Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-30

You'll know where to find It," said
Wade carefully, and gave her no other
satisfaction.
He deposited the box and its contents
in the safe at the police station before
he went home This time he was ac-
companied by two armed detectives, and
he found a policeman on duty in front
Of his house It was entirely possible
that the india rubber men would at
tack him in his home again-and he
was taking no chances. for he had
feeling that affairs were moving rapidly
to some sort of climax.
He was called on duty, after three
hours sleep, to deal with some OF the
consequences of the cratic tide. A
barge had broken from its mooring and
had fouled a steamer before 1t had
drifted to a derelict wharf on the Sur
rey side, where it had been made fast
and looted in an incredibly short space
of time by river thieves.
A launch carried the weary police Of
ficer on his rounds from barge to barge.
Sometimes these crafts were left en-
tirely without crew, but in the majority
of cases there was somebody on the
deck to report "All's WE'LL"
Wade came, at last, to the two long
barges moored opposite the Mecca. and
here his interest quickened. He had seen
that there was a Waterman on board
Perhaps this man might give him some
information about the movements OF
the mysterious black launch.
AS dawn was breaking he hailed the
solitary figure that stood by the tiller
smoking short clay pipe.
All right guv'nor, nothing wrong
"I'm coming aboard" said Wade.
Gripping the watchman's huge hand,
he Jumped on board. It was the lett
hand that the man extended; the right
he kept in his pocket-a circumstance
that did not at the moment strike John
Wade as peculiar Many Of these watch
men were men who had lost the. use OF
limb.
The bargeman told Wade that he had
not only seen the black boat cross the
stream but had been a witness to the
collision.
mo. it didn't come from the. Mecca
wharf" He was emphatic as to this
"I saw it pushing downstream on the
Middlesex shore long time before 1t
turned to cross the river. had an idea.
at first. that 1t was police boat watch
ing the launches on the other shore.
They was yours, wasn't they? Anyway,
was surprised it could move so fast,
and the river was certainly doing bit
of moving on its own! I meant to ask
who it was, but I've seen nobody since
night"
The Waterman was unknown to
Wade. who asked few questions.
me? I come from Grays. I don't
often work up as far as this, but these
barges have cargo Of machinery from
Belgium-electric machinery for some
works up at Oxford-and they've hired
me to go up with her"
Have you hurt your hand?" asked
Wade.
The man laughed softly and took his
right hand from his pocket.
"A Bit" he said. 1.-THE flood made the
bargeS bump into the Mecca wharf and
I fell over the tiller." He went on to
speak of the black boat. Its funny the
things you see. found Teller hiding
on this barge-feller named Sniffy, &C
cording to all accounts"
Whose account?" asked Wade, quick
ly. "You said you'd spoken to nobody"
"Only the police-the river police.
They've been lodging about all the
night. Never seen so many river police
In my life-regular Sherlock Holmeses,
they are!"
Wade could not miss the covert sheer
in the mans voice; and he knew tnat,
for some reason or other, the river po-
lice were as unpopular with watchmen
as they were with thieves.
what was Sniffy doing on boaro?"
The man shook his head.
"I never know why thieves board
barges," he said ironically.
AS Wades launch pulled away and
vanished in the gray morning mist, the
Waterman stopped and lifted two black
painted cylinders that lay in the SOUP
pers. Depositing them under canvas
cover, he walked slowly to the open
hatch that led to his quarters. He
turned his back upon the hatchway and
did not move when voice called him
softly from the depths behind him.
THAT was Wade" he told the unseen
questioner. II thought he might want
to come below, to search us. If he'd
tried, I'd have glnned him and bombed
the launch--it would have been easy"
He heard the grunt of agreement and
grinned to himself. Capt. AikneSs in
variably signified his approval with such
grunt.
(To Be Continued)