The Gold Magnet

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 24, 20 April 1927, Page 14

The Gold Magnet

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T.C. Bridges.

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SYNOPSIS OP PREVIOUS CHAPTERS CHAPTERS L to Hi.—a reroclous face, pressed against the window of a train, frightens a mysterious passenger, Stuart Egerton, who is interested in Malayan tin mines, and just afterwards, the train is wrecked. Bruce Carey gets Egerton out of the wreck, but the man Is dying He gets Bruce to promise that he will deliver a bag, which contains an invention, to his daughter. Silvia, who holds the key. A pitiless enemy, James Lurgan, who has ruined Bruce’s half-brother, also wants the invention. Bruce finds an American friend, Randolph Colt. The motor in which they are travelling to Silvia’n cottage is held up by armed men CHAPTERS 111. to V.—Having no alternative, Bruce hands over the bag containing the invention. After the inter ruption the two men reach Silvia’s home When Bruce tells her of the robbery of the invention entrusted to him she says it is useless without the directions, which are in her possession. He vows to recover it from Lurgan. Bruce’s halfbrother, Claude Bryston, goes to a gambling house near Hyde Park, and Bruce follows. After some sharp practice on the part of a man Crane and an accomplice Stroud, there are heated words and a fight. CHAPTERS VI. to TIX3.—A rough-and-tumble of four men against two Claude wakes up suddenly and comes to the rescue of his brother’s friend. The final victory is with Carey and Colt. Bruce tells his brother about Egerton and Lurgan, and adds that Claude is to keep out of it. The next day Bruce travels down to Mortimer, where Silvia dwells, to attend Egerton’s funeral Afterwards he goes to Deeping Cottage He expresses his anxiety about Silvia's future, and she assures him that she has an independency, inherited from her mother. Bruce gives her Colt's idea as to what Lurgan Is likely to do, then takes leave as he intends walking back to Reading. On the way Lurgan steps out of a wood and joins him. He proposes a half share in the new Gold RecoverySyndicate. Bruce tells him that he would sooner go into partnership with the devil. CHAPTERS IX. to XIII.—A strategic step is made by Claude, who cultivates the friendship of Duggan, one of Lurgan’s henchmen, and finds out where Lurgan lives. A raid on the villain’s house Is contemplated. At. Silvia’s invitation. Bruce goes to Reading to look through her father’s papers and he makes the discovery that his one desire is to “take tier in his arms and never leave her.’ Then he sets out to make the raid on Lurgan’s place, single-handed; and in the dusk arrives at Friar’s Bank. The old mansion is forbidding, but Bruce forces iron bars apart and gets Egerton’s bag from the strong room. The burglary is discovered and Bruce is pursued and shot at. He trips on an obstacle and becomes unconscious. CHAPTERS XIV. to XVII.: Bruce wakes up to find himself trapped; they have been waiting for his attempt to rob the house. Lurgan renews his offer of a partnership and Bruce refuses until he

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is threatened with imprisonment not only for burglary but for manslaughter, our hero having knocked down and killed a man who tried to stop him from escaping. Subjected to strong temptation. Bruce almost gives In and accepts cne partnership. But finally he tells Lurgan that he can do his worst, and the villain immediately starts to do it. Meanwhile Claude Bryson calls in a lawyer friend of fils. Newspapers broadcast the “robbery and murder" and the friends of Bruce, the lawyer Hammond, Colt and Bryson, are conferring on how they can get him out of the mess. CHAPTER XVIII TO XX.: The day of the inquest on the man who was killed by Bruce arrives. The friends of Bruce are pinning ther faith to the testimony of Silvia. At the last moment a report comes in that her car has met with an accident. Lurgan and others give evidence and the jury, without retiring, brings in a verdict of murder. Bruce is remanded for trial at the Assizes. Silvia, shaken by the accident, is in her bed when Lurgan calls. He says that the only chance of saving Bruce is to form a partnership of the three of them Though Silvia feels the hypnotic power of Lurgan she refuses his offer after receiving a letter from Bruce. CHAPTER XXI. to XXIV.: Bruce comes up for trial. Lurgan gives his damning evidence and Oakes is called. He admits that there was a delay In ringing for the police after the death was discovered. Bruce’s barrister tells the whole story of the magnet, the train accident, the hold-up and the attempted robbery, and evidence is given. The weak points in the defence are attacked and the jury brings in a verdict of seven years' penal servitude. Silvia bears up bravely and all Bruce’s friends decide to do their utmost to get him released. If they could find the man who stole the bag they realise that he would be a great help. The ex-henchman of Lurgan's, Duggan, is anxious to atone for his misdeeds and he tells Colt that Lurgan’s gang meets at Duke’s Gate each week. CHAPTERS XXV. to XXIX: The conference of Lurgan, Orme, Grane and Straud has just decided that Silvia will have to be held in order that they may get the papers, when the others discover that Stroud is a fake. With the aid of a smoke-bomb, the masquerader gets away. Silvia visits Bruce in prison and though he is condemned to gaol for seven years, he has enough courage to tell her he loves her. The engagement is celebrated while the warder turns his back. Colt goes to New’ York. Silvia while out motoring gets a puncture and Lurgan comes on the scene, and renews his offer of assistance. Her refusal w’ins her the villain's admiration. Afterwards, Lurgan and suggests that if he should find t'he witnesses of the robbery of the Silvia arranges another meeting w r ith handbag, an arrangement might be come to. Lurgan says this is impossible. Claude and Silvia are motoring down to Dartmoor, where Bruce is imprisoned when they see a woman trying to get a pony out of a bog. "Where from?” demanded Claude. “Up to Powder Mills. You go quarter mile up road, then turn right-handed through a gate into a newtake. The road takes ee straight to my house. Trant be mv name. You call for my son. he’ll bring the rope.” “Right.” said Claude, and rushed back to the road. “It’s lucky he got that there car,”

said Mrs. Trant. “The water’s rising sharp.” -, , “I see it is,” said Silvia, “but he won’t be long. There, he’s off.” Claude was off, and the pace at which he travelled up the slope spoke equally for the car and its driver. Silvia turned her attention to the pony. It was a nice-looking beast, but the terror in its starting eyes made Silvia miserable. “Can’t we do anything to help it?” she begged. “Not ‘without a rope, Miss,” was the answer. “Hers properly stugged. you see, when the weather came on bad I went to fetch Peg in, and she seed me across the brook and came galloping like she always does. If she had crossed twenty paces further up ’twould have been all right, but she ran right into the mire.” The next five minutes were the longest Silvia had ever known. The rain lashed down, and the water rose remorselessly. Mrs. Trant did not speak and the dumb despair on her pleasant face went to Silvia’s heart. At last she heard the hoot of the car’s Klaxon. “Here he is,” she. cried in deep relief. “And Jack with him. Thanks be,” said Mrs. Trant. The car pulled tip, and Claude and a frank-facecl, sticky young fellow of twenty-three o# four, came splashing down the bank. ’ Jack Trant was carrying two planks and Claude a big coil of rope. Without a word Jack laid the planks out into the water. “Hold em, Maister,” he said to Claude, but it took both Claude and Silvia to steady them against the furious rush of the peat brown torrent. Taking the rope Jack Trant stepped out on the planks and so got alongside the pony where, standing waist-deep in the icy flow, he ran two coils round Peg’s body and made fast: then as he straightened himself either a plank turned under his feet or else he lost his balance. He fell outwards and was instantly swept away. CHAPTER XXX.—SILVIA FINDS FRIENDS. With a scream of “Oh, Jack!” the boy’s mother plunged forward, and Claude caught her just in time to save her from sharing her son’s fate. “Steady!” he said sharply, but the poor woman struggled so frantically it was all he could do to help her. Silvia, meantime, had flung off her

coat, and was running hard downstream. She had been quick to see that, just beyond, the stream took a sharp turn to the right, and that at the turn the flow, checked by a rocky bank, spun in a wheeling pool. As she raced for his point she saw Jack Trant’s arm rise above the yellow foam. He was right out in the middle, and being whirled like a straw in the roaring tumble of the torrent. By this time Claude had managed to quiet Mrs. Trant, and he and she followed hard after Silvia. But Silvia reached the bend before them, and as she reached it saw young Trant being swept towards the inner side of the sharp curve. She saw, too, that a big broom bush grew on the steep bank. Its roots were far under water, but the green top waved above the roaring flow. Without an instant’s hesitation she flung herself over the bank, and seizing the tough stems with her left hand, let herself slide forward. In a moment she was up to her shoulders, and, good swimmer as she was, the icy cold of the water made her gasp for breath. Although a rock, projecting on her right, broke the full force of the torrent, yet the suck was fearful. But this she hardly noticed, for all her energies were concentrated on the dark object swinging in the eddy just in front. It drifted inwards, and Silvia grasped at it, but a wheeling swirl caught it and spun it away. Despair clutched at Silvia’s heart, for she knew that this was the last chance of rescue. Once the flood swung the boy out of the pool he would be hurled down the roaring sluice-way to her left, and pounded to pieces on the great granite boulders rising on either side. Reckless of her safety, she strained forward, and then a new freak of the current twisted Jack’s body inwards, and her clutching fingers met his collar. She pulled with all her strength, but the rush of water dragged him away again, and she herself was drawn outwards with fearful force. The bush held, but her head was pulled right under, and she felt as if she was being torn in two; With a last effort she managed to get her head up. “Claude,” she cried feebly, and in the nick of time Claude’s hands seized her by the shoulders and drew her back. “Get Jack up first,” she gasped. “He is insensible. I can hold on.” How Claude managed it she did not

know, but somehow he and Jack’s mother between them drew the boy out of the raging pool, and then Silvia too was dragged up the bank. She tried to stand, but her legs gave way under her. She dropped in a heap on the dripping grass, and, for the first time in her life, fainted dead away. The next thing - of which Silvia was conscious was a feeling of warmth, delicious after the chill of the freezing waters and the bitter wind. For a while everything was hazy. She wa; aching all over, and far too tired and weak to open her eyes. After a time she became conscious of voices, and by degrees she began to wake up, and to wonder vaguely where she was, and what had happened. “She’s coming round,” said a voice close by her. “Bring the milk, quick, Ada.” Silvia opened her eyes, to find herself in bed, in a small, low-roofed room, poorly furnished, but beautifuly clean. Through an open door opposite showed the comfortable glow of a peat fire burning in a great stone hearth. Between the bed and the door stood Mrs. Trant, and next moment a girl of about 15 ran to her, carrying a steaming cup. With this in her hand Mrs. Trant came across to Silvia, and, stooping, slipped an arm around her. “Can ee drink this, miss?” she asked coaxingly. “Of course I can,” replied Silvia, but as the other put the cup to her lips she stopped. “Jack!” she exclaimed. “Your boy—is he all right?” “Yes, thanks to you, miss. If it had not been for you ” her voice broke, and a hard shiver shook her. “I am so thankful I was in time,” said Silvia. “He will never forget it, miss, nor I,” said Mrs. Trant, with deep earnestness, and Silvia flushed, then smiled. “Take the milk,”- begged. Mrs. Trant. “It will do ee good.” Silvia drank. “That is splendid,” she said, smiling again. Then she looked up. “But the pony?” she asked. “I had forgotten for the moment. Was it saved?” “Indeed it was, miss. Jabez Cocker and his son came along just in time, and got her out. But it was all your doings and the gent’s.” “And now I suppose we are in your house?” asked Silvia, anxious to change the subject. “Yes, miss, this be Powder Mills Farm, and be sure you’re kindly welcome. Mr. Bryson, he have put the

car in the cartshed, and he and you can stay as long as you’ve a mind to.” Silvia smiled up at the kindly face above her. “You had better not make rash offers, Mrs. Trant. I might take you at your word and stay too long.” “The longer ee stay the better us will be pleased, miss,” said the good woman earnestly. “I came to Dartmoor to find lodgings,” said Silvia. “I expect to be here for some time. Can you really put me up?” “If so be you can put up with our poor place, miss.” “I call it a delightful place,” ’declared Silvia. “How far is it from Princetown?” “Four miles, miss, and no shop nearer.” “I don’t want shops,” said Silvia, and paused. Perhaps Mrs. Trant saw the flicker of pain in the girl’s eyes. “See here, miss,” she said firmly, “you’ve no call to be talking this way after what you’ve been through. You just go to sleep for a bit, and when you wake up I’ll have a nice cup of tea ready for you.” “That sounds perfectly delightful,” said Silvia, and obediently closed her eyes. She was really quite exhausted, and it was past four in the afternoon when she woke, feeling much refreshed and better in every way. She had her tea, then got up and dressed, and went into the living-room, to find Claude lazing in a big old armchair, and talking to Clara Trant. He jumped up as Silvia appeared. “My dear girl,” he exclaimed, “ought you to be up? But you look splendid. Ice baths seem to agree with you. This is Clara Trant,” he added, “she and I are great friends.” “I am Jack’s sister,” said Clara, greeting Silvia, with shining eyes. “Jack, he has gone up to the prison, but he wanted me to/ say how grateful he was to you for pulling him out, miss.” “You don’t mean to say that Jack has gone to the prison after being so nearly drowned?” exclaimed Silvia. “Oh, he’s strong, miss; besides, he had to go. He’s just took on as assistant warder.” A queer thrill shot through Silvia. Jack Trant a warder! And it was a warder above all people with whom she had been longing to get into touch. It did seem as if things were shaping wonderfully for her. The weather had mended in the sud-

den way it has on Dartmoor, and when a little later Claude suggested driving up to Princetown Silvia readily agreed. As the car climbed the long slope past the West Dart, Silvia caught sight of tall, factory-like buildings close under the grey mass of Hessary Tor. “Is that the prison?” she asked in a low voice, and Claude answered “Yes.” (To be continued.)