Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-10-08
CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY
THE PROGRAM, as LAID down
by Gun, was carried out to the let
ter. They went into the bungalow,
laughing, gay and inconsequential'
Gun dispensed drinks, and then,
after a little while, he remarked:
do you know, I've got an idea
that I'm not really necessary to
this party? And hate playing
extra gentleman in any shoW-so
I'm off to bed. Besides, I'm still
finding the sensation of lying in
sheets a novelty, and I rather
like it."
Then get to them, old boy"
Tommy roared, in his hcartiest
voice. Don't let us keep you. We
can amuse ourselves, eh, Coral?"
And her voice was all lazy Sc
duction as she replied:
1--WE can try, Tommy, think"
Gun babe them laughing good
night, and went ioisily up the
stairs, and went noisily on in
the bedroom, and undressed in full
view of the window. He was leaV-
ing nothing to chance.
The next hour and a half was a
trying one for him. There was no
sound to be heard, except the low
murmur of the others voices from
below, and an occasional interpola-
ton as the guards spoke to each
other. Gun, lying in bed, tried to
think of every possible eventuality
that might occur to mar their
plans and prevent their escape, and
some method of countering it. He
found that, unfortunately, most of
these eventualities were only too
likely to happen, and that if they
did they could not be COPIED with.
Time passed. He heard Coral and
Tommy murmuring affectionate
good nights. No doubt the listen
,ers at the other end heard too, and
for the first time since he had gone
upstairs Gun grinned at the
thought of Otto's annoyance.
Then he heard Coral leave
heard her laughing with the guard
on the gate. Gun grinned again. 1t
was another case of Establishing
confidence"
Tommy came upstairs, and Gun
made a warning sign to him and
then started on a little more play
acting.
you've been a hell of a long
time, haven't you, Tommy"
Tommy rose to it well.
"What if I have? We're not
short for time, cooped up in this
hole, are we?"
you're falling for that girl,
aren't you?"
Suppose I am? Isn't she worth
it,"
Guns voice sounded very serious
as he said:
Look here, you're not letting
her wheedle anything out of you,
are you?"
Don't be a bloody fool, Gun
ston-and don't be offensive, Ell
Their. I don't like it"
Sorry! I didn't mean to be Of
fensive. But you mustn't forget
she's on the other side, you know"
Tommy gave a conceited laugh,
as he dropped his shoes on the
floor.
81 don't think she's altogether on
the other side so far as I'm con-
cerned, my boy"
Gun appeared to lose patience.
ooh, gosh! You drunken
So-and-so, I'm going to sleep. Good
night"
Good highland be damned to
your Tommy laughed.
He finished undressing, put out
the light, and then tip-toed across
and whispered, with his mouth
close to Guns ear: "What do we
do now" And Gun answered, in
the same tone:
Get dressed again-in the dark.
And no noise"
The next two hours represented
a period that Gun hoped he would
never have to go through again.
He and Tommy sat on their beds,
unable to talk, except for an occa-
sional word in the faintest of whis-
pers. They strained their ears to
catch any sound that might tell
them what was going on beyond
the wooden fence. And all the time
they knew that almost any sort of
sound would spell disaster to their
hopes.
Vicariously Gun Wen. through
all sorts of agonies. He saw Coral
discovered on her way to Trent's
room; he saw her hand, sliding
stealthily under Trent's pillow,