Evening star., 1926-06-12


r ling happened. Intermittent
flashes of an electric torch
came from the vicinity OF the
lighthouse. but these were rather re
assuring than otherwise. Indeed, Lord
Oban's tall, slender figure was merged
in the group of elms near the lodge
when the shrill tocsin of a police
whistle rent the silence. There Is a
peculiar resonance in the sound which
conyeys alarm. People who nave
never before heard it seem to recog'
niZe the signal instantly, just as our
ing the war pheasants IN NorIoik'
which certainly had no prior eXperl-
ence of bomb-dropping Zeppeiins' ue'
tected the rafting flight or THESE III
omened machines while they were yet
far out at sea and conveyed their ex'
citement to all the !furred and feath-
cred population of the countryside.
Eileen and Betty were the first to
take action. Telling a manservant
who was replenishing the drawing
room fire that the call had come from
the boathouse and that he was TO
bring help there at once, they sped
down the hill.
Lord Oban noted it just as promptly.
hut he was much farther away-all or
500 yards-as he had passed through
the wicket at the lodge and was cross
ing the small green. Here three men,
newly alighted from tourist car
we're talking to some of the ioungers
still grouped under the oak. They de.
tached themselves promptly and ap.
proached his lordship. One was tan
and strongly built, one not so tan, put
well proportioned. and the third quite
but very alert in his move
ments. He seemed to take the lead.
Are YOU Lord Oban?" he said. and
the question sounded rather ike
challenge.
yes" said his lordship.
1.-Two Of us are detectives from
SCOTLAND Yard" went on the little man
ra nidly. 1.-The big fellow is Sir Arthur
a friend and former brother
ofticer of YOUR son. We are here TO
secure the arrest of a man named
The'local constable is not
at home, and
Again that piercing whistle sent
forth it's appeal. A..
sneaker. Where is the sound coming
from?'
Too surprised to do other than an
swer directly. Lord Oban SAID II came
apparently from the landing stage.
"Is there a road?'
"Yes-a sort of a road
Can we get there in the carr!
'I think So
"Will you guide us?"
"Willingly. have not the least no.
+;on what is going on. 1-well. 1t Is
idle to explain now why / happen TO
he in the village. . BY the way.
the man Connington you speak OF
',.a,,+ oway from Inyerlochtie this
They were seated in the car by TINS
time. Frensham, at the wheel, was
hidden to cross the bridge below the
village. He had passed within a few
wards of it when coming in from NAL
laig. o,,
man demanded abruptly.
"Of course 1 am. What possible mo-
tive could I have in misleading you,
if, as you claim, you repre-
sent the London police?'
.It is not for me to analyze motives
ar this moment. But l do want you
to be certain of your facts. coming
ton has not gone back to Mallafg since
he left there today. Could ne nave
got away by some other road"
"a most difficult moorland track ne
gotiable only on foot or by a pony.
where is your son staying!
This brought up his lordship with
round turn.
tily.
= "E'urneauX Detective Inspector
Furneaux of the Criminal Investiga-
ton Department. My colleague Is De
tective Sergeant Sheldon. so
YOU don't know where your boy is!
II did not say that.
"Then where the devil is hep
"At the post office, I believe. But l
must warn you. Mr.. FurneauX--
.That / am not being sufficiently
polite. and that if / am not careful
YOU may have to report me to the
commissioner. Go right ahead. He's
used to the formula. He would won
der what was wrong if he didn't hear
at least once a week that / had stuck
a long and torturing pin into some
noble prop of the British constitution
Iile yo,,rself. Sacre nom dun
pipe. They're hard at 1t now, ana
we're miles away. Never mind your
springs, Sir Arthur! Get us over tnls
cursed road quickly or we may be too
late"
Furneaux's sudden explosion into
wrath was caused by a third shrill
blast on the whistle, which. however,
ceased instantly when two gunshots,
fired in quick succession, not only
sounded like miniature thunder claps,
but woke into raucous activity all the
bird life of the glen. The rocks, in
particular, filled the air with their
clamor. They silenced even Fur
neaux, while Lord Oban was so
aritated that he could neither speak
nor think. Frensham had to switch
on his headlights and the car was
promptly attacked by a pair of
frenzied owls. In the twinkling of an
eve Inverlochtie had been reused from
the sleep of ages.
Now what had actually happened,
subject to certain quite tragic limita-
tions due to complete lack Of knowl-
edge on the part of some of the prin-
cipal actors in a series of exciting
events, was this:
John Panton. his pipe we'll alight,
waited on the path a few indecisive
seconds. Neither Betty nor Eileen
had konf The frvSt. which was hardly