CHAPTER XXXIII. VICTOR AND VANQUISHED.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 130, 28 November 1885, Page 6

CHAPTER XXXIII. VICTOR AND VANQUISHED.

As Robert Hood's messenger to the telegraph office rode madly past the wood in which Bilsy had murderously awaited Detective I inter's approach', the two men lay upon the ground locked in a deadly embrace, and the last struggles of a terrible conflict. Both kept silence as the rider shot by. Both naturally feared a call might bring another adversary upon the scene. At the moment victory was hanging in the balance. Linter was fighting for bis life, Bil3y for possessions far beyond his wildest hopes. But might was with the right. Linter at last pinned his exhausted foe to the ground by a knee that kept its place till a stout cord had rendered further struggles useless. That done, he placed the fellow in an upright position against a tree. " What are you going to do with me ?" asked Bilsy, sullenly, glowering through the darkness at Linter's face. "Nothing," said Linter. "As you can be of no particular use to me I shall leave you sitting here, and to the task of freeing yourself at your leisure. I have made the cord just tight enough to insure my own safety and your ultimate liberty. " When you have regained it go back to Langdon Abbey and tell your master I know you to be his agent. I saw you receive your late instructions from him, and recognise your voice as that of the man whose acquaintance I made in the park this morning." : He turned, and, followed by Bilsy's fearful maledictions, pushed through the wood to the highway. There he set his disordered attire to rights, after which he pursued his way to the village. Arrived at the Langdon Arms, he found a telegram that speedily put Bilsy out of his mind. . , ■, It was from one of his subordinates in London. ■ . -•' >v^< i> ■

,'tiifi iit'tJ.u »r _r ill UtJ .' u t<y;'|". ,-j < It contained the following words : , A' A diamond.*, fiav^gogw 16 trutjti, out of him. Your suspicions correct." His largo, heavy-lidded eyes glowing With exoitement; : Lihter snatched up his hat and 'was hastening j< out again, when the landlady of the Arms suddenly entered and gave voioe to a ory of dismay, * r " And you're off aeain,Mr tanning 1" she ejaculated dolorously-, /' and as nice ; a brile o* birds and hot muifins nigh ready as ever you set teeth J in. And then, not a bite have you took -since breakfast. You'll have no digestion, < sir, if you ain't more reg'lar," . l.inter, holding the door knob, listened and answered good-naturedly : "Just keep it warm for me, Mrs Day," he nodded. " I'll be back in a trice. The supper, * I mean,- not the digestion," he concluded, laughing, as he shut the door. Mrs Day laughed too. " As joky an' agreeable a one as ever put up at the Langdon Arms," she chuckled to herself. " The brile shall be all right." Linter went direct to the railway station, The station was beyond the village, but on his arrival he found, to his great satisfaction, that the' telegraph office was still open. Making no delay, he quickly penned three despatches. The first was to the subordinate in London, and ran briefly : " Bring him at once, and two for the our pose. " Lanning." The others -were addressed respectively to Cyril Chesney and Solicitor Gibbs, and bore to each a cautiously urgent summons which he knew-would result in the arrival of both by the early morning train. "You're in luck," growled the operator, churlishly, as Linter handed the clips over. "If it hadn't been for waiting an answer to an Abbey message, you'd have had your labour for your pains. We shut up early most times, there being nothing to do after the evening train's in and out » | Linter made one of his pleasant rejoinders, waited till the despatches were off, and then, eauntering lazily to the stove, sat j down to warm his bands. At the same moment the door was flung roughly open, and a tall, wiry young man entered. The plain Langdon livery proclaimed him an Abbey servant. He strode up to the operator. "That infernal answer in yet?" he demanded. "No — Yes!" returned the operator, in widely diff9rent tones. With the last word the ticking began. The servant waited inimpatienteagerness. Linter listened in motionless attention. His hat slouched low, and his intent gaze fixed on the floor, Linter appeared absorbed in the one act of warming his outspread hands. In fact, he was reading tbe message by sound As the door closed upon the gratified footman he rose and left the office juet in time to seethe fellow galloping off toward the Abbey road. He paused on the platform with heavilyknitted brows. " George May !" he muttered. " George May ! — I know George May's parsed better than most people. What can his Lordship want with him ? Why should this reverend gentleman, of doubtful probity, be telegraphing that he will be at Langdon's service for one hour tomorrow morning ?" He stood, regardless of the sharp December wind, revolving the morning scene at the Abbey, and carefully weighing the few words he had overheard at the library door. When he presently moved on it was at a much slower pace than would have comported with good Mrs Day's ideas. Indeed, that estimable person was on the verge of distraction, when he at length appeared at the Langdon Arms. But Linter -did justice to the really excellent meal with such laughing good nature and appreciation that her housewifely heart was comforted. Supper disposed of, he reflectively smoked a couple of cigars and then retired for the night. "To-morrow," he thought, as he laid his head on the pillow— "to-morrow the net will close, and the problem of that lovely girl's wild words be fully solved." In five minutes he was asleep. He slept well after the wearing labours of the day. But all at once in the dread, dead silence of the night, he woke. He was suffocating. A hand was on his throat— a voice in his ear. Both were Bilsy's. "I might," hissed the villain, leaping upon the recumbent, struggling form— "l might a-sent you on your journey without a good-bye, but I just wanted you to know it's me ! I ain't a man as allows himself to be circumvented, you see. So -take that I" The long, slender dirk, with which he had armed himself before leaving the Abbey, descended, and, in the twinkling of an eye, smote downward with a relentless ferocity that sunk it to the hilt. A medley of sounds followed : A wild, dying Bhriek ; a wild outcry of terrified voices ; a thunder of clattering feet, and then the bursting door .that disclosed a horrible scene of violence and death. The corpse or the bed, and the long ladder, showing above the sill of the open window, told all.