THE BLACK PILGRIM

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20730, 14 February 1939, Page 4

THE BLACK PILGRIM

By George Stanley

(8) PATRIOT The young man bending over the crucible in the small laboratory suddenly straightened his back and, brushing back the mop of red hair from his forehead, ran excitedly from the room. He dashed down the stairs to the garden where a young woman was sitting darning socks, plucked her from the chair and lifted her from the ground. “I’ve got it, dear!" he cried, exciredly. "Not a scrap of doubt, McGorran's solidified fuel will be the find of the century! Think of It! Aeroplanes flying forever if necessary. Ships fed by McGorran’s fuel; homefires—anything you like !’* “I am glad, darling," answered the young woman. "Let's come and see

The tvyo hurried back into the house and, as they disappeared from the garden, the short, dark man who had been lying in a deck chair in the nextdoor garden, rose silently to his feet. He gathered up the deck chair quietly, and crept into the house. Closing the back door, he made his way to the telephone and dialled a number.

"This is Hadkov," he said. "Is that Yorskiev? Good! He has succeeded in discovering the secret. I have just heard him telling his wife. What are you going to do now? Are you going to offer to buy him out?" "We will make a small offer," replied the other. "If he does not accept it will he so much the worse for young Mr McGorran. I will meet you at the Oiseau D'Or this evening at seven, and we will discuss things. You had better not come here. I have an idea that I am being watched. The Oiseau D’Or at seven, then." The receiver clicked home and Radkov made his way to the back room and, pouring himself a glass of whiskey, raised in a toast. "To Nicholas Hadkov—Commissar !” he said.

He drained the glass with much noise, his cunning face creased in a smirk of satisfaction. Then he prepared himself a meal, and after another hour left the house to keep his appointment.

Shortly after seven o'clock he strolled down Jerrard Street and entered the Oiseau D’Or restaurant. Behind him at a discreet distance followed a tall powerfully built man who also entered the restaurant. Hadkov made his way to the secluded table in a little alcove, and the man who had followed him passed to an adjoining one. The festoons of imitation fruits and flowers hunt,' upon the painted trellis at the entrances formed a very efllcient screen to the movements of the occupants of the alcoves. Thus, when Radkov’s trailer drew from his pocket a small object rrum which hung wires, and fastened it to the thin walls of the alcove, nobody observed his action. Concealing the wires behind the trellis, he paused until be had given his order to the waiter who appeared.

Listening intently at the microphone attachment, he was able to hear most of the conversation in the adjoining compartment. Unconscious of this spy, Hadkov and his companion Yorskiev, began to talk freely as soon as their waiter had vanished. “What do you propose to offer this innocent young man?" asked Hadkov. "I shall offer him five hundred pounds and a royalty of one per cent of. Die profits—which, of course, he would never get. We should, unfortunately, have to pay the five hundred pounds. But once I am sure that he alone knows the formula—if we can get hold of it, I think it best that he should disappear. That could be arranged, my Hadkov, sureIv?"

"It would be easy,” agreed Radkov. "The only difficulty would be his wife, but if the Ivorosoniski is in the river, that difficulty can be overcome. 1 could lure the woman from the house, and she could he sent away with the ship when it leaves. Then if McGorran s body is discovered, these British pigs will iuutjine anything but the right solution."

"The idea is good," said Yorskiev. "Now, how do you propose that we should approach him?" "I must not appear in it," said Radkov. "If I do my usefulness is gone. Send one of your men— Dimitri, I suggest. He can make the offer, and say that he merely comes as an agent. That may draw McGorran. Dimitri can then persuade him to come and see you.’’ "I don’t, want him to come to me yejl," broke in Yorskiev. "I believe that I am being followed by the Italian people, or by tile French. They are sure that I have got hold of something, but what it is, they do not know. The sooner we settle this matter the better. * Now, as you suggest. I will arrange with Dimitri to call upon you to-morrow after dark. You can fix ail the details, and Dimitri can then go and sec this man. McGorran. the next morning. Let me see, it is Tuesday. If Dimitri comes to you to-morrow, that is Wednesday evening, tie can call on McGorran on Thursday morning. After his visit he can advise you on the telephone at once, and then you can make your arrangements. How is that?" • Very good, indeed," agreed Hadkov. "if tfie young man proves difficult and refuses to have anything to do with 11,. the whole plan fails. Then, we have two alternatives. We can either get him out of the* country in the Korosonvski when she sails, or we can gel hold of his woman and force him to agree with our terms." "Let u.-» get hold of the woman." said Yorskiev. "I would prefer that we keep this thing to our own adIf McGorran goes in Hie ship, someone else will take over the matter, and we lose all credit for it." "That is right." replied Hadkov. -Then shall we leave it as before, and if the young man proves foolish—liis wife shall vanish, and then we can talk to him—not of five hundred pounds, hut of the loss of his beauluul wife!" Yorskiev chuckled throatily. An excellent solution." he remarked. "Now business is complete we will have another bottle of wine, and lben 1 must go." They called the waiter and the listener heard them gulping the wine I ke water. At last Yorskiev spoke I leave you to finish the bottle, my dear Hadkov," lie said. "I must go now. If 1 might suggest it. do not leave for at least another ten m.nuUs." The man who was listening to lhi.» conversation, swiftly removed his .u-

A story of a modern liobin Hood.

strument from the wall and thrust xt into his pocket. Then he aurr ed from his alcove and settled bis account with the waiter while lie watched for the appearance of Yorskiev. He saw the tall thin form of his quarry appear from the alcove; saw Yorskiev s crafty eyes sweep Lh* restaurant, and managed to stroll from the restaurant a few paces before him. As the stranger stood waiting lo hoard a taxi, Yorskiev hurried from the restaurant. Then suddenly a long black car slid from a side street as he appeared. From one of the windows a hand appeared holding an automatic and, hut for the action of the stranger in dragging Yorskiev to one side, the bullets which popped from the silenced weapon would have done their work. Two of the shots had, however, penetrated the window* of the restaurant, and cries began to come from within. "Jnto my taxi! Quick!" jerked the stranger, almost bundling Yorskiev inside. He snapped an order to the taxi-driver as he leaped in, and before the inmates of the restaurant had emerged, the taxi had Jerked away from the kerb. "You will excuse my haste," remarked the stranger. "it is not wise to be implicated in shooting affairs. Besides, 1 do not like the police." "How' can I thunk you?" said Yorskiev. "But for you, my body lies dead on the pavement " "Then don’t thank me," answered the stranger. "Smoke one of my excellent cigarettes and we will descend to Piccadilly. A tonic of some kind is necesssary for the nerves after sucli happenings. You will agree, I think?" Yorskiev accepted the cigarette from the case which his companion extended to him, with a smile. "Whatever you say, I can do no more than to agree with you," he said. They alighted from the taxi in Piccadilly and entered one of the numerous bars, where Yorskiev insisted upon paying for the drinks. After a few minutes, Yorskiev turned to his companion and handed him his card. "1 must hurry away now," he said, "But you must call upon me some time. ‘Thanks’ is a small word, but Vorskiev never forgets!" With a flourish he hurried away from the bar while the stranger watched him go with a smile. He lit a cigarette leisurely. Then he strolled to the bar, and after another drink made his way to Piccadilly. A bus dropped him near Yictoria, where he entered the station. Leaving by another exit he walked through several side streets until he had arrived at Queen’s Gardens, where after a quick glance round to see if he had been followed, he hurried into one of the flats. It was nearly dusk when the stranger emerged again and made his way through the side streets to a mews which had once contained stables. He opened the door of one of the converted stables and ran out into the mews a powerful Lagonda car. Within a few minutes the car was speeding for South London. It ran on through the outer suburbs until it reached the secluded neighbourhood of West Wickham. Here, on the outskirts of the growing town, the driver eased the car to & stop and, parking it before one of the scattered houses, made his way along another road on foot. At the end of this lay two houses, separated from the others by the entrance to a field. The stranger knocked at the door of the second of the two houses, and after a few minutea the door opened.

(To be continued to-morrow)