HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 192&
PAGE THREE
J7ie
BlACIft GAMG
A Sequel to Bulldog Drummond.
- TCWVZ MWEILE
CftOKGE B. DCfeAN CO. JfrWge
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I. To a gathering of anar
chists in Harking, London suburb, Zaboleff,
foreign agitator,, tells of the operations of
a body of men who have become a menace
to their activities. He Is interrupted by
the men he ia describing (the Black Gang),
who break up the meeting, sentencing some
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 II. Sir Bryan Johnstone, di
rector of criminal investigation, hears from
Inspector M elver, sent to arrest Zaboleff
the night before, of his discomfiture. He
had been seized and chloroformed and bin
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. A "Mr. William Atkin
son," ostensibly pawnbroker and money
lender, really Count Zadowa, director of
anarchy in England, does business in an
other London Buburb. A mysterious stran
ger invades the premises. Count Zadowa,
after a brief glimpse f the intruder, is
strangely disconcerted.
CHAPTER IV. Drummond, having
knowledge of Atkinson's anarchistic activ
ities, arranges to burglarize the latter' s
office to secure evidence of the fact. While
bo engaged, with two companions, a bomb
Is hurled at them from an adjoining room.
CHAPTER V. The explosion kills
"Ginger Martin," expert burglar whom
Drummond had employed to open Atkin
son's safe. Drummond and his friend es
cape, taking with them a bag they And on
the floor. Neither Drummond nor his com
panion at the time find out what it con
tains. CHAPTER VI. At a fashionable hotel
Rev. Theodosius Longmoor and his daugh
ter Janet are guests. "Longmoor" is really
Carl Peterson, international crook, with
whom Drummond has an old feud. Zadowa
tells Longmoor and his daughter of the
bomb he had hurled, which he believes
killed the three invaders. Longmoor ia en
raged, pointing out that the diamonds
(Russian crown jewels, of which Zadowa
had known nothing) had been lost thru
his action. Longmoor insists that Zadowa'
recover the diamonds, suggesting that they
may be in the hands of the police, and
warning his subordinate (Iongmoor is ad
dresmed by Zadowa as "chief") that failure
will be punished with death.
CHAPTER VII Drummond discovers
that Longmoor, most cleverly disguised, is
Carl Peterson. Janet, at the same time,
recogniftea in Drummond the leader of the
Black Gang, and their old enemy.
CHAPTER VIII. Drummond becomes
convinced that Peterson knows he is head
of the Black Gang. Zadowa also knows it.
CHAPTER IX. Zadowa, impressed with
the belief that Drummond has the diam
onds, visits him and makes the proposition
that Hugh restore the gems as an equiva
lent to Zadowa's agreeing not to divulge
to the .police the fact that Drummond is the
loader of the Black Gang. Drummond, in
furiated by the death of Martin and the
despicable character of the man before him.
thrashes his vUitor severely and kicks him
out of the tiouse.
CHAPTER X. Mrs. Drummond disap
pears, and Hugh recognises Peterson's
hand. Peterson summons Drummond to hi
hotel. He goes, and they come to an under
standing. Peterson stipulates that the dia
monds must be returned to him before Mrs.
Drummond is released. Hugh agrees to the
terms, and leaves to bring the gems.
CHAPTER XI. Returning with the
stones, Drummond is drugged and placed
in an auto, which Peterson plans is to be
driven into the Thames. Drummond's con
sequent death being made to appear the re
BUlt of an accident.
CHAPTER XII. Drummond escapes
from the river and, following his would-be
murderers, reaches a house, Maybrick Hall,
in which he has learned his wife is hidden.
He effects her release.
CHAPTER XIII Unable to escape from
the grounds, though at liberty, Hugh wit
nesses the arrival of an automobile in
which are Peterson, Zadowa and, to his
consternation, his wife, again a captive.
Peterson threatens instant death to Mrs.
Drummond if Hugh does not surrender.
CHAPTER XIV. Drummond goes into
the house Peterson informs him that he
and his wife are to be killed and their
deaths made to seem accidental Mrs.
Drummond. before her capture, had got
word to the Black Gang, which arrives in
time to save the pair.
CHAPTER XV
In Which the Threads Are Gathered
Up.
IT WAS a week later. In Sir Bryan
Johnstone's office two men were
seated, the features of one of
whom, at any rate, were well known
to the public, Sir Bryan encournged
no notoriety! the man in the street
passed him without recognition every
time. But with his companion it was
different: as a member of several suc
pnasivft enhinots. his face was well
known. And it is Bafe to say that never
in the course of a life devoted to the
peculiar vagaries of politics had that
face worn such an expression of com
plete bewilderment.
"But it's incredible, Johnstone," he
remarked for the fiftieth time. "Sim
ply incredible."
Sir John." returned
the other, "it is true. I have absolute
indisputnble proof of the wnole tning.
And if you may remember, I have
long drawn till government's atten
tion to the spead of those activities
in England."
"Yes, yeB, I know." said Sir John
Haverton a little testily, "but you
have never given us chapter and verse
like this before. Incredible," he mut
tered. "Incredible."
"And yot the truth," said the oth
er. "That there is an organized and
well-financed conspiracy to preach
T,.i.u...i. in r.nirlnnd wo have known
for some time: how well organised t
Is we did not realize, uui as yuu w...
see from that paper, there is not a
-i i- nr,fn.tnrinir town or city in
Great Britain that has not got a
branch of the organization A,
which can, if need be, draw plentifully
on funds from headquarters.
,Sir John Haverton nodded thought-
T 'must go Into all this in detail,"
he remarked. "But in the meantime
you have raised my curiosity most in
fernally about this Black Gang of
yours.
Sir Bryan leaned back in his chair
and lit a cigarette.
"There are one or two gaps I have
n't filled in myself at the moment,"
he answered. "But I can tell you very
briefly what led us to our discoveries
at the house in Essex of which I spoke
to you Maybrick hall. About six days
ago I received a typewritten commun
ication of a similar type to one or two
which I had seen before. A certain
defect in the typewriter made it clear
that the source was the same, and
that source was the leader of he Black
Gang. Here is the communication:"
He opened a drawer in his desk,
and passed a sheet of paper across to
the cabinet minister.
"If," it ran, "jolly old Mclver will
take his morning constitutional to
Maybrick hall in Essex, he will find
much to interest him in that delight
ful rural spot. Many specimens, both
dead and alive, will be found there,
all in a splendid state of preservation.
He will also find a great many mter-
estnig devices in the house. Above
all, let him be careful of an elderly
clergyman of beneficent aspect, whose
beauty is only marred by a stiff and
somewhat swollen neck, accompanied
by a charming lady who answers to
the name of Janet. They form the
peerless gems of the collection, and
were on the point of leaving the coun
try with the enclosed packet which I
removed from them for safe keeping.
my modesty lorDids me to tell an un
married man like you in what portion
of dear Janet's garments this little
bag was found, but there's no harm
in your guessing." .
'What the devil?" sputtered Sir
John. "It is a practical joke?"
Far from i " answered the other.
"Read to the end."
'After Mclver had done this little
job," Sir John read out, "he might
like a trip to the north. There was
an uninhabited island off the west
coast of Mull, which is uninhabitated
no longer. He may have everything
he finds there, with my love. The
leader of the Black Gang."
Sir John laid down the paper and
stared at the director of criminal
investigation.
"Is this the rambling of a par
tially diseased intellect?" he inquired
with mild sarcasm.
'Nothing of the sort," returned the
other shortly. "Mclver and ten plain
clothes men went immediately to
Maybrick hall. And they found it a
very peculiar place. There were some
fifteen men there trussed up like
so many fowls, and alive. They were
laid out in a row in the hall.
"Enthroned in state, in two chairs
at the end, and also trussed hand
and foot, were the beneficent clergy
man ar.d Miss Janet. So much for
he living ones, with the exception
of an Italian, who was found peace
fully sleeping upstairs, wuh his right
wrist padlocked to the wall by a long
chain. I've mentioned him last, be
cause ho was destined to play a very
important part in the matter." He
frowned suddenly. "A very import
ant part, confound him," he repeated.
However, we will now pass to the
other specimens. In the grounds were
discovered a dead fowl, a dead fox
and three dead men."
Sir John ejaculated explosively,
sitting up in his chair.
"They had all died from the same
cause," continued the other impertur-
bably "elecrtocution. But that was
nothing compared to what they found
inside. In an upstairs room was a
dreadful looking specimen, more like
an ape than a man, whose neck was
broken. In addition, the main artery
of his left arm had been severed with
a knife. And even that was mild
to what they found downstairs. Sup
poited against the wall was a red
headed man stone dead. A bayonet
lixed to a rifle had been driven clean
through his chest, and stuck six in
ches into the wall behind him. And
on that the body was supported."
"But, my dear fellow," sputtered
the cabinet minister, "yo'i can't ex
pect me to believe all th!s. You're
pulling my leg."
"Never farther from It in my life,
Haverton," said the othei. "I ad
mit it seems a bit over the odds, but
every word I've told you is gospel
To return to the discoveries. Mclver
found that the house was the head
quarters of a vast criminal organi
zation. There were schemes of the
most fantastic descriptions cut and
dried in every detail. Some of them
were stupid: some wore not. I have
them all here. This one" he glanced
through some papers on his desk
"conceens the blowing of a large gap
in one of the retaining walls of the
big reservoir at Staines. This one
concerns a porfectly-thought-out plot
on your life when you go to Beau
champ hall next week. You were to
be found dead In your railway car
riage."
"What?" roared Sir John, spring
iiit to his feet.
"It would very likely have failed."
.aid Sir Bryan calmly, "but they
would have tried again. They don't
like you or your views at all these
gentlemen. From time immemorial
wild, fanatical youths have done sim
ilar things: the danger was far great
er and more subtle. And perhaps the
most dangerous activity of all was
what I have spoken about alroady
Maybrick hall was the headquarters
of these poisonous proletarian Sun
day schools. But in addition to that
there was forgery going on there on
a big scale: money is necessary for
their activities. There were also long
lists of their agents in different parts
of the country, and detailed instruc
tions for fomenting industrial un
rest. But you have it all there you
can read it at your leisure for your
self. Particularly I commend to your
notice, the series of pamphlets on
Ireland, and the method suggested
for promoting discord between Eng
land and France, and England and
America."
Sir Bryan lit a cigarette.
"To return to the personal side
of it. Mclver, engrossed in his search,
paid very little attention to the row
of mummies in the hall. They cer
tainly seemed extraordinarily safe,
and one can hardly blame him. But
the fact Temains that, at some per
iod during the morning, the Italian,
who, if you remember, was padlocked
in a bedroom upstairs, escaped. How
I can't tell you: he must have had
a key in his pocket. They found the
padlock open, and the room empty.
And going downstairs they found the
chairs recently occupied by the cler
gyman and Miss Janet empty also.
Moreover, from that moment no trace
of any of them has been found. It is
as if the earth had opened and swal
lowed them. Which brings us to the
packet enclosed with the letter from
the leader of the Black Gang."
He crossed to a safe and took out
the little chamois leather bag of diamonds.
"Nice stones," he remarked quietly.
"Worth literally a king's Tansom.
The pink one is part of the Russian
crown jewels: the remainder belong
ed to the Grand' Duke Georgius, who
was murdered by the Bolshevists. His
son, who had these in his possession,
died ten days ago of an overdose of
a sleeping draught in Amsterdam.
At least that is what I understood
until I received these. ; Now I am
not so sure. I would go further, and
say I am quite sure that even if he
did die of an overdose, it was admin
istered by the beneficent clergyman
calling himself the Reverend Theo
dosius Longmoor the most amazing
international criminal of this or any
other age the man who, with Miss
Janet and the Italian, has vanished
into thin air, right under Mclver's
nose."
"And you mean to say this man
has been in England and you haven't
laid him by the heels?" said Sir John
incredulously.
"Unfortunately that is what I
mean," answered the other. "The po
lice of four continents know about
him, but that's a very different thing
from proof. This time we have proof
these diamonds: and the man has
vanished utterly and completely. He
is the master mind who controls and
directs, but very rarely actually does
anything himself. That's why he's so
devilishly difficult to catch. But we'll
do it sooner or later."
The cabinet minister was once more
studying the typewritten communica
tion from the leader of the Black
Gang.
"It's the most astounding affair,
this, Johnstone," he said at length.
"Most astounding. And what's all
this about the island off the cqast of
Mull?"
Sir Bryan laughed.
"Not the least astounding part of
the whole show, I assure you. But
for you to understand it better I
must go back two or three months, to
the time when we first became aware
of the existence of the Black Gang.
A series of very strange disappear
ances were taking place: men were
being spirited away, without leaving a
trace behind them. Of course we
knew about it, but in view of the fact
that our assistance was never asked
to find them, and still more in view of
the fact that in every case they were
people whose room we preferred to
their company, we lay low and said
nothing.
"From unofficial inquiries I had car
ried out we came to the conclusion
that this mysterious Black Gang was j
undoubtedly an extremely powerful
and ably led organization whose ob
ject was simply and solely to fight the
Red element in England. The means
they adopted were undoubtedly ille
gal but the results were excellent.
Whenever a man appeared preaching
Bolshevism, after a few days he sim
ply disappeared. In short, a reign of
terror was established amongst the
terrorists. And it was to put that
right I have no doubt that the Rever
end Theodosius Longmoor arrived in
his country."
Sir Bryan thoughtfully lit another
cigarette.
"To return to the island. Mclver
went there, and after some little diffi
culty located it, out of the twenty or
thirty to which the description might
apply. He found it far from uninhab
ited, just as that letter says. He
found it occupied by gome fifty or six
ty anarchists the gentlemen who
had so mysteriously disappeared
who were presided over by twenty
large demobilized soldiers commanded
by an ex-sergeant-major of the
Guards. The sixty frenzied anarchists
he gatheed, were running a state on
communistic lines. And the interpre
tation moved even Mclver to tears of
laughter. It appeared that once every
three hours they were all drawn up in
a row, and the sergeant-major, with
a voice like a bull, would bellow:
" 'Should the ruling classes have
money?'
"Then they answered in unison
'No.' , .
"'Should anyone have money?'
Again they answered No.'
" 'Should everyone work for the
common good for love?' 'Yes.'
"Whereat he would roar: 'Well,
in this 'ere island there ain't no rul
ing classes, and there ain't no money,
and there's dam' little love, so go and
plant some more potatoes, you lop
eared sons of Beelzebub.'
"At which point the parade broke
up in disorder."
Sir John was shaking helplessly.
"This is a jest, Johnstone. You're
joking."
"I'm not," answered the other, "But
I think you'll admit that the man who
started the whole show the leader of
the Black Gang, is a humorist, to put
it mildly, who cannot well be spared."
"My dear fellow, the cabinet is the
only place for him. If ony he'd ex
port two or three of my coleagues to
this island and let 'em plant potatoes
I'd take off my hat to him. Tell me
do I know him?"
Sir John smiled.
"I'm not certain: you may. But the
point, Haverton, is this. We must
take cognizance of the whole thing,
if we acknowledge it at all. There
fore shall we assume that everything
I have been telling you is a fairy
story: that the Black Gang is non
existent I may say that it will be
shortly and that what has already
appeared in the papers is just a hoax
by some irresponsible person? Un
less we do that there will be a couse
velebre fought out on class prejudice
a most injudicious thing at the
present moment. I may say that the
island is shut down, and the sixty
pioneers have departed to other coun
tries. Also quite a number of those
agents whose names ire on the list
you have have left our shores during
the past few days. It is merely up
to us to see that they don't come
back. But nothing has come out in
the papers: and I don't want any
thing to come out, either."
He paused suddenly, as a cheerful
voice was heard in the office outside.
"Ah! here is one Captain Drum
mond, whom I asked to come round
this morning." he continued, with a
faint smile. "I wonder if you know
him."
"I've seen him at his aunt's old
lady Meltrose. She says he's the big
gest fool in London."
Sir Bryan's smile grew more pro
nounced as the door opened and Hugh
came in.
"Morning, Tum-tum," he boomed
genially. "How's the liver and all
that?"
"Morning, Hugh. Do you know
Sir John Haverton?"
"Morning, Sir John. Jolly old cab
inet merry and bright? Or did you
all go down on Purple Polly at Good
wood yesterday?"
Sir John rose a little grimly.
"We have other things to do be
sides backing horses, Captain Drum
mond. I think we have met at Lady
Meltrose's house, haven't we?"
"More than likely," said Hugh af
fably. "I don't often dine there: she
ropes in such a ghastly crowd of
bores, don't you know."
"I feel, sure, Captain Drummond,
that you are an admirable judge."
Sir John turned to Sir Bryan John
stone and held out his hand. "Well,
I must be off. Good-morning, John
stone and you've thoroughly roused
my curiosity. I'd very much like to
know who the genlteman is whom
we've been discussing. And in the
meantime I'll look through there pa
pers and let you know my decision
in due course." . ''
He bustled out of the office, and
Hugh sank into a chair with a sigh
of relief.
"The old boy's clothes seem full of
body this morning, Tum-tum," he Te
marked as the door closed. "Indi-
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(Continued on Pajfe Six!
BULLS EYE
"Editor and Qentral Manaqer
WILL ROGERS '
Jor Economical Trantporloflon
You
Can't Smoke
History
A fellow from Carolina wants to
know where I get the idea that
"Bull" Durham and George Wash
ington come from the same state.
He says, "Why don't you write and
give the people the real History of
'Bull' Durham in its native State,
South Carolina, that people would
appreciate that more than these
Bull Legends of yours."
Now thanks, Sir, for your good
natured suggestion. If I knew His
tory I wouldn't be able to write
"Bull" Durham Ads. I would be
a College Professor, get everything
right, and get nothing for it
Everything you suggested me tell
ing the public about when and
where "Bull" Durham originated,
has been told for 66 years by typ
ical Advertising writers. That's the
only thing the Company asked of
me was "please don't tell again
where it came from, or how." You
see you didn't read their Ads, but
you did read mine and remembered
it, because it was wrong.
Writing Ads that will be re
membered is a queer game. This is
an Ad, not a History. I selected
Ads over History on account of the
pay. (American Tobacco Com
pany's pay is as good as its tobacco.)
Where "Bull" Durham comes from
or where it goes to is left for the
starving Historian. '
P.S. You notice I named in this ar
ticle the WRONG Carolina. That's so
North Carolina will get sore because
I named South Carolina, and South
Carolina will get sore because I didn't
name North Carolina. A true South
erner never forgets.
P.P.S. There will be another piece
in this paper soon. Watch for it.
Bull
Durham
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