CHAPTER XLV. HOW THE TRAP WAS SPRUNG.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 386, 20 July 1889, Page 6

CHAPTER XLV. HOW THE TRAP WAS SPRUNG.

At a rapid glance round the room, Wat noticed, that the two windows weie closed, and protected by cross-bars of wood re' cenfcly nailed up. The only occupant of the room was as burly and unprepossessing; a ruflian as ever Wat had seen. ' ,/ Wat's conductor, on seeing Wat in the room, shub the door, and, as the lattor's quick ear cold him, turned the key. A careless look around told him also that the key had been removed from the door. The big ruffian smiled in a scornful fashion as he looked at Wat's fresh, boyish face ; and Wat smiled on noting the smile of the other. It might be that he was going to have a severe tussle, but he had no tear of the final result. , The air of the man who had brought him there was a sight worth seeing. He was in his element now, and Ins manner said so.

His swnggec was the very personification of insolence and braggadocia, dnd it was he ■wfio broke the silcnqe. • " ' 'This is the gent who is the friend of young liorwitz.' • [a this the rmin,'' asked Wat, ' who knows about'my friend?' ' 'I' suppose 1 '! am,' answered the big ruffian, in an indescribably-jeering tone. ' What, is your price for telling me the particulars oLhis kidnapping?' ' The price ? What is the price, eh, Gaspavd?' , , Tho big ruffian addressed himself to Wat's conductor. •Oh, come, Jacques, let's have no nonsenso about thiy. Toll the covo -what he's tv) expect.' /. - . "' ' I tell him ? Talking isn't my forte. You tell him, and I'll sit hcie and laugh.' Wat turned from one to" the other with an air of wonderment and said, sharply; ' This won't do. Either tell me at once whaovl came hero 'to know, or V\l' go out and hand you both over to 'the police, •!,■! am not to bo trilled with.' 'Ha, ha! Ho, ho!' roared Jacques.. ' Fle'll hand us over to the police ! Oh ! my !' And the big fellow, with a keen appreciation ot the joke, rolled over on the bed ' The time for that is gone by, my pictty lad,' haid Ga&pard. l You won't Liouble the polico veiy much from now on-, and so you may as well know at once ' •What.! Would jou daie to keep mo a prisoner ?' cried Wat. ' Daio ? Oh, well, it kind o' frighten? us to think of it, but I guess we'll have to do it,' shouted Jacques, in gicat enjoyment 01 the whole a {Fair. 'You would not kill meV' demanded Wat, \vitn c\cry appeal anco of fright. 'Oh, wouldn't we, though/ Don't put too much money on that, or you might lose it. 1 „ , " Jacques was evidently getting a vast deal of fun out of tlite. ' * As lor Gaspaid, he was disgusted, and gave expression to his feelings. ' A nice detective you aroj ;fco let yourself bo caughc like this.' - „', 'Oh, 1 ciied Wat, chawing "near to Gaspaid, 'you don't look as cruel as this J other gentleman ; please don't be rough.' At this, delivered in Wat.'s mpst boyish manner, Jacques fairly 'screamed with i laughter. But of a sudden he stopped .laughi'ig and sprang to his feet wibh u*i oath. Wat, being near enough to Gaspare!, had let fly one of his lists, and, without a word, that flabby lascal had fallen like a log to tho floor, Then, with lightning rapidity, Wat had turned towards Jacques, to see him spring to his feet and, alter a moment's pause, ru&h at him. ' r ." , •_~ This suited Wat excellently. He had his own -reasons for not wishing to attract the attention of ..outsiders. Jacques must have been moved by something of the .same ioeling^for' he made no Attempt to draw a weapon, but lushed at Wat as if "to annihilate him by a blow of his ponderous fist. • '"' Pcihaps, too, Jacques was so confident in his own strength that ; . he- -disdained to employ anything else with such a boy. He must -in that case ha^vo bean fonsiderablv surprised, a moment later, to be met w.ith a blow that sent him lecling backward almost to the bed. Learning caution. he--gl'otjnd out an oath, and warily approached bis antagonist. Wat realised by the effect of his blow that he had no ordinary man to /deal with, for any other would have gone clown befoie his fist like a stricken ox. 'Aha!' t-aicl Jacques, jeeiingly, 'the little boy scratches does he ?' , ' Yes, ho .scratches,' answered Wat, not taking his eyes off the man circling around him, looking for an opening where lie could take him unawares. ,Wat saw in an instant that the man was a practised wrestler, and he determined to give him a tempting opening. He did so, and wibh a low cry of triumph, Jacques sprang at him with an agility altogether unusual in so bulky a man. Wat had no trotion of wrestling, however, and ' with an agility greater than Jacques, he loaped aside and delivered a blow under tho ruffian's ear. Nothing' 1 more was needed to bring that fracas tb 'an end. , ■ , Jacques 'went down like a huge lump of lead, and lay there senseless. - <u Wat went around for something to tie the two men witlV, and* seeing nothing' Setter, toio up a dirty sheet tint was on tho bed, and made fcliom both secure wiUi thai. Then he searched them, and finding nothing of any \alue to him, seated hinibelt on the bed and waited lor consciousness to return. (ia«pard was the first to move, and Jacques was not long in follow ing his example, b'^ing, probably, more used to hard knocks. (Jaspard made a feeble attempt, and Jacques a \iolcnt one, to get heo, and then they both sullenly subsided. 'The little boy sccnisi to know how to scratch,' said Wiit, quietly. Gaspaul essayed an ingiatiating laugh at this, but Jacques only uttered an oath. 1 Now, then, boys,' said Wat, ' wo understand cacli other much better than we did.' Again Jacques tried to bieak his bonds, but unavailingly. 'No use to sbiuggle,' s,aid Wat, pleasantly. ' If 1 had my hands' 6ub of here for five minute^ ! growled Jasqucs. ' Weil, if you had, what* would you do .'' ' I'd do something-.' '•'"' 'Would' you, though? Well, thoie's nothing like giving .vpian a- fair chance, Try it again then." With these words, Wat*, first removing a knife and piibol fiom tho pocket ot the man, unloosed his bond I*.1 *. * " 5 'Now,' he weni, on, 'J will put your weapons on tho bed, fyid my own too, -.0 that theio will be no ehurneo of unfair play, and we can do it all o\ or again. . TCeady !' The coolness and caielessness of Wat did more than even his knock down blow bo overawe bbcruflmn. •„ t > r<; • .Jacques uttered) endlpss oaths under his breath, and shifted awkwardly .ahout tiie room, but made no move towards renewing the fight. ; ' Well,' said 'Wat, ''aVo you going to stand there all day thinking: how to do me iip,' or arc you trying to ! make me tako the first action ?' .' Go on yourself. Blamed if I Know what yo.u'lo up to.' h 'Very well,' said Wat,' * if I must I will.' Aud without a moment's hesitation he walked up to Jacques and baking a good nock hold before the other could stop him, whirled him over his head in a positively vicious manuer. Down the follow came with all his bulk wibh an awful thud on tho floor. • Will that do ?' demanded Wat, ' or do you want more?' Jacques, it is safe to say, was as much bewildered by Wat's extraordinary coolness as by the fall he had had. He got up, rubbed tho dust off his dirty .clothed mechanically, and then blurted out : ' What kind of a fellow are you, anyhow V • Just a little scratching boy ; a detective who doesn't understand his business, as our l'riond Ouapnrcl tho.ro says.'

' Gaspard be blowed ! What kind of a plant is .this anyhow ?' AyS this remark seemed to bo addressed t,o the luckless Gaspard, he answered it sheepishly enough : ' 1 didn't know he was such a terror !' ' Well, you oughber known. I'm done with you, boss, and if you're willing I'll cry quits.' •I'm not willing. [ think you and I can do some work together.' ' ' What kind of work V 'The same kind you've just been trying bo do.' ' How so ?' 'You were hired to pub me out of the way.' ' Only for a while, unless you gob crusty.' ' And then you were to slit my woazand, eh ?' -» Must thai." ' You were pretty v.'ell paid for it, wcien't you f ' You're right, we were.' ' Who did the negotiating ?' ' Gaspard.' ' LJnbio him, will you, and we will talk this thing over. I think 1 can show you how you can make a little money without any lisn at all. Would you like that V' ' Try us and see.' • Was it the man or the woman you talked v» i till . Gaspard ?' • A woman. I don't know any man in the afiair. ' ' Do yon know hor name ?' ' I .s'po-50 1 might as well give the whole thing away, Jacques ?' ' Give it away? Ye?. 1 1 Her name was the Counters Alma^ol), a Russian princess.' ' Do you know anything about the man I\an Hoi wit/- you talked to me about?' 'Not a thing.' ' Were you going to report to her about this thing ?' •Yes, this afternoon.' ' Where?' " 'At her house.' ' Have you been paid ?' •Only halt.' - ' You shall be paid all, and lots more, if you will work under my direction. What do you say, Jacques?' 'Anything, you-iike. I'm agreeable to it.' ' Very well, then. Gaspard, you will please to meet me here at bay two o'clock this afternoon.' 'I will.' ' And don't move out of here until afterl havo been here. 1 ' Why not ?' ' Don't ask questions, eh, Jacques ? If I pay I ought bo havo the ,^ay.' 'You're right.' ' Bub it seems to — ' began Gaspard, when Jacques broke in : ' Shut up, Gaspard ! After the way you've mulled this here other thing, you'd better hold your jaw.' Gaspard, in the language of Jacques, thereupon ' held his jaw.' And Wat, bowing politely to Jacques, went out, first asking Gaspard for the key.