The Colonel's Enemy.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3161, 13 April 1909, Page 2

The Colonel's Enemy.

CHAPTER XXXll.—Continued. "How would it do to take Dr. Baracocrci by surprise?" Mr Dakin laughed. "You could never do it, sir. He pretends that he does not understand ten words of English, and his interpreter, an assistant doctor, knows just when not to be in the way. As for anything wrong, the chances are that he can show proper authority for all that he has done; and the only nan to get the colonel out in the usual way is the man who put him in." CHAPTER XXXIII. RICHARD DAKIN'S PLAN. , It took Maj. Lugard some time to decide upon his course of action, fettered as he was by conflicting interests on every side, and by the necessity of secrecy, deprived of Athol De Vigne's valuable counsel just when he was in most need of it. "I must make St. Hilary's safety my first consideration," the soldier said to himself; "when that is assured I can take De Vigne into my confidence, and not before. And if I find that Mr Dacre is guilty, I shall not be inclined to spare him."

He would not admit it even now, in spite of the condemnatory evidence that crowded in with every moment he gave to the thinking of it. He had never experienced any specia) liking for the man, but Lugard had admired and trusted him; and now he was lost in wonder at the bare possibility that this model citizen and neighbour, the noble philanthropist in public, and the generous j helper of his kind in private, could j be such a treacherous miscreant, such a living lie, as this cruel conduct to Dora's father would make him. "I will not believe it yet," the major said mentally; "it seems incredible ; to love the girl as he does, j for there is no pretense in that, and keep her father out of the way. in danger, perhaps, of his life or reason, would be the act of a monomaniac or a fiend; and though I cling to my faith in him,' every- ! thing points to him as the guilty one. I thought it strange when Mrs Dacre made that promise to Dora, after her interview with him. She j must have known the truth even ; then." | He was anxious for the morning to come. A bed had been improvised for Richard Dakin in Ditton's room, Dakin having told him honestly th rt '; he could not promise to keep sober it they lost sight of him; but after a good night's rest, and with the pios- J pect of a liberal reward before him, he rose in the morning with his nerves much steadier and the fatal craving considerably diminished; and j when he went out to call upon Dr. j JBaracocci, he gave the major his ! proimse, as a soldier and a man, that be not touch a drop of ajeohol till St. Hilary was at liberty. "Remember," Lugard said to him, "a hundred pounds when I know that he is safe, and five hundred when he is free. You know now what depends upon your fidelity and watch iullness. "I know St better than you do, sir. | -"irpose jvjas .suspected, some If my ugly acciue. * tave m idea how • pen to me. You -in WHrejjting j ingenious they are vetfiti 9t accidents if they want to _ "**k>as I a. troublesome patient or an obi.. j e P er «" . , T U 1,1 "But they run some risk, I should think, especially with a keeper, who must know some secrets of the prison house." 1 U Uo-I "So he does. But who would believe him? The principal or the manager gives him a bad name, bay that he drank, and most keepers do; then whatever the man may say is put down to malice of a discharged aervaut; and if the visitors do go to the house or the asylum, whichever j it may be, everything is prepared for ( them. Thev have the piano going, see flowers in every room, and in the garden the patients and attendants are walking about together like a happy family at a picnic. You have no idea what power a kind word from a keeper has over a pr.tient; the patients are so depe:.uti.t, poor things, you may be knocking them about, I mean spealiog roughly, one moment, and frightening them out of what little sense they have, and then a pleaasnt word makes it all forgotten." "And these visitors, can they go into any house or asylum at any moment?"

"Yes, sir, if they like to take the trouble. But what ia the use when everything can be arranged for th*>m in less time that it takes for the lodgekeeper to open the gate? There are three visitors at fifteen hundred a year each, besides six commissioners at thejsame salary, and two masters with more, to say nothing of the clerks and others. And yet, when a patient dies under doubtful circumstances, and art inquiry is held, nothing comes of it. It's about as much use as a coroner's inquest, and that ought to have been abolished years ago." "There is more in this man than I thought there was," the major reflected; "it was a singularly fortunats chance which threw him in my way." !••■-• "If you regain your position," he said, "you will let mo know." "I will come straight back, sir. I intend to be very humble, and take anything they like to offer me. When I say they, I mean the head man. Fitzgibbon. He is a big goodnatured Irishman, who used to be in the Einiskillcns, and lie has a great nation ot hia own dignity; a apology will go a long way; and if I get back the rest will easy. There's a door in the garden at the back, in a bee-line with the lodge gate in front, ana I can contrive to fling a stone with a note wrapped round it over the wall just by that door,

By WINTHROP B. HARLAND. Author of " La:dy Elgin's Secret, 1 ' " A Harvest of Shame," "The Elder Son," "Lord Ashtou's Heir," Etc.

any morning between eleven and twelve; and that, is the door the colonel will escape by. Have a carriage readv with a pair of good horses and I will let you know when to come." "Do that," the major said with flashing eyes; "and if you realize the hopes you have raised your reward shall be doubled." "You had better not tempt me too much," said Dakin, "or I may take desperate measures to earn my money. As it is, I shall have to create a strong d ; versioti to draw attention from the door while I get it been; but I shall do it somehow." *He returned early in the afternoon, having been absent about three hours, and he wore a smile of quiet satisfaction which told the major thac he had been to a certain extent successful. "It's all right," Dakin said, "I am going a back to-night. I go round Fitzgibbun by telling him I had taken the pledge, and was sorry I have ever called him anything but a gentleman. He is not sorry to have me back: they have troublesome patient there, a military man, as restless as a tiger and as dangerous and they do not know how to deal with him, as they have strict instructions not to lay a hand upon him."

"And you think " the major began eagerly. "I know. He was taken there on the very morning that I saw him at the station with Capt. Crauliss. It v will not be an easy task as he is marked dangerous, and not allowed to take exercise; but he has a large suite of rooms, and two attendants. They cannot leave him with one, as he has hurt several men already; and once he* attacked a gentleman who went to see him and was rash enough to be left alone with him. The gentleman would have been done for if the keepers had not gone in in time." "Who was the gentleman," the major asked. "The one who put him there." "What injuries did he have?" "One arm nearly broken and his head hurt. He was nearly strangled."

The very injuries Mr Dacr3 had received when he said he had been thrown out of a cab on his way hime from the city. "There can be no doubt," Lugard said, "that the captive is Col. St. Hilary, and I do not feel as if I can let him remain another moment." "You would never get him out. sir, in the ordinary manner; the place is full of secret doors private passages, and even if you had a search warrant, he would be muffled up and hidden away in one plsce while you were looking for another. My advice is, don't drive them to do anything desperate. I shall be in house to-morrow,, and I can answer for his safety then; and I will guarantee to have him out within a week." [to be continued.]