The Gold Magnet

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 28, 26 April 1927, Page 16

The Gold Magnet

by

T.C. Bridges.

) Author of " The Whip Hand' 9 Price of Liberty/ 9 99 The Home Her Fathom/ 9 &c., 6rc.

•YNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS CHAPTERS L to ill. —a reroclous face, pressed against the window of a train, frightens a mysterious passenger, Stuart Egerton, 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. 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's cottage is held up by armed men CHAPTERS 111. to Vlll—Having no alternative, Bruce hands over the bag. After the interruption the two men reach Silvia’s home. When Bruce tells her of the robbery of the invention she says it is useless without the directions, which are in her possession. When Bruce is returning from a visit to Silvia Lurgan steps out of a wood. He proposes a half share in the new Gold Recovery Syndicate. 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 or Duggan, one of Lurgan’e heuchmen. Bruce sets out to make the raid on Lurgan's place single-handed. He forces iron bars apart and gets Kgerton’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 XX.—Bruce wakes up to find himself trapped. Lurgan renews his offer of a partnership and Bruce refuses though he 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. At the inquest the jury brings in a verdict of murder. Silvia 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. CHAPTER XXI. to XXIV.: Bruce comes up for trial. Lurgan gives his damning evidence. Bruce’s barrister tells the whole story of the magnet. The weak points In the defence are attacked and the jury brings in a verdict of guilty and Bruce is sentenced to 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. CHAPTERS XXV. .to XXIX: The conference of Lurgan, Orme, Grane and stroud has just decided that Silvia will have to be held in order that thev mav get the papers, when the others discover that Stroud is a fake. With the aid of a smoke-bomb, the masquerader —Colt—gets away. Silvia visits Bruce in prison and the engagement is celebrated while the warder turns his back. Lurgan renews his offer of assistance, Silvia’s refusal wins her the villain’s admiration. Afterwards she suggests that if he should find the witnesses of the robbery of the handbag, an arrangement might be come to. Lurgan says this is impossible. „£ H^ PTERS XXX. to. XXXV.—While motoring to Dartmoor, Siivla and Claude

help to save the life of Jack Trant, a warder at the gaol, who had fallen into a torrent. Lurgan again turns up and offers to arrange Bruce’s escape for a half share in the profits of the invention. Silvia consents and on the morning chosen for the escape, Colt arrives back from New York. Silvia and Colt watch the attempt. A gorse fire is started and a prisoner gets away in Lurgan’s car. But Bruce suddenly auuears In front of Silvia’s car. They are trying to find the way to Brim Tor when they see two men following them.

“They guessed that I took you,” said Silvia quickly. “That’s it, of course. And now what are we going to do?” she asked in dismay. “If they catch us they will insist on taking Bruce to Crooked Tor. Oh, why did I lose my way,” she moaned. Even Randolph had no answer and it was Bruce who spoke. “Never mind, Silvia. We must just go ahead as hard as we can. If we can reach that Tor over there before they get too near we can probably dodge them.” The three quickened their pace, but the ground was dreadful, and Siliva was beginning to tire. She again glanced back. “They are gaining fast,” she said unhappily. “Who are they, Bruce, can you tell?” “One is Stroud,” he answered. “I know him by the way he walks. The other looks like Oakes.” “We are sure up against it,” muttered Randolph, but too low for Silvia to hear. Silvia spoke again. “I am nearly sure tha£ is Brim Tor. The hiding place I chose is on the far side. If only we can get there before those horrible men catch us.” Randolph stopped short. “You two go on,” he said quietly. “I’ll stay and talk to- those gents.” Bruce shook his head. “Nothing doing, old man. If you stop so do I. Oakes I know is a gunman, and so, I believe, is Stroud.” “Talk sense, Bruce,” returned Randolph. “You’ve got no gun.” “I know that, but I’m blest if I am going to leave you alone against the two of them.” said Bruce doggedly, and Silvia added, “Of- course, we are not.” Randolph frowned. “You are crazy, the pair of you. We can’t run and you won’t let me fight. Looks to me like the only thing we can do it to take cover behind that mound there and parley.” At that moment a deep booming sound came to their ears. “Gosh, another thunder storm,” exclaimed Randolph “That may give us a chance.” “It can’t be thunder,” said Silvia. "The sky is quite clear.” The words were hardly out of her mouth before Randolph seized her and flung her flat on the soaking ground. At the same instant the air above was full of a rattling roar like that of a train crossing a bridge. The sound passed right over them, then came a thud followed by a shattering explosion, and not a hundred yards beyond the spot where they stood a vast fountain of black mud and great clouds rose fifty feet into the air. Randolph picked Silvia up. “Run,” he said urgently, and dragged her towards the mound. Even as they flung themselves down

in shelter there came a second crash from the distance, the same whizzing rattling sound, as before, and again a fearful explosion. “Shells!” gasped Randolph, “real big crumps. Gosh, have the Germans landed?” “It’s the artillery at Okehampton,” said Bruce quickly. “See they are firing from the hills over there to the north. We have wandered right on to the range.” Randolph glanced round with practised eye. He had been with the American gunners in the war. “We're fairly safe here unless they happen to pitch one straight on top of us. Where’s the target?” Bruce pointed. “Over there, about three hundred yards away.” Randolph whistled. “Too close to be pleasant. What do you say? Bo we shift?” “Better stay where we are. As you say, we're safe from anything except a direct hit. Are you scared, Silvia?” “Of course, I am,” replied Silvia, “but there’s one good thing, I expect those men of Lurgan’s will run away.” Two more shells came over, but these fell nearer to the target, that is, well behind the mound. Randolph crept out, then came quickly back. “They haven’t run,” he said grimly. “They are lying down right out in the open.” “Can’t the gunners see them?” asked Silvia. “What —at ten thousand yards! I guess not-” “Are they in uanger?” “Worse than we, anyhow. Lie low. Here they come again.” The firing was now becoming faster, and shells fell all over the place. One dropped so close that the explosion flung mud all over the little party, and the crash of the explosion nearly deafened them. So it went on for nearly an hour, as long an hour as any of them had known, and when it was over all three were feeling dazed and half-deaf. At last Randolph ventured to stand up. “Guess we can move on now,” he said. “But what about Lurgan’s men?” asked Bruce. “One’s still there. Can’t see the other.” He paused. “Yes, by thunder, I can see him now. He's half a mile away and running like smoke.” Bruce looked up. “Scared—?” he asked.

“Scared half to death,” replied Randolph. "All right, Bruce,” he went on curtly. “You stay here with Silvia. I’ll go and look at him.”

He went. He came back, and mere was a peculiar look on his hard-bitten fS.ce. “It’s Oakes, Bruce,” he said, “and he’s dead—very dead.” CHAPTER XXXVI.—A CHANGE OF IDENTITY. “Dead?” repeated Silvia, horrified. “Yes,” said Randolph, and paused. “I wish it had been Lurgan,” he added, frowning thoughtfully. “We had better walk on, had we not?” suggested Silvia in a low voice. “We shall be qute safe now in making for the cave.” “Wait,” said Randolph, and drew Bruce aside. Silvia, watching them, saw that Randolph was urging something on Bruce and that Bruce’s face showed horror and repulsion. But at last he seemed to yield, and came back to Silvia. “Silvia, dear,” he said, “please go to the other side of the mound and wait for us.” Silvia looked at him a moment, then nodded, and moved away. All she knew was that the other two went in the direction of the dead man. Time passed, which seemed long to Silvia, but was probably not more than ten minutes, then Bruce and Randolph were back. But now Bruce was wearing a suit of tweed, muddy, torn, and with some ominous red stains upon it. “Oh!” gasped Silvia. “It was horrible, but Randolph was right,” said Bruce. “The wretched man’s face is gone, and he is knocked all to pieces. When they find the body they will take it for mine.” Still Silvia did not speak, but her expression said more than words. “We just had to do it,” said Randolph, forcibly. “It’s the biggest chance ever. Don’t you see, once they believe Bruce is dead they stop chasing him.” “But Stroud knows,” said Silvia, in a low voice. “Of course he knows,” replied Randolph, “but he daren’t tell.” “He will tell Lurgan,” said Silvia. “That don’t matter,” insisted Randolph. “Don’t you see we’ve at last got the bulge on Lurgan? Though he will know that Bruce is alive he won’t know where to look for him, and he can’t go to the prison people and tell ’em that the dead man is a pal of his without their asking a lot of awkward questions which he can’t answer.” Still Silvia was not convinced. “Lurgan won’t give up as easily as that,” she insisted. “And in any case he still has the model.” “Maybe he won’t have it so very long,” said Randolph, and there was a queer glint of triumph in his eyes as he spoke. He took a worn leather wal-

let from his pocket. “We got this off Oakes,” he added, “and there’s a heap of valuable stuff in it. Among it an address which we reckon is this secret address of Lurgan’s.”

“ Where the magnet is hidden?*’ asked Silvia, eagerly. “I guess so. Any way, I’m not going to waste a lot of time before finding out. Just as soon as ever Bruce is safe in this Brim Tor place I’m hiking up to London, and I reckon to make a better job at burgling than Bruce did.’* He grinned affectionately at Bruce as he spoke. Silvia’s face brightened. “It does sound hopeful,” she allowed. “Then the sooner we get Bruce into safety the better.” “You bet!” agreed Randolph. “This place is sure too open to be healthy. I’ll breathe a lot freer when Bruce is safe in his cave and you and I back at Powder Mills.” “I am sure it is not far,” said Silvia. “I have been studying the lie of the land, and I am fairly certain that is Brim Tor over there. Let us be moving.” All three felt happier when they were off the open table-land and in a sheltered valley. They were happier still when Silvia pointed to a big pile of granite and said that now she was sure she was right. There was Brim Tor, and the hiding-place was in the rock face below it. “The mouth is in that thick patch of gorse,” she explained, and she led the way up the steep ascent. A few minutes, and they were standing at the mouth of a low-roofed tunnel running straight, into the hillside. “Say, but this took some finding,” said Randolph, admiringly. “It was just luck,” said Silvia, simply. “Jack Trant told me there was an old mine up here, but I had almost given it up when I stumbled on the entrance. But it’s a horrid place, Bruce,” she added. “So damp and cold, and you won’t be able to light a fire.” “My dear, what do I care?” laughed Bruce. “To be free of the ghastly prison routine is happiness enough. I shall be out here in the gorse when the sun shines and be quite content to wait until you can get me away.” “Here is your food,” said Silvia, “and two blankets and a little spirit stove and a couple of books. It is not much but all I could manage to carry.” Bruce caught her in his arms and kissed her. “You wonderful girl, I shall never cease thanking all my stars that I met you.”

Silvia kissed him back, and drew away, blushing. “Randolph-” she re-

monstrated, “you are not half so polite as the warder at Pentonville. You did not turn your back.’* “Ah, but he was a married man/* chuckled Randolph. “I’m a bachelor and still willing to learn. Now kiss him good-bye, because we’ve got to go, I reckon, to catch the evening train out of Tavistock.” Silvia hated leaving Bruce, and was very silent as she and Randolph tramped back together. They were lucky enough to get back without running into anyone at all. But warders had visited the farm, and Airs. Trant and Clara were bubbling over with suppressed excitement. “All is well, Airs. Trant,” Silvia told her, “but I have no time now to tell you. I am going to drive Air. Colt to Tavistock. I shall be home for supper.” Warders were on the bridge at Two Bridges and all cars were being stopped and searched. But Silvia was much relieved to find that she was apparently not under suspicion. She and Randolph were allowed to proceed without being questioned, and she managed to reach Tavistock Station in time for Randolph to catch the evening train. “I guess I had better not wire,” were his last words at parting, “but just as soon as I’ve got the bag I’m coming right back.” “And if you fail to get it?” asked Silvia. Randolph shrugged. “I’ll come back anyway, and help get you and Bruce abroad. But don’t think of failure. This is our turn, I reckon.” Silvia was dead tired when she got back, but before going to bed she had to satisfy Airs. Trant’s curiosity. Airs. Trant listened breathlessly to the story of Bruce’s escape. “You’ve done fine, miss,” she declared. “I reckon when they find the body they’ll just give up the search.” “Have they found the other man?” asked Silvia. “No, they never got him, miss. From what I’ve heard, he got away in the car by himself. They found the car down near Saltash, and they reckon he’s hiding in Plymouth. Now you get to bed, Aliss Silvia. You’re all worn out.” In spite of her- anxieties Silvia slept right through the night and woke rather stiff, but otherwise well. That day dragged dreadfully. She did not dare go up to see Bruce, and she had no heart to do anything else. Warders were still out in every direction, but there was no news until the evening, when Jack Trant came in to tell them that the body had been found on the

Range. “It’s all right, Aliss Silvia,” he told her. “They think it’s Air. Carey’s, and it’ll be buried as such. They’re bringing in the warders from the Moor.” “I am very glad of that,” said Silvia. “Tell you another thing, Aliss Silvia,” went on Jack. “There’s a fog coming up to-night. I reckon you’ll be safe to go to Brim Tor to-morrow if you want to.” . (To be Continued.) New Name for Palmerston North.— Further reference to the proposal to change the name of Palmerston North to Atanawatu was made at the monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on Friday, which body, following a discussion, decided to draw up a petition to be circulated for signature among the business people of the town, asking the Government to make the change as suggested.