The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-08-05


to the house. And sure enough when
Mclyer and his men surrounded the
mousse, there was our friend and all
his pals in one of the downstairs
rooms. 1t was then that this peculiar
thing happened. | gather from McIver
that he heard the noise Of an owl
hooting, also a faint scuffle and a
curse And after that he heard moth
ing more. He was chloroformed from
behind, and went straight out of the
picture"
Great Scott" murmured Hugh,
staring incredulously at McIver.
What an amazing thingl"
"And this is where you come In,
Hugh" continued Sir Bryan.
Mel" Hugh sat up abruptly. "Why
me?"
zone Of the men inside the room
was an interesting fellow known as
Flash Jim. He Is a burglar of no
mean repute, though he is quite ready
to tackle any sort Of job which car
ries money with IT, And when McIver,
having recovered himself in the morn
ing, ran Flash Jim to ground In one
of his haunts he was quite under the
impression that the men who had
doped him and the other officers were
pals of Flash Jim. But after he'd
talked to him he changed his mind.
All Flash Jim could tell him was that
on the previous night he and some
friends had been discussing business
at this house. He didn't attempt to
deny that. He went on to say that
suddenly the room had been filled
with q number of masked men, and
that he'd had clip over the back Of
the head which knocked him out At
ter that presumably he was given a
Whit of chloroform to keep him quiet,
and the next thing he remembers Is
| being kicked back into activity by the
policeman at" Sir Bryan paused a
moment to emphasize the point-"at
Piccadilly circus"
| Good Lordl' said Hugh dazedly.
''Then that bird l saw last night sleep
ing it off on the pavement was Flash
JIM"
PRECISELY" answered Sir Bryan.
But what Is far more to the point.
old man, Is that the two birds you
think you would be able to recognize
and who were in the car, are two OF
the masked men who first of all laid
out McIver and subsequently sur
rounded Flash Jim and his pals in
side"
But what did they want to do
that for?" asked Hugh in bewilder-
ment.
'eThat is just what we want to find
out" replied Sir Bryan. "As far as
we can see at the moment they are
not criminals in the accepted sense
of the word. They fiogged two of the
men who were there last night, al
there ave no two men in England
who more richly deserved it. They
kidnaped two others. enc Of whom
was the man we particularly wanted.
Then TO wind up, they planted Flash
Jim as I've told you, let the others
90. and brought McIver and all his
men back to McIver's house, where
they left them to cool on the pave
ment. And what want to know Is
this. If we give you warning would
Won care to go with McIver the next.
time he has any job on, where he
thinks it is likely this gang may turn
mn? We have a pretty shrewd idea
Ms TO the type of thing they special
lie in"
Hugh passed his hand dazedly over
his forehead.
"Sort of mothers help you mean"
and McIver frowned horribly. while
tbe bird biffs McIver, biff the bird
Is that the notion?'
"That is the notion" agreed Sir Bry-
an. "Of course you'll have TO do exact
" what McIver tells you, and the
whole thing is most unusual. But in
view of the special features of the case
What is it. Miss Forbes?" He
glanced up at his secretary, who was
standing in the doorway. with a slight
frown.
"He insists on seeing you at once,
Sir Bryan"
She came forward Win card'
which Sir Bryan took.
Wyharles Latter" The frown deep
ened. what the deuce does ne
want?"
The answer was supplied by the
gentleman himself. who appeared AT
that moment in the doorway tie
was evidently In state of great agi-
tation and Sir Bryan rose.
II am engaged at the moment MT.
Latter" he said coldly.
MY business won't take You MN
ute, Sir Bryan" he cried. but what
| want to know is this. Is this eoun-
try civilized or is IT not? Look at
what received by the afternoon
post"