The Ely miner., 1921-11-11

/ ~
look of resigned sadness.
Very nearly over" he remarked
again. "And then once more the
tedium of responsibility positively
stares us in the face"
You'll be getting married, old beam"
murmured Toby Sinclair hopefully.
For moment his companion bright
ened up.
"True, o King" he answered. cit
will ease the situation somewhat; at
least, l suppose so. But think of it,
Toby: no Lakington, no Peterson
nothing at all to play about with and
keep one amused"
You're very certain, Hugh" With
feeling almost of wonder Sinclair
glanced at the square-jawed, ugly
profile beside him. There's many a
| slip :. :"
'My dear old man." interrupted
Drummond, there's only one cure for
the proverb-quoting disease-a dose Of
salts in the morning." For while
they raced on through the warm sum-
mer's night in silence, and it was not
till they were within a mile of their
destination that Sinclair spoke again.
what are you going to do with
them; Hugh?"
''Who-our Carl and little Henry?"
| Drummond grinned gently. "Why, I
think that Carl and 1 will part
carbohydrates, of course, he gives
me any trouble. And as for Laking-
ton-well have to see about Laking-
ton." The grin faded from his face
as he spoke. "We'll have to see about
our little Henry" he repeated softly.
"And can't help feeling, Toby, that
between us we shall find a method Of
ridding the earth Of such thoroughly
unpleasing fellow"
"You mean to kill him?" grunted
the other non-committalIy.
"Just that, and no MORE" responded
Hugh. Tomorrow morning as ever
is. But he's going to get the shock
of his young life before it happens"
He pulled the car up silently in the
deep shadows of some trees, and the
two men got out.
"Now, old boy, you take her back
to The Elms."
But confound it ALL" spluttered
Toby Sinclair. Don't you want me
to help you?"
II do: by taking the buzz-box back.
This little show is my shout"
For a moment or two Hugh stood
watching the car as it disappeared
down the road along which they had
just come, while his thoughts turned
to the girl now safely asleep in his
fiat in London. Another week-per-
haps a fortnight-but no more. Not
a day more. And so delightful
was the train of thought thus con-
jured up, that for a while Peterson
and Lakington were forgotten. The
roseate dreams of the young about to
wed have been known to act similarly
before
Wherefore to the soldiers instinc-
tive second nature, trained in the war
and sharpened by his grim duel with
the gang, must be given the credit of
preventing the ringing of the wedding
bells being postponed for good. The
sudden snap Of twig close by, the
sharp hiss of a compressed-air rifle,
seemed simultaneous with Hugh hurl-
ing himself fiat on his face behind
sheltering bush. In reality there was
that fraction of a second between the
actions which allowed the bullet to
ha &c,
of finishing his career there and then.
He heard it go tipping through the
| underground as he lay motionless on
the ground; then very cautiously he
turned his head and peered about.
A shrub was shaking few yards
away, and on it Hugh fixed his half
| closed eyes. If he lay quite still the
man, whoever he was, would probably
assume the shot had taken effect, and
come and investigate. Then things
would be easier, as two or three
Boches had discovered to their cost
in days gone by.
For two minutes he saw no one
then very slowly the branches parted
| and the white face of man peered
| through. 1t was the chauffeur who
usually drove the Rolls Royce, and
he seemed unduly anxious to satisfy
himself that all was well before COM
ing nearer. The fame of Hugh Drum
mond had spread abroad amongst the
satellites of Peterson.
At last he seemed to make up his
/ sv,ta %ha
Step by step he advanced toward the
motionless figure, his weapon held in
readiness to shoot at the faintest
movement. But the soldier lay
sprawling and inert, and by the time
the chauffeur had reached him there
was no doubt in that worthy's mind
that, at last, this wretched meddler
with things that concerned him not
had been laid by the heels. Which
was as unfortunate for the chauffeur
as it had been for unwary Huns in
the past.
| Contemptuously he rolled Drum
mond over; then, noting the relaxed
muscles and inert limbs, he laid his
gun on the ground preparatory to run
ming through his victims pockets. And
the fact that such an action was a
little more foolish than offering a man.
eating tiger a peppermint lozenge did
not trouble the chauffeur. In fact,
nothing troubled him again.
He got out one gasping cry of ter
ror as he realized his mistake; then
he had a blurred consciousness of the
world upside down, and everything
| voS over. 1t was Olaki's most danpar.