Evening star., 1921-04-18
Bulldog Drumm0nd
BY CYRIL McNE1E (''Sapper')
A Novel Of Mystery, Love and Adventure.
- H. Du.ncs
BY CYRIL McNElE (''Sapper"


\ \SSYJA&uts AOAHAs -
CONTINUED from yesterdays Sta-.)
CHAPTER vi.
IN WHICH A VERY OLD GAME
TAKES PLACE ON THE HOGS
BACK.
A thick gray mist lay over the
Thames. 1t covered the water and
the low fields to the west like thick
white carpet; it drifted sluggishly
under the old bridge which spans the
river between Goring and Streatley.
1t was the hour before dawn, and
sleepy passengers, rubbing the win
dows of their carriages as the Ply
mouth boat express rushed on toward
London. shivered and drew their rugs
closer around them. 1t looked cold
cold and dead.
Slowly. almost imperceptibly. the
vapor rose and spread outward up
the wooded hills by Basildon. 1t drifted
through the shrubs and rose bushes
of little garden which stretched
from a bungalow down to the waters
edge, until at length wisps of it brush
ed gently round the bungalow itself.
1t was daily performance in the
summer, and generally the windows
of the lower rooms remained shut TIL
long after the mist had gone ana
the sun was glinting through the
trees on to the river below. But on
this morning there was change in
the usual program. Suddenly the win
Of nf a rooms
was flung open, and a man with
white haggard face leant out, draw
ing great gulps of fresh air into his
lungs. Softly the white wraiths ed
died past him into the room behind
room in which queer, family
sweet smell still hung-a room In
which three other men lay sprawllns
uncouthly in chairs, and two dogs
lay motionless on the hearthrug.
After moment or two the man
withdrew. only to appear again with
one of the others in his arms. Ana
then having dropped his burden
through the window on to the lawn
outside. he repeated his performance
with the remaining two. Finally ne
pitched the two dogs after them, ana
then, with his hand to his forehead'
he staggered down to the water
edge.
HOLY smoke. ne iiuttciSu ~ i'-'''
self as he plunged his head into the
cold water. talk about the morning
after. Never have / thought
of such a head"
After while. with the water stlil
dripping from his face. he returned
to the bungalow and found the other
three in varying stages of partial IN
sensibility.
wake up. my heroes" he remarked,
land go and put your great fat heads
in the river.
Peter Darrell scrambled unsteadily
to his feet.
Great Scott, Hugh" he muttered,
thickly, whats happened?'
We've been had for mugs" said
Drummond. grimly.
Algy Longworth blinked at him
foolishly from his position in the
middle Of a fiower-bed.
Dear old SOUL" he murmured at
length. you'll have to change your
wine merchant. Merciful heavens! is
the top of my head still on?'
Don't be a fool Algy," grunted
Hugh You weren't drunk last night.
Pull yourself together man. we were
all of US drugged or doped somehow.
And now" he added, bitterly, we've
all got heads. and we have not got
Potts"
Toby Sinclair. except falling asleep.
Have they taken him?"
"Of course they have" said Hugh.
"Just before 1 went off / saw 'em all
in the garden. and that swine LAX
ington was with them. However,
while you go and put your nuts in the
river I'll go up and make certain
With a grim smile he watched the
three men lurch down to the water;
then he turned and went upstairs to
,;oI, = han tod hxy
the American millionaire. 1t was
empty, as he had known it would be,
and with a smothered curse he made
his way downstairs again. And 1t
was as he stood in the little hall
saying things gently under his breath
that he heard a muffled moaning
noise coming from the kitchen. For
a moment he was nonplussed; then,
with an oath at his stupidity. he
dashed through the door. Bound
her mouth. the wretched Mrs. Denny
was sitting on the floor, blinking at
him wrathfully.
what on earth will Denny say to
me when he hears about this"' said
Hugh, feverishly cutting the cords.
forced her gently into chair. Mrs.
Denny, have those swine hurt you?"
Five minutes served to convince him
that the damage. if any, was mental
raGher imam OOQlly, duo Ihot QeE VOCAl
powers were not in the least i'm
paired. Like a dam bursting, the flood
Of the worthy woman's wrath surged
over him; she breathed hideous
vengeance on every one impartially.
Then she drove Hugh from the kitch-
en- and slammed the door in his face"
breakfast in half an hour" she
cried from inside-"not that one Of
you deserves it"
I'VE are forgiven" remarked Drum
mond. as he joined the other three on
the lawn. do any Of you feel like
breakfast? Fat sausages and crinkly
"Shut up" groaned Algy. "or we'll
throw you into the river. What 1
want is a brandy-and-soda-half
II wish I knew what they did to
u.s." said Darrell. Because: II
remember straight. I drank bottled
beer at dinner, and I'm damned IL |
see how they could have doped that"
.rm only interested in one thing.
Peter" remarked Drummond, grimly.
"and that isn't what they did to us. !
IT'S what we're going to do to them"
count me out" said Algy. For
the next year l shall be fully occu-
pied resting my head against a cold
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