Evening star., 1935-01-10
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N< BY VICTOR BRIDGES
CHAPTER XIII.
By VICTOR BRIDGES

CHAPTER XIII.
A CLUE.
| is something anyhow" !"
~ said Jerry. II expected to
! find you scattered all over
i the landscape"
1--WE should be, If It
wasn't for Jimmy" I answered.
"How did it happen? Were you
monkeying around with the powder
or what?"
took him by the arm and drew
him toward the bushes. Better sit
down for a minute and get your
! wind" said. "You keep lookout.
Molly, while do the explaining"
Making our way back, we regained
the shelter of the gorse, where Jimmy.
who had remained behind, greeted
us with a welcoming grin. Wiping
his forehead with his sleeve, Jerry
seated himself upon a convenient
hummock.
"Cut it as short as you can," he
said curtly. "We've job ahead Of
us that won't wait"
&44o tOANO AAehA - oAAAA A4OVS "a
urgency, which made me wonder what
fresh revelations were in store.
Something of interest had evidently
been happening In other places be-
sides the factory, but, since one Of
the two stories had to be told first, the
sooner I got mine over the better.
Such being the case, 7 pumped
myself down beside him and set about
the business. With the exception Of
what had passed between Molly and
myself, told him everything.
described the way we'd been
trapped; I repeated, as well as I
could remember it, every word that
Orloff had said to us, and, finally, I
gave him a brief, but vivid, account
of how Jimmy had come to our rescue,
and the amazing escape we had all
had from being killed by the flying
masonry.
eve got down under the bank and
crowled along here" finished, "be-
cause it seemed to be the safest thing
to do. There was just the of chance
that Jimmy had got ashore without
being seen, and that if we could lie
up somewhere until you came back
Orlof would take it for granted that
he'd wiped us off his list"
I laughed a trifle mirthlessly and,
pulling out a crumpled packet Of
cigarettes, stuck one between my lips.
1--WE can rule that out now," added.
For a moment or two Jerry sat
nursing his knees and staring brood
ingly in front of him. so it was
their boat after all! If I'd gone along
yesterday as I meant to-"
you probably wouldn't be here
now," I interrupted. "ThoSe devils
have been watching us the whole
time-just waiting for their chance.
They've bungled the business pretty
badly, thanks to Jimmy, but we're
not likely to get the same luck twice
running"
glanced across the narrow strip
Of water to where the Seagull was
lying. I'VE must clear out while
we've got the chance" I continued.
"Orloff-"
But we can't. I haven't told you
yet" He jumped up abruptly. THAT
woman-Mrs. Gowlland-she knows
the truth"
With a little startled cry. Molly
swung round toward us. Jerry"
she gasped, what do you mean?"
II found her in the garden in front
Of the farm. She was kneeling be-
side Gowlland's body. You remember
that shot we heard just after we'd
landed? Well, you were wrong about
its being rabbit. He'd gone out
side with his gun and blown half
his head off," 5-
There was a dead silence, broken
by a sudden exclamation from Jimmy.
"Crickey!" he whispered.
"I had an idea at first that she'd
done it herself. She was so queer
not hysterical or anything of that
sort-just helpless and half dazed,
Like some one who'd had a knock on
the head. It wasn't until I'd carried
him inside and put him on the sofa
that I could get any sense out of
her."
What did she say?" Molly was
leaning forward with clenched hands,
her eyes fixed on Jerry's face.
"JuSt tumble OF words to start
with-a lot of incoherent stuff about
Gowlland being drunk and threaten
ing to take his life. He'd something
on his mind, she kept on repeating,
something that was driving him
mad. It was while I was trying to
quiet her down that heard the ex-
plosion."
"And you guessed"
mot for q minute or so. I thought
it was one of the Chatham cruisers
blowing up mine or something; they
often practice off here, especially at
this time of year.
"Then, I don't know why. but quite
suddenly I remembered what Avon
had told Nick about the powder. It
put the wind up with crash.
81 didn't stop to question her any
further. I told her to wait where she
was until I came back, and I was
out of that door and halfway across
the yard almost before 7 knew what
I was doing"
7 scrambled to my feet. "Why do
you say she knows, Jerry?" I de-
manded. What makes you so certain
about it2"
II can't explain exactly. I just felt
it inside me. It was something in
the way she spoke and looked. # we
hadn't been interrupted"
"I feel it, too." Molly was beside
us, her blue eyes shining with ex-
citement. I'VE must see her, Nick;
we must go there at once. I'm sure
she can tell us the truth"
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