EBONY TORSO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1939, Page 12

EBONY TORSO

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

(Ry

JOHN C. WOODIWISS.)

CHAPTER VI. “By j'’vo. that’s interesting!" cried Hopton triumphantly as he knelt down and examined the print.. “lheres no doubt this was made by the same creature as the other, scrgcanl. But what sort nf animal d'ymi think would have the intelligence to shove nver that coping as we passed beneath it: Get to the nearest 'phone box mr.l ask the station to rush some men round here; whatever it was, it can t have got much of a start. Wo must have ■this place properly searched us soon as possible."

"Roighto, sorr.” nodded the officer bending over the footmark with a tape measure which he had produced from his waistcoat pocket. The sergeant ran down the slops with surprising agility lor so heavy a man. clambei-eil thi'oiigh Hie open window and blow his whistle Io call up the officers whom lie knew hi be pitlrolling the district. He then dashed on to the corner of the street, entered the ’phone box and put through an emergency call to headquarters. By the time he had finished two constables had answered his signa), and telling them in a lew words what had occurred he sprinted back with them to the empty house. To O’Mara’s astonishment, however there was no sign of Hopl.oii. He had completely vanished! '['he three men searched the promises from top to bottom, together with a strong reillforcemeni which bad been rushed Iroin headquarters m a police-tender, but nothing was to be found of the detective or the creature he was hunting. After half an hour’s extensive exploration of every nook mid cranny. Sergeant O’Mara and his companions were forced to admit they were beaten, and. posting four officers in ease of any further trouble, left the building to report to Lambeth Police Station.

Hopton heard the sergeant’s footsteps descending the stairs as ho bent, over the footmark, measure in hand, and entered the details in his book. It seerrfed so remarkable that here, again, there was only a single print. Was it possible that it could have been left, by a one-legged creature? Yet, even supposing this to be the case, why should it only leave the single mark? If it had placed its foot in this puddle of slush, it necessarily followed that its damp, muddy paw would leave other traces the next time it came in contact with the groiind--and yet there was nothing!

hunted carefully again. Hashing the beam from his torch into every conceivable corner, but not a signjJl mud or moisture could ho see, save the marks left oy the soles of O’iWar.i’s boots. Determined not to give tip the search easily, lie crossed to the open skylight ami had climbed i’n again to examine the staircase, wheii ho suddenly heard a suspicion.-: sound Iroin one of the rooms on his 1011. and. throwing the door open, was just in time to sco an indistinct figure climb through the window and disappear. He leapt to follow it, and caught a glimpse of the dim outline of the thing he was pursuing.

It had dropped on to a high wall, whose to]) was not more than two feet wide, along which it scuttled, without the slightest regard lor the sickening drop cti eitiler side. So dark and foggy was it. that Hopton knew if he wasted time in raising the alarm lhe creature would escape; be therefore made up his mind to give chase at once, in spite of the terrible risk. As he clambered over the sill, he could just see the shadowy form reach the end of the perilous crossing, swing itself easily upwards and scramble through lhe window of a house al the far end.

The sight reused him to immedi'.de action! He lowered himself on to lhe ti,j) i>f the wall and stepped warily forward across that nightmare bridge. One false step'meant instant, death, bill he deliberately dismissed that knowledge from his mind, kepi his eyes

steadily fixed on his goal, ami walked slowly ('ii. Uq had almost reached his objective mid actually had his hand againsi the wall ol the house when lhe creature he was pursuing appeared at the window above him. The deledive eauglil one lleCtillg glimpse of a fierce, hairy face and two llaining eyes as. leaning mil with a savage, snarling, cry. the thru;-, struck al his. upturned luce.

’Lhe attack was so utterly niiexpecl'.‘d tlial. had lloploil not lieeii tibli. 1 Io steady himself, he must im-\itabh have over-balanced into space; but h" fell on liis knees an I somehow man aged to avoid the deadly sweep of ils claw.:. Straddling lhe narrow pier ol masonry wiiii hi.: legs, he made an iiiSl inel ive dive for his hip pocket. His. miliih-i on., oppoiieiil iiavilis I.tiled iii ils aitack. abruptly disappeared; hut Ho pt on had no iii lei 11 ioi i ol re inainiiig in his perilous |.r,sition an nislaiii longer than was. necessary, and drawing up hi.; legs. e,ol his knees on to the wall-top, again scrambling Io his I'.’el, .‘.prang upwards, clutched lhe sill and drew himself into the house. He found himself in a deserted building' evidently marked for demolition, for Ute roof was in such a dilapidated slate Ihal it had partly fallen in ami lay on the Hour in a coiil'used pile ol debris. Ile switched on his lamp, picked his way among lhe wi'ei-lmpr and reached lhe doorway, from which the <joor had long disappeared, when a violent blow on the head behind felled him to the ground. I’lie monster had been waiting for him! Dimly he heard a savage, half human cry of triumph and felt, his head wrenched back as something seized his throat in ;m iron grip . . a strong,, hairy paw. armed with talons, lore al In's flesh am! then utter miconseiom:f,e:. meicdull,. ,ame lu release him f/um tl.v- tuitule: ol ;l(alml.llatluU

•'He’s coining round all right, wore the first words the Detective heard as lie woke, to find several men standing round him. mid made a leeble attempt Io sit up. "Take it easy now. Inspector.’’ went on the voice, as a restraining hand was g-.ntly placed on his shoulder. "The mnblilani'e will bi- here in a lev.’ ininutes." "Who are you?" inquired Die injured man vaguely, as the memory of what he'd been through Hooded in on him with alarming su'ldcnness. "It's all right: it's only Dio doctor," answered the person who was bending over him. "What Die deuce has happened?" Hopton continued. "I thought I was a gone case as that brute gripped me." "So you would have been if one ol Die police officers htidii 1. seen you cliiiib along that wall Iroin the .'.tree! below anil given the alarm: ymir men only got here in the nick of time. Il was the Rev Galesbourue's voice that, so surprisingly broke in on the conversation and which made the Detective gasp with astonishment. "Yes, it was very fortunate the constable saw him." agreed lhe doctor, "or there's no doubt, the monster would have added another officer to its victims."

“It almost seems like an act of Providence that Die constable happened to be there, Doctor," remarked the par-, son. "He tells me he saw Inspector Hopton climbing across Dial wall and. realising something was wrong, gave the alarm.’’ ■Pity we didn't get here a lew minute:: earlier, sir," another voice joined in. 'Whatever ibis thing was, it evidently heard, us and made a getaway. It's hurl his throat, pretty badly." Hopton opened his eyes again mid saw a policeman bending over him. “I’m all right now,” he said, realizing for the first time that his throat was bandaged. "Still a lot of fight, in me yet."

“You really mustn't do anything more tonight. Inspector!" cried the doctor firmly. "You’ve had a nasty shock, you know!"

“Sorry, sir, I never let little things like that stand in the way of duty," the Detective assured him. "I was only temporarily knocked out, but. I'm perfectly all right again now. I'm very thankful Die officer acted so promptly; his warning undoubtedly saved my life. Did he see Die tiling 1 was chasing?" “He says lie just had lime Io see something scuttle across the wall in front of you. Inspector," replied the padre. "But. so quickly that, it was gone before he had a chance., to see it properly/ ' .' ' - "There’s no doubt it'was an ape,” Ute Detective assured him. “No human being could have been so incredibly sure- fij<jle:.l. You say you’ve searched this house thoroughly, officer?” "Yes, sir." replied Die man. “We heard something moving as w<- broke in. and a queer snarling cry, but there wasn’t a thing to be found, except you, sir."

"Then,” said Hopton, "it's got away across the roof. We’ll get up through that hole in the ceiling and examine the slates.' "For Heaven’s . sake bo care fit I!" warned the doctor. "The whole place is falling to pieces with rot and decay. Mind you don't break your necks!-’’ The warning, was wasted, however, for the two officers were already pulling themselves through the opening, quite regardless of the danger they were running; and lhe sound of their cautious advance overhead could bo heard by their anxious companions. "They’ve certainly got some pluck, Galesbourne," smiled the doctor. "I wouldn’t like to venture on that roof!"

"Es.peciallly in search of such a creature!" agreed the parson. ‘'lnspector Hopton':: inclined to be hot headed, i'l.i afraid . . or. should we say. overeiilhi.isiaslic'.'” “Well, the matter's out of my hands.’' sighed the medical man doubtfully. "Lot’s hope tlu'-y won't come Io an,'.' harm!"

While tliis conversation was going on below, the two policemen were creeping warily about the shatlered ruin their eyes searching eagerly for some sign ol their (juarr.y ami lhe bemn; iroin their lamps darting' hither mid thither ainoiig the crazy mu::.: of lilt.-:', mid he.'inr; which had iiiiee been a I'Ocf.

“Mimi what you're doing!" warned Hopii.n sharply, as his compmiinii's leg disappeared through lhe slates. "Take i! slc.'idy, man: it's fright fully dmij-.-r--ous up here!" "Righl. sir.' panted the Coin-table, as Ins clm-1 drage,ed him back to .safety. "They say this thing, we're limiting, is i elm J. mi lif it managed to •> t -i im;ip here I'm melined to think they're right No blird.ing m.m could get aci‘.tin.' lot With,.nt lne.il. mg In Heel,"

"Ghost be hahe.i.-d!" iiillltercil Hopton through chnehed teeth. "It wasn't a ghost dial grabbed me jusl now!" He started to climb forward m;ain. when Im face came in contact with something which pulh-d him up with a .;harp <■ xclanialmn. "Coiihmnd ii!" he cried, raising' his li-rch." there. 1 : a broken telegraph wire here!" "Look:: lit..- a whole bimch of ’em. commented lhe officer. "ll.y George, could il have escaped that way ’.’" <|iicsl ioiied Hopton excitedly. "Where -Io they h-ml ‘■'l'lk- next pole's across llieie," said He constable, pointing across the fogfilled space. "II seems hardly possible that a few wires would support anyone. though." (To be continued.)