THE TERROR BY NIGHT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 359, 10 May 1911, Page 7

THE TERROR BY NIGHT.

j Bj S. H. Agncw, Author of i "The Castle Mvstery," etc.

Being a Strango Chronicle from i the Note-book of John Lyon, Eiucidator, Known as the : " Lion of the Law."

| PART 3. i "SoI am in Bradford ?" Lyon reI joined in a conversational tone. | " Thanks for the information. I thought I might still be in the vicin- ; ity of Low Aloor. How did I get I nere ?" Frensson scowled. "In our motor if you want to Know." " I do want to know. The subject iccms to interest me. Why am I Here ?" " You are very free with your questions, my man. This is our i house for the present, and you are ! here because we want to know a j thin.? or two. You said you were a detective." " I am." " Were you after ris ?" the spy demanded, leaning forward. " When you encountered me in Croft Park I was after the owner of the airship," Lyon Then he added, mendaciously : "I don't even know who you are. How should I?" Frensson allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips. " All detectives are liars, but I think I can believe you. I may as well tell jou at once that my friend and I are keen on buying that airship. We think we can dispose of it at a vast profit to a foreign power. We brought you here as you seemed to know 7 a great deal about it. Who is the owner ?" " I don't ltiow." " Nonsense !" " Truth. I admit I made an involuntary ascent, but the driver was masked, and I did not know his voice." Frensson eyed him doubtingly. " Sacre !" he muttered. "I believe you are playkig a game of your own. You can tell me no more than that ?" " Not if you question me from now | to the crack of doom." | Silence fell. The detective, stretch- | ed on his back, gazed calmly and re- ! flectively at the ceiling. His captor dropped into a sitting posture on the edge of the copper, and stared at him with a gloomy scowl scarring hi? ' forehead. " You are no use to us then," he said at last, abruptly. "If we let you go you will probably clap us into a cold cell." " Probably," echoed Lyon mockingly. " You will not get a chance. Dead men tell no tales." " What do you mean ?" ; "That you will be dead before the sun rises." His scowl deepened to a ! black frown of hate. " I would have ! every cursed detective in the world dead, if I could. It will be easy tc strangle you to death, and bury you in the cellar. And Canal Road is no* a spot where the sudden departure oi a tenant will be noticed." i The detective made no answer but i set his jaw firmly as the rogue leapt to his feet and glided from the room He could see the first cold light of dawn searing the sky outside thf window and involuntarily he wondered whether he had seen the sun rise for the last time. The Canal Road was not precisely a fashionable locality, and he had no doubt that the two spies could carry out their purpose without interruption, if theii courage would last so far. Before he had made up his mind tc the ignominious course of shouting for help Frensson returned, accompanied this time by the Frenchman j Parsival. The latter carried a cani vas sack, of the kind used for mail | carrying. His teeth showed pallid it I the dim light, and his teeth cliatterec | audibly as he turned towards the ! manacled detective. ! The older rogue showed no sucl j qualms. His features were set, but I nothing save savagery lurked in his j fierce yellow eyes. ! " Say your prayers," he jerked out ! waving a hand to which a birdlime I gag adhered. "You will be dumb as I a dead rabbit in another ten seconds; J so if you have anything to say, spit i it out." Lyon made no reply. His eyes had wandered to the winj dow, and he almost smiled as he saw I the outline of Lesage's head through ; the dirty glass. | "I suppose you are going to put • the sack over my head and then smother me ?" ':a asked, at length, as Frensson showed signs of impatience. "I am writing to wager one and sixpence that you don't, do it." | "We will soon cure your crowing,' was the grim retort.. " You seem tc ; think we are play-acting, but I wii' | soon —" j Crash ! The cold shiver of splin ! t.ering glass tilled the wash-house ■ Two vibrant oaths followed as the ; spies swung round to the window 1 They were just in time to gaze intc : the muzzles of the big army six- ' shooter.- that Lesage always carried " Up with your hands !" that worthy hissed, moving the weapons uj ami down and sending Hashing fragments of glass dying in every direc : tion. Move a muscle and I'll spat- ! t,er your brains on the wall." He withdrew one arm, and a mo ment later came scrambling dowr ; through the opening, worming hit j lean form through the narrow space ; as easily as i\ zz& JMight have done | Two pairs of handcuffs had taken the I place of one of the six-shooters, aiu he advanced upon the would-be murderers as calmly as if he had ar army at his back. A. minute sufficed to secure the pair of them, for Chris was an adepl at applying manacles. He locked the two scoundrels back to back, anc then turned his attention to the Lior of the Law,

I " I followed tfieir. car all the way I rorn Croft Park," he said. "Lucky ] or you I finished my dinner smartly ! thief ! I would have been here soon- ! ;r, only I called at the police-station. ; There are four constables outside." " Good !" Lyon muttered, sitting ; ip to chafe his benumbed limbs, i 1 Any news of the airship ?" " News ?" Lesage pursed up his lips and emit;ed a long whistle. " Things have been moving whilst ; /ou were unconscious, chief," he adled. " Irene Skinner has been abj luctcel by the airship fiend, and In- ! jpector Penruddock Slythe has ar- | -ested Denis Morrel for murder and i -obbery." | CHAPTER YI. I TILL THE SEA GIVES UP ITS DEAD. Lyon found that his assistant's startling statements were absolutely :orrect. Inspector Slythe had been put on ;he case by the police authorities, and he had ferreted out the signifi:ant fact that Denis Morrel was the .nventor of a marvellous airship—a nachine that he had kept secret from ;he world at large. Moreover he ;ould prove no alibi on the night oi :he murder and robbery, and as he ras intimately acquainted with the .nterior of Mr. Skinner's shop the 'acts looked black against him. Inspector Slythe made light of the j :>ne missing link in his chain of evilence —the disappearance of the airship. Doubtless, he said, the inven;or had more than one hiding place, and a good search would soon bring che vessel to view. Then had come a staggering surprise. Irene Skinner, it was discovered, nad set out to Low Moor to warn ler lover of his impending arrest. 3he never arrived at Croft Park and two weavers, whose veracity coule scarcely be doubted, told a detailed story r of seeing an airship swoop like | a vulture from the heavens, to rise | igain an instant later with anothei passenger on board. They had not aeen close enough to see more clearly, but their, recital put a spoke ir ;he Scotland Y r ard man's wheel Meanwhile, the " Terror-by-Night ' ivas the sole topic of conversation in Bradford and the neighbourhood. The onelier parts of the country were ilmost deserted, and children' were conveyed to school by anxious par;nts. They acted much as if an infading army had been hovering ir Yorkshire. John Lyon's next step after seeing the two spies disposed of was to visii Denis Morrel. He found the young nan haggard but defiant. He bright:ned up as the eiucidator entered the ;ell and rose to greet him. " I thought it was that unctuous fool Slythe," he exclaimed, disrespectfully 7 . " Can you do anything :or me, Mr. Lyon ? I'll help you ir any way I know how. Irene will be so anxious with me cooped up here.' " If you will answer my questions [ may be able to help," Lyon said, passing over the reference to Irene Skinner. It would only add to Mor .-el's troubles to tell him of her elis lppearance, and could do no possible ;ood. " Are you or are you not the Dwner of the -airship which is creat ing such havoc ?" " I am. I kept it quiet because 1 lid not want my house to become m excursion spot, and I am not ic aeed of money," Denis returned, 'rankly. " It's no uje making a secret of it any longer, and I suppose [ must face the comments of the ha'penny papers, and the interviewer# that will follow !" " Where is the airship now ?" "I don't know. It vanished thre» lays ago and I have not had a glimpse of it since." The detective shaped his lips at though about to wnistle but he spoke | instead. "I wish you had told me this yesterday. The man who has stoler the machine must be intimately acquainted with the working. It is simple, I presume ?" "On the contrary it is very complicated and the fact makes me suspect a man named Colegrave, whe used to be my assistant. I kickec him out for stealing a month ago. and I thought I was well rid of hiir as I paid his passage to America." " I don't think we need look any further for our man," the Lion of the ; Law said briskly. " Excuse the question but did he display any—er—partiality for Miss Irene ?" Denis flushed redly, "Y r es, the hound. That was partly why I threw him out. What made you think of that ?" " Just a passing thought. If yor will give me a few particulars of the | airship, and a description of Cole | grave, 1 think I will have you out oi durance within the day." Fifteen minutes later Lyon left the station and well satisfied with his progress. He encountered Penruddock Slythe on the doorstep. That obese worthy also appeared to be pleased with himself ; the only thing he had to do, he informed the eiucidator, was to find Morrel's accomplice and the airship, and the case against hi* man would be complete. Lyon grinned as he hurried away. His first visit was to the superintendent, from whom he obtained in a i casual way the information that a | writ had been issued against oneJames Colegrave by Seidler, the mur- ! dered money-lender in the previous week. " Caesar !" he thought as he took his departure. " I'll wager a crown j that Seidler was in the scheme to steal that airship and that he quarrelled with Colegrave. When thieves fall out —" He left the platitude unfinished, for he had reached the Midland Hotel, where he was staying. The shelter of his bedroom gained, he threw himself dressed as he was, at full length on the bed, and with the aid of a box of Russian cigarettes gave himself over

to deep thought. For more than an hour he lay motionless, saving when he stirred to light a new cigarette. At the end of that time he had considered the case from every point of view, and decided on a course of action. He treated himself to a wash whilst Lesage fetched the motor from the garage and was looking as fresh as new paint by the time his assistant arrived. " I have come to the conclusion that Colegrave has taken possession of an empty house somewhere," he announced as he sprang into the car. "We will therefore pay a visit to the house agents first and obtain a list of all houses with big gardens to let in the vicinity of Low Moor." This was soon done, and from the list at his disposal Lyon selected twe houses which he thought worthy oi suspicion. Both had large gardens, and both were secluded from observation. In addition they had each been vacant for some time, being too spacious and rambling for modern tenants. The first house—a dilipadhted mansion near Buttershaw —drew blank, although the detectives employed every art at their command in searching it. Returning to the car, they sent it spinning away to the second on the list, which bore the name of Wicklow Hall. Lyon surveyed it with interest as he dismounted. The house was an old one, early Georgian style, and set far back from an unfrequented lane. A high stone wall topped with brok- , en glass enclosed the grounds, which had assumed the appearance of an African jungle ; behind the dense mass of undergrowth, however, the detectives could catch glimpses of a wide stretch of lawn. "By George ! I believe you are on the right scent as usual," Lesage whispered suddenly. " The grass is all flattened down in places, and I am certain I smell petrol !" " It doesn't take much guessing to surmise that Colegrave could not keep his machine anywhere near human habitations," the elucklator responded. "Go gently ; he may be somewhere within hearing." Softly they climbed the gate, and dropped down in the drive, which bore a coating of moss as thick as a velvet. Side by side, their revolvers drawn, they strode towards the lawn, straining their eyes for any further sign of the airship. Then suddenly, as a roar of thunder from a clear sky, a loud report filled the stillness with a tumult of echoes. A mass of glittering steel and aluminium flashed into the sunlight, and before the detective could realise what was happening the airship was soaring above, them, rising with the speed of a rocket. They could hear the air hissing like steam From the wedge-shaped sides, and the vessel careened from side to side as if it had been beating up against a heavy sea. " The airship !" hissed Lesage half incoherent in his excitement. " Shoot him ! Bring the hound down. Where is the girl ?" Lyon grasped his assistant's wrist, forcibly preventing him from pulling the trigger. " He's out of range," he said, quietly. " Let us search the house for Irene Skinner and then follow iim in the motor. Quickly !" At a furious run he led the way up to the house. The front door was fastened, but a rush and a push from [lis shoulder splintered the rotten svoodworki A shrill feminine scream reached his ears as he fell into the aall. "Irene, as I live !" he shouted, gladly. " I expect the brute wanted to hold her to ransom. You stay here, Chris, I'm off." At racing speed he covered the drive again. The airship was still visible in the clear noon-sky when he reached the automobile, and without hesitation he started in pursuit. Colegrave was apparently heading for Leeds, and in so doing brought down (lis marvellous vessel into contention with a strong head wind. But for this Lyon would have lost sight of him in the first half hour. The speed of the uncanny aerial craft was little short of miraculous. The chase that ensued dwelt in Lyon's mind for many a day after. He had indulged in more than one wild ride across country but he outvied his maddest efforts that morning. Like a flash the great automobile passed through the outskirts of Leeds, and on towards Selby. A bad puncture on the treacherous road beyond Hemingbrough delayed him a few minutes ; luckily his car was fitted with removable wheels, and he had a spare one handy. He lost sight of the airship during the halt, but followed the course towards the North Sea and came in view of it before Beverley was reached. It was close by Hornsea that the last act of the drama took place and it came with such suddenness as to stun even John Lyon. He had abandoned the motor, and stood watching the flying speck from the beach wondering whether it could be possible that Colegrave had =nough fuel to carry him over to the German coast. Far away as he was, a sound like the cracking of a bone came sharply to his cars ; the next instant the airship was seen to drop —down —down —down!— and with one tremendous splash vanished beneath the white-capped waves. Faint and far, a shrill scream drifted on the breeze—the deathcry of the being who had been to Bradford the Terror by Night. And with him went a secret of avia--fcion which might have revolutionised the world, for Denis Morrel could ciever after hear the word airship without a shudder, and his great invention was never re-constructed. Somewhere, perhaps forty fathoms deep, it rests in its slimy bed with a skeleton at the helm, never to be seen again by mortal eyes, until the sea gives up its dead J THE END.