THE BLACK PILGRIM

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20733, 17 February 1939, Page 5

THE BLACK PILGRIM

STORY IX— Continued: Then he lit a cigarette, the flare of a match revealing his cruel, almost Asiatic features. A few minutes passed, and presently footsteps again sounded, followed by others, until at last the dim forms of four men had gathered in the room below. The man who was smoking the cigarette waved his hand in the air, and began to address his companions. “The wonderful success which has crowned our efforts, my comrades,’’ he said, s reached the ears of the all-powerful. 1 am instructed tdhand you each the sum of twenty | pounds for your good work. But—ip., work must not stop—we must continue in our attack upon the ... m.os oi the workers. The terror of the unknown; the fear that at any moment Death may strike, must be driven into the minds of these people, until they are ready for our final blow. Now, I have an announcement to make to you, which will make you feel proud of the work which you are doing so well. We four have been selected, from the various groups which are at work, to carry out something which will be remembered for all time. I want you to listen closely to what I have to say. “In four days time there is to be the Grand Procession which will pass from the Palace to the Cathedral. Arrangements have been made for this day to be one when one of the greatest blows shall be struck, and we shall be the instruments. The head of the procession will reac s h Piccadilly at one o’clock. Just as the main part is passing a newly constructed block of flats which are almost unoccupied, we shall explode the bomb which has been placed beneath the road. The explosion will strike one of the biggest blows which has yet been struck for freedom. 1 have made the necessary arrangements, and have secured a flat upon the top storey of the place, which is called Bougansville House. The flat is Number 402. We will meet there in two days time and discuss the final details. Until then, we must not meet together. Until o-ut next meeting in two days time, at seven In the evening. Remember—Bougansville House, Flat 402, seven in the evening of Thursday. You will now receive your bonus, and go, remembering that the all-powerful has been pleased to select us for this great effort.” A murmur of pleasure broke from the group of men, and each advanced to receive the money which the speaker handed to them. Then they hurried away from the warehouse. With a whispered warning to Terkoff, The Black Pilgrim waited motionless until the gathering had dispersed, and the whole party had disappeared. When silence once again reigned in the chamber below them, he touched his companion, ana the two descended from their uncomfortable position. They crept cautiously from the warehouVi to the street, and when they had gained it The Black Pilgrim turned to his companion. “You have done well, Terkoff,” he said. “I am pleased with you. Here is the money which I promised you. 1 will come and see you again, and in the meantime, remember, keep silent!” He handed a number of Treasury notes to his uncouth assistant, and watched the man hurry away. Then he turned and vanished like a shadow into the mist. * * ♦ • The next morning The Black Pilgrim was early astir. Wearing a suitable disguise he entered the offices of Bougansville House and stated that he wished to obtain a flat. After some trouble, for, as the agent explained, the upper flats were not yet considered suitable for occupation, he succeeded in selecting the flat which he required. Finally the lift shot him to the top floor, where he entered Flat Number 401. He made a brief examination of the flat and found that it had a tiny balcony looking down upon the street over a hundred feet below. Upon the left side Flat 401 adjoined Flat 402, and he judged that it would be an easy matter to mount the dividing barrier between the two balconies, if the occasion warranted it. After a further examination he discovered the two things for which he had been looking. One was the ventilator shaft, the other was the means by which the gang of anarchists were going to explode the bomb which had been placed beneath the road. He discovered the ventilator shaft, and was able without much trouble to make his arrangements for planting his apparatus in the adjoining flat.. The second matter was not so easy, and it testified much to the ingenuity of the criminals, that the wire which had been cun-

By George Stanley

A story of a modern Robin Hood.

ningly led down the lightning-con-ductor escaped his notice so long. These two points settled, he left the flat and the building to arrange for the installation of some furniture, and to obtain the articles and information necessary for his campaign. By late afternoon he had taken >ossession. As soon as the adjoining flat was empty, he effected an entry into it by means of the balcony, and planted his apparatus in suitable places. During the next day he made several attempts to discover where the bomb beneath the street had been concealed, but without success. The wire from the lightning-conductor ran down until it seemed to penetrate into the basement of the flats. Twice he tried to gain entry into the basement. but each time something occurred to frustrate him. At last came Thursday, when the conspirators were due to meet at seven o’-clock in the evening. From six o'clock The Black Pilgrim kept a close watch for any visitors to Flat Number 402. It was a few minutes before seven when the first of the gang arrived, the others followed closely upon his heels, until, just as seven was striking, tsi*- hidden watcher saw the last man appear. To his surprise it was the janitor of the flats who knocked and was admitted to the flat. The Black Pilgrim hurried from his observation post and, hurrying into his flat, quickly adjusted the listening apparatus. He soon heard the voices of the four men, and gathered that they were drinking some toast before perfecting their arrangements. Then, suddenly, the voice of their leader boomed loudly in the earphones. “All is ready,’ he said. “I have been making inquiries and find that no change has been made in the procedure for the procession. At about one o'clock it will pass .-before this building, and we shall witness the spectacle. As it passes, I .shall move the switch which will explode the bomb. You are sure that the bomb is in position, and that the wires are secure, Ukrain?” “Everything is in order in my part of the affair,’ answered the guttural voice of the janitor. “Where is the bomb hidden?” asked the voice of one of the other men. “I think that we should know, in case of anything happening to Ukrain.” “Well, there is no time like the present,” said the voice of their leader. “We will make our final arrangements now before you leave. Then we will drink to success, and you can go with Ukrain, who will show you where the bomb is hidden. Now listen, comrades, we must be here, in this flat, on the morning of Saturday, by tenthirty. The streets will be choked after that time. We will gather in my room, and you will lunch with me at noon. At one o’clock we will watch the final blow struck. Now we will drink to our task, and we will remember that there is fifty pounds for all of us if success crowns our efforts.” The listener heard the sound of glasses being clinked together. Then the door of the adjoining flat opened, and two of the gang, accompanied by the janitor Ukrain, went down the stairs at the bac* of the building. The opportunity was too good to miss and, at a safe distance, The Black Pilgrim followed. He saw the Janitor and his companions vanish into the basement and crept after them to find, to his astonishment, that the chamber extended far under the road. He heard the man Ukrain proudly explaining how the wires were connected, and what would be the effect of the explosion, then he hurried back to his flat, the final details of his scheme mapped out in his mind. On the night of Friday he waited until the sinister occupant of Flat

Number 402 had left. Then he entered it from the balcony window, carrying a suit-case. He soon traced the wires frojn the bomb which lay ready to connect to the switch and, at a point beneath the floorboards, he cut them. From the suit-case he produced a black box. Then, after examining the contents carefully, he placed the box beneath the floorboards, and, removing all traces of his visit, he hurried from the flat, his task accomplished. He remained in his own flat until the following morning, heard all the four conspirators gather and, at noon, left them gloating over their evil work. Proceeding to the basement he discovered the bomb which lay beneath the street and, after rendering it useless, as a further precaution, he strolled from the building. At one o’clock, punctually to time, the centre of the procession had gained the vicinity of the building, and the leader of 'the criminals raised his hand. “Now, comrades,” he said, boastfully, “I strike the blow which shall teach these oppressors of the workers that we can no longer be trifled with!” He pulled over the switch as he concluded. The fearful explosion which followed hurled him and his three fellow assassins into the air, to drop them four shattered wrecks, among the debris of the flat which showered upon them, while out in the street beyond, with drums beating and trumpets blaring, the procession moved triumphantly upon its way. (Another Episode to-morrow)