he made no movement, and
rising from his chair he, too, peered
round the corner along the passage,
only to stagger back after a second
or two with a feeling of sick fear
in his soul, and a sudden dryness in
the throat. For twenty yards away,
framed in the doorway at the he?.d of
the stairs leading down to the 'ffice
below, he had seen a 'huge, motionless
figure. For a perceptible time he had
stared at it, and it hr.d seemed to
stare at him. Then the doer had
shut, and on the other side a key
had turned. And the figure had been
draped from head to foot in black.
Charles Latter was unmoral rather
than immoral; he was a constitu
tional coward with a strong liking
for underhand intrigue, and he was
utterly and entirely selfish. In his
way he was ambitious; he wanted
power, but, though in many respects
he was distinctly able, he lacked
that escsntial factor the ability to
work for it. He hated work; he
wanted easy results. And to obtain
lasting results is not easy, as Mr.
Latter gradually discovered. A ca
pability for making flashy speeches
covered with a veneer of cleverness
is an undoubted asset the value of
which has been gauged to a nicety
by the men who count. And so as
time went on, and the epoch-making
day when he had been returned to
parliament faded into the past, Mr.
Latter realized himself for what he
was a thing of no account. And the
realization was as gall and wormwood
to his soul. It is a realization which
comes to many men and it takes them
different ways. Some become resign
ed some make new and even more
WAY TO WIN
y-ljly ' ill '
futile efforts; some see the humor of
it, and some don't. Mr. Latter didn't;
he became spiteful. And a spiteful
coward is a nasty thing.
It was just about that time that
he met Count Zadowa. It was at
dinner at a friend's house, and after
he ladies had left he found himself
sitting next to the hunchback with
the strange, piercing eyes. He wasn't
conscious 01 having said very much;
he would have been amazed had he
been told that within ten minutes
this charming foreigner had read his
unpleasant little mind like a book,
and had reached a certain and defin
ite decision. In fact, looking back on
the past few months, Mr. Latter was
at a loss to account as to how things
had reached their present pass. Had
he been told when he stood for par
liament, flaunting all the old hack
neyed formulae, that within two
years he would be secretly engaged
in red-hot Communist work, he would
have laughed the idea to scorn. An
archy, too; a nasty word, but the
only one that fitted the bomb out
rage in Manchester, which he had
himself organized. Sometimes in the
night, he used to Wake and lie sweat
ing as he thought of that episode.
And gradually it had become worse
and worse. Little by little the charm
ing Count Zadowa, realizing that Mr.
Latter possessed just those gifts
which he could utilize to advantage,
had ceased to be charming. There
were many advantages in having a
member of parliament as chief lia
son officer.
There had been that first small
slip when he signed a receipt for
money paid him to address a revo
lutionary meeting in South Wales
during the coal strike. And the re
ceipt specified the service rendered.
An unpleasant document in 'view of
the fact that his principal supporters
in his constituency were coal-owners.
And after that the descent had been
rapid.
( (To Be Continued.)
Lexington Student Is
Initiated in Fraternity
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
vallis, Jan. 9. Dallas C. Ward of
Lexington was initiated into Kappa
Phi Delta, local professional frater
nity in education for men, Wednes
day. Six other men were initiated.
Mr. Ward is a junior in vocational
education and a member of Phi Delta
Theta social fraternity.
Research in education is one of
SUCCESS IS TO
everywhere
the activities sponsored by the fra
ternity. Interest in education, high
scholarship, leadership, character,
professional ability, and 12 credits in
education are requirements for membership.
One,
heated
Minor.
two or three furnished and
rooms for rent. See C. A.
WANTED To rent ranch in Morrow
county; prefer near Heppner. Laur
ence E. Reaney, Lexington, Oregon.
COME IN
WHEN YOU'RE
HUNGRY
no matter what time
of day it is.
Short Orders and Chi
nese Noodles at
all hours.
Special 35c Merchants
Lunch 11 a. m.-4 p. m.
ELKHORN
RESTAURANT
DESERVE IT
T.inniTT ft Myfss Tnsrco Co.
ED CHINN, Prop.