The Rhondda Leader

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] "IN THE FORM OF A WOMAN," aJKB STORY OF AN ANARCHIST BROTHERHOOD BY CYRIL SEYMOUR, Author of The Magic of To-morrow." CHAPTER XXVII. (CONTINUED.) "Comis gentlemen," said Carrington, "all is now in full preparation. If we remain on deck we shall only be in the road. Come, and I will show you my trio of thoroughbred racers-swifter than anything that has run on pad or hoof since the world began." He led the way, followed by the Crown Prince and Colonel Rudolf, Durward bring- ing up the rear. They descended the com- panion-way and entered the saloon. Carrington turned on the electric light, and motioned to a spirit-frame upon the table. But none of his guests gave it a second glance. So he passed on to an iron sliding door at the after end of the saloon, drew it open, and led the way down a flight of steps to a floor several feet below that of the saloon. "The engine-room," said Carrington, quietly, waving his hand around in vacant space. "But the engines, Monsieur Carrington- the Sngines? Where are they?" asked the Crown Prince, looking about him on all sides, in utter amazement. The compartment appeared to be entirely empty. It was the full breadth of the vessel, and some twenty-five feet long by seven high. "I see," said Carrington, with a quiet smile. "You are looking for the familiar scaffold-pole standards, surmounted by big cylinders connected with the shaft by a sway- ing, revolving confusion of jointed rods and eccentric gear. All that belongs to the past. Here are my three engines, harmless as babies and, for the present, just as quiet, though they may begin to scream a little later when we wake them from their slumbers." The visitors looked in the direction indi- cated by Carrington's moving hand. Above the floor, in a space laid out in a triangle, with its apex towards the bow, rose the tops to three rounded projections, evidently iron or steel castings, painted a leaden grey. "I suppose these are the turbines you spoke of?" said Durward. "To me they look like three metal drums laid on their sides and almost buried in the flooring." "That is exactly what they are, from a layman's point of view," responded Carring- ton. "They drive triple propellers, each of which has its own independent action. Power is supplied by some of ilia latest water-tube boilers, fed with oil and working at a pressure of two hundred pounds to the square-inch." The Crown Prince fell apathetically on to a bench at the end of the room. "How long? How long?" he cried, lifting his white, haggard face towards Carrington. "Only eight minutes have passed since we boarded the ship, your Highness," the latter answered, consulting his watch. "We shall be ready to start in a couple of minutes." As he spoke, two thin, alert, active men in brown overalls came into the room from the further door. The foremost of the pair came up to Car- rington. "Ready to start, sir," he said. Carrington led the way on deck, ran up to the low bridge amidships on which stood the captain, exchanged a few words with that officer, and immediately afterwrds rejoined his companions. Then the captain roared out a variety of unintelligible orders to the deck hands, and the cables, lifted from the big pear-shaped mooring-posts on the quay, fell with a loud splash into the water. A second or two later the ship drifted out half-a-dozen feet from the wall. Theniit began to glide slowly westward from the dimly-lighted quay into the dark mid-stream. Mark Durward looked expectantly about him for a time. Then he unconsciously voiced the thoughts of the Crown Prince and his attendant. "The engines are a long time in starting," he remarked. Carrington laughed. "They started thirty seconds ago," he said, "and we're doing at least ten knots an hour already. We shall be doing twenty in fivo minutes. And, if all runs right, before a quarter of an hour has gone we shall be doing thirty." "But, I can scarcely feel any vibration," said Durward. "All in good time, my friend," observed Carrington. "When we get to thirty knots you will have to go below. It will be impos- sible for any of us to stand the wind pressure. It would be like trying a little promenade on the roof of the carriage of an express train. But, perhaps we had better go forward into the saloon. There is a little raised gallery there, from which we can watch the pursuit clearly and comfortably." The party went back into the saloon and took up their positions on the bench facing the fore end of the cabin, with a little port- hole of stout plate glass as an outlook for each of the four spectators. But, strain their eyes as they might, they could see nothing. For all purposes of vision, the outer air, through which they strove to pierce as they sped down the river, might have been as black as pitch The Crown Prince of Saxburg took out his watch. "About ten minutes past one of the clock," he said, turning to Durward. "How long? How long?" "I cannot say, your Highness," said Dur- ward, reassuringly. "But it will soon come. Carrington has slipped away to consult with the captain and the engineers." The door of the saloon opened, and the owner of the "Nancy Lee" re-entered. "I have just been arranging about the search- light. The apparatus is fixed above this sfeloon, on its roof." The speaker glanced towards the Crown Prince, and instantly interpreted the eager note of inquiry on the face of that personage. de shall soon do it now, your Highness," he responded. "It is close on a quarter-past one. We should overhaul them in an hour- it may be before two o'clock." "What is our present speed," asked Dur- ward. "About twenty knots-perhaps a trifle less." "But the launch I saw was going at\fifttll1, and she has a full hour's start of us." "I doubt the fifteen knots. Therp Are few ftrdinarx. launches ,QftBibll fof.such a^reeed. The darkness would deceive your judgment. She has an hour's start. Let that be good for a dozen knots. The moment the searchlight is ready and we get down the river into the estuary, I will put her speed up to something like thirty knots. But at this hour of the night, in so narrow a channel, it would be madness to do it. We should simply be courting destruction. But, once on the open sea, with our quarry in view, I will, I promise you, run her along like an express train. Now, sit still in your places, and you shall see it all." He switched off the electric light as he spoke, and total darkness fell upon the little party. Then he put his hands to a wheel and lever at his side, at the lower end of the bench on which the quartette sat "Look!" he cried. A great shaft of light, white and bright as summer morning air, fell immediately before them on the forecastle, illuminating every detail on the deck forward. Then, slowly, majestically, it swept over the port bow and lit up/the southern shore, travelling westward until it described a circle, crossing the river half-a-mile in front of them, and then ranging back eastward along the northern bank of the river. With this eye of night," went on Car- rington, "I shall examine every inch of the surface of the water until we come up with the launch. It is impossible for it to escape us unless it blunders into lumber in the dark- ness and founders." "But, surely, Monsieur Carrington," cried the Crown Prince, "surely that it not likely?" "I do not think it is, your Highness. There is little or no traffic on the night tide, as you see. I was only emphasising the con- fidence I feel. If the young Prince be aboard the launch-as Durward is certain he is-he will be restored to you within an hour. Ob- serve how the channel widens from the point we are passing!" He swept the strange, vivid light in a great circle from shore to shore as he spoke. "Once we are fairly into the estuary, I shall give the turbines every ounce of steam at my command." Then silence fell upon the party in the little balcony of the saloon, racing on through the blackness of early morning, with their weird white scout, the searchlight, riding triumphantly on ahead over the lifting, swell- ing bosom of the river now opening out into a great angle of actual sea. CHAPTER XXVIII. JUDGE LYNCH IN THE CHAIR. "IT is two o'clock," said Carrington, turning on the electric light of the saloon for a second to consult his watch. Then he bent down to the speaking-tube before him and exchanged a few low-whispered words with the captain on the bridge. "We have averaged twenty knots an hour since we started," he continued. "There- fore, we have done fifteen knots. During that time the launch will have travelled about nine. Her estimated start of twelve knots is thus decreased to six. We are going thirty now. This means that for every mile covered by her we are doing at least two and a half." "And, thus, Monsieur Carrington, we shall come up witn "the scoundrels—when?" sug- gested the Crown Prince, in intense, eager tones. "Well, your Highness, we shall do the six miles in twelve minutes. In that time the launch will, at its best, be less than three miles ahead. We ought to be alongside of her by a quarter-past two." "At last!" exclaimed the Prince. "So near, and yet what may not have happened? What may not yet come to pass? The sus- pense is awful—horrible!" He bowed his head in the darkness for a second and then lifted his eyes to the glass. "I will give you some idea of the speed at which we are travelling, your Highness and gentlemen," remarked Carrington, intent on relieving the enthralled expectancy of his companions. I will open the window before me. Observe he cried. He slid back the frame of heavy glass, and a very hurricane of wind burst in upon them, rattling the further door of the saloon as though a lion were raging behind it, and cutting the faces of the travellers almost like a knife. "We are approaching forty knots," Car- rington added, closing the orifice instantly. "You could not walk the deck in such a self- created storm as this." "But the captain on the bridge?" queried the Crown Prince. How comes it he is not swept overboard?" "There is an iron guard before him, built somewhat on the principle of a locomotive driver's shelter, only that it is wedge-shaped, or V-shaped, instead of flat against the wind." Dead silence descended again, to be broken » minute later by Durward. "Hurrah Hurrah he yelled, in a wild, enthusiastic, unrestrained voice. iiguii The light! Keep it where it is Everybody started to their feet, and centred their vision upon the great white stroke of light resting motionless, but quivering slightly at the edges, upon the exact centre of the river. "The launch It is the launch, beyond all doubt!" cried Durward again. In the midst of all the excitement, the whistle in the speaking-tube in front of Car- rington spoke shrilly out. The owner of the "Nancy Lee bent forward to it, and listened. You're right, Durward he cried a second later. "The boat is recognised by the sailor on the bridge with the caplain--the man who saw it pass us at our moorings." "But what is this?" asked Durward, with a perceptible nervous tremor in his speech. "You can see her now clearly. I know her by the curious longitudinal black and white stripes upon her funnel. Her bow is towards us." "I cannot comprehend it," said Carrington. "Perhaps she recognises the folly of endea- vouring to escape us, and is prepared to surrender." "Ah!" sighed the Crown Prince. "That seems too good news to be true. Besides, the Anarchists laid their plans well. What reason can they have to suspect they are being pursued?" "The guilty are apt to flee before shadows," said Carrington. "But there, not a moment is to be wasted. We are close upon the launch. I will ring off steam and we will go on deck." The four men tumbled up the narrow, un- accustomed stairway, and emerged into the dark, moist, salty air. The "Nancy Lee," heretofore cutting straight as an arrow through the heaving waters was now slow- ing up. The captain of the "Nancy Lee had swung the nose of his craft slightly to the south. So the four men cautiously felt their way over the wet deck until they gained the shelter of the starboard bulwarks amidships. "Order her to lie to," shouted Carrington to the captain. The order was repeated through the cap- tain's trumpet-a brazen, stentorian message. But the little black, low-lying launch came on at her full speed, ten or twelve miles, sweeping straight past the larger vessel ere the manoeuvre could be prevented. CHAPTER XXVIII. (CONTINUED.) THE captain of the "Nancy Lee" swore a great sailorman's oath. Then he swung his ship entirely round. But the launch was now ) a full quarter of a mile away, turned off her I eastward course, and headed straight for the northern shore of the estuary. The captain of the "Nancy Lee" roared out another emphatic, well-punctuated sen- tence, and drew the helm of his ship hard<-a- port. "What means it?" asked the Crown Prince, turning from the frowning shore, and looking directly into Carrington's face. "The meaning is too plain, I fear, your Highness," said Carrington. "She only draws a few feet of water. She can be beached without danger, whilst we may run on to the sand at any moment. Our only hope is to round her up before deep water is lost. Quick! Back into the saloon!" The speaker's companions followed at his heels, running back to refuge across the slipperv deck. "Don't you feel her now?" he cried, closing the door. "Every rivet in her plates and angle-bars is on the jar. Cling hard to the bench back, pnd set your feet firmly forward. A sudden stoppage now would brain every one of us against the walls of this cabin The searchlight was full upon the little launch, now scarcely four hundred yards away. Still further ahead, perhaps a mile distant, there lay a long, low shelf of sand, standing out like a black cloud against the dark grey sky. "It is a. question of seconds now! cried- Carrington, straining his voice to make him- self heard above the roaring, tempestuous tumult of rushing air, flying water, and thundering vibrating metal. "We shall either have reached the launch or gone hard aground. The impact, at such a speed, will tear out her entire bottom. But we are in the hands of God, and, thank Heaven the captain knows every inch of this treacherous channel." They continued to sit spellbound and rigid. But nothing untoward happened. The "Nancy Lee" was now close on the heels of the launch. Not a hundred yards of water divided them. Then the two vessels were aide by side, almost rubbing hulls. The great speed had been slackened, and Ca-rrington and his friends rushed again on deck. "Lie to," roared the enraged captain of the "Nancy Lee," "or by I'll cut you out of the water This latter threat had the desired effect. The launch slowed up, stopped, and anchored stationary by the side of its pursuer. "Come alongside," cried the captain, and the crew of the "Nancy Lee" threw the launch a rope and lowered a ladder. Durward was the first to descend, followed closely by the Crown Prince and Colonel Rudolf. A bearded man, in oilskins, stood in the well of the boat, with a youth of eighteen by his side. "Where is my little son?" shouted the Crown Prince, clutching the man by the throat. The fellow drew away in alarm, only to fall a helpless prisoner into the strong arms of Mark Durward and the Colonel. The Crown Prince ran eagerly into the little cabin. It was untenanted "The woman and the child? Quick, answer me cried Durward, to his prisoner. "I don't know what yer talking about," responded the man, sullenly. "I've seen no woman or child. I've been a message to the Lerwick lightship." "It's a lie-a cursed lie 1" cried Durward. "Why, I saw you start from Durcaster at a few minutes past twelve this morning. You could not possibly have reached Lerwick Head by this time, let alone be on the return journey. Here, Carrington Heave a line, and drag the scoundrel on board your ship The skipper of the launch, having no alternative before him, went slowly up the ladder and set foot on the deck of the "Nancy Lee." "This ain't good enough, mister," he growled, turning towards Durward. "What's yer game, anyhow? Recollect as I'm a British subject, and ye'll have to pay dear for drag- ging me off my boat." Colonel Rudolf closed up on the captain's right, and Paul Carrington on his left, lead- ing him straight to the saloon. "Can you take your boat home?" called out Durward, leaning over to the youth in the launch. "I can beach her till daylight, sir, and float off on the morning tide." "Very well, my lad." Durward stooped to whisper, as he spoke. "Here's a sovereign for you. Where's the lady and child?" "We put her and her husband and the old gent and the kid on board the steamer about half an hour ago." "What steamer?" I don't know nothing, sir. I never heard a word. Couldn't made the ship out. A small boat took them off the launch. I couldn't tell what was her course. She was lying with her bow straight up river, towards Durcaster, waiting us." "That will do. Off with you," said Dur- ward, turning and following his friends to the saloon. The bearded skipper of the launch, his swarthy face gone red as fire with rage, was holding a heated argument with Carrington, urging with all the rude eloquence at his command the sacred rights and liberties of the commonest seafaring Briton. "The precious time The precious time!" whispered the Crown Prince, turning to Dur- ward as he entered and closed the door of the saloon behind him. "Silence!" said Durward, in a quiet, com- manding voice. The bearded skipper of the launch turned like a bulldog on the speaker. "I'll be if I'll shut up!" he shouted. "This ain't nothing but actual piracy. They've strung men up to the yardarm for it afore to-day." "Just so," said Durward. "But we are wasting time. Are you going to give us the information we want?" 1. me, if I do roared the other. "Very well," said Durward, taking out his watch. "You don't seem to appreciate the situation. I am going to give you three minutes for a voluntary statement-not a second more. But if you aren't going to speak, say so at once." "What are ye wanting to know?" asked the skipper, quailing slightly before Durward's cool, steady gaze. "I want to know the name of the steamer you have put the woman and child on board and the port she is bound to." "What steamer, what woman, what child?" "Don't act like a fool. Your lad has told me part of the tale-all he knows, in fact." "And if I refuse to say a word?" "Well, in that case you will have to prepare yourself to pay the penalty." "The penalty? I like that! When the thing comes into court, what about yourselves? I tell you, you're acting like pirates." "My misguided friend," went on Durward, in an ominously cool voice, "this case is not going into any other court than the present, and I, Judge Lynch, am in the chair. Two minutes have gone by. Ordinary legal process is of no use against armed assassins caught in the act. We are determined men, who will stick at nothing. As God is in Heaven you die in another minute if you won't speak At this point the captain of the "Nancy Lee" came in, and looked inquiringly at Car- rington Durward turned to the newcomer. "Send four sailors forward, captain," he said, "and get a suitable rope ready. We are going to execute this dumb brute "It's monstrous! It's awful!" groaned the helpless man, his legs shaking beneath him with commingled fear and wrath. "I'll tell you everything I know but you'll hear about it later on. You will, by God! I've merely had the job to-night to put the lady, her husband, and their child aboard an Irish cattle-boat, bound for Dublin-the Killarney's her name. There, I've told you all. I sup- pose I may go now?" "Not yet, exactly," said Durward. "Your launch has gone on home. It's a mile away now. You are going with us till we catch the Killarney You may be lying. Probably you are. But if so, you'd better out with the truth, for if we don't secure the child you have assisted to steal before daylight, you are a do-OA- man ——~—' The door of the saloon opened, stalwart sailors came forward, the rea man with a coil of rope on his arm. "aid "Tie the prisoner's hands behind him, .'o Durward, "and lash him in a suitable po on the bridge." the He handed his revolver, as he spoke, captain, and continued • blat lpla "You've got a clever pilot, captain; If not sure that he's an entirely honest withotit he plays you false, blow out his brains wi hesitation." II. "That I certainly shall, sir," said the C l tain, quietlv. following the sailors as they led away their prisoner. CHAPTER XXIX. HOPE deferred- J HALF an hour went by, and ^urww >. y Crown Prince of Saxburg, and Colons waited, surcharged with deepest *0d the saloon. The compass on the table s that the boat's head had been turned north-west, in which direction she was ing at fully thirty knots an hour. trail'" "I wonder if we have caught up the v queried Durward..a of As he spoke, they could feel the J0or the vessel sensibly decreasing. Then opened and Carrington came in uP°^nCjjiIi He immediately took his seat on the -kiiig" the gallery and whistled through tube, whereupon the ship seemed forward into her old giant stride. "What news, Carrington?" cried The three men gathered eagerly newcomer. J$0 "You were right, Durward," answer other. "The rascal was lying. J?frisk to be released after his story about cattle-boat. Now, however, conscious t mean business, he has made a clean ore j it. He received £ 50 for his job t°*n}8 gfii found the rouleau of gold in his P° have left it there. But he has no kno' eJj. of the identity of any of his three PaSS to I expect he imagines the man and wo be fugitives from justice." rried "But the ship-the ship that has e ÍJI them away?" asked the Crown Prince hurried, feverish accents nJlett "She is the famous Cuban blockade* j^jji the Fiery Cross,' of New Orleans, Jgter* Jabez B. Smart, out from Liverpool, day, with a general cargo for some American port." _i0it6f "I have read of the ship and her jn Monsieur Carrington," said the prlntbigb slow, dubious speech. "She will be of big speed." ot$o- "I suppose so—twenty-three knots Thev might even push her up to thirty screwed down the safety valves, tb? doubt it. But they'll never be eXVe Indeed, it's questionable whether 7* Smart is aware of the nature of the t go0u tion he has in hand. However, we jjpg know the truth. The 1 Fiery Cross,' acc to the captain's reckoning, will keep t.^ jje course through the Channel. We caDJl0^ more than two or three miles behind her' The speaking-tube whistle sounded L Carrington was concluding. He bent to the orifice. "Why, all of us here are asleep and jgr-1 ing!" he cried, exultantly. "Look y jgofl The Fiery Cross is sighted. There s» pifl the left, not half-a-mile away The c)(r is signalling her with rockets to lie to- eat Almost directly before them in t«e <JjS' gleam of intense white light they c?UfUnH^s tinguish a big steamer with four black placed one behind the other, her tw theo d propellers lifting slightly every now a*1 and breaking the water into a creaf1^n But, presently, the white foam died do ^gg » the silent spectators in the saloon coul rocket flaring high in the air. cried "They've answered us and Carrington, in a tone of triumph. hurrah His companions took up the chorus, *c ftp ing themselves hoarse with joy f° £ minute.. Then a great boom broke on the air, Of e y bel ceeding apparently from immediatelY of tbe their feet and seeming to lift the < saloon with a kind of earthquake shoe "Great heavens! What's that* Durward. 1 Carrington did not answer for a s«co 0the t switched on the electric light. a could see that his face was SUrifft and that his eyes were full of app?".el\, "Wg "I don't exactly know," he replies S I fear—very much that sometaios wreng with the boilers." i By this time the engines °'. k. Lee" had entirely ceased revolving'^ <}«c opened the saloon door and ra» rjug0 A tremendous cloud of steam was r° of the smoke-stack of their ship- to They ran up to the deck entr yijig °m stokehole. The stokers were la(jd8* over the other up the perpendicular gain the deck. One of the tubes gone, sir,' sai° engineer, coming up to Carrington- «0 "A bad accident at such a mented Carrington. "Anybody h« "No, sir." the «e "That's better. Can you keep a light going?" -1,10 "Oh, yes. But it will be a move on the engines for We'll disconnect and work wit» y[oe boilers at perhaps fourteen knots. replace the tube within an hour- tg "Start at once; and, remel11 ottlld JJ minute saved in the hour is a fiv«-P « to you." viofi The rush of escaping steam ha abated, the engineers and stokers into the regions below, and in ano c\fP& the air was alive with the deafeiniin plø.t." of heavy hammers on hollow boiler (To be continued.)

I Wanted a Separatiofl- Cymmer Husband's App"c^e Po^ An application was made fo{ magistrates on Thursday by ,iTirrxei^-fe- collier, 35, Lincoln Street, ^.g J a separation order against g'Lpli' Susannah Catherine Rees, on 1 M f. of her being a habitual drunk \V ^,e cant, who was represented by rjed 0 Davies, said he had been 1X1 fveQj Jj0f years, and accused his wife_ tiH1" getting drunk. She had P clothing and wedding pose of getting drink. A wit e*' the respondent's drunken j.ra,teS ,e months ago, and the mag pressed the opinion that c° ^0^ evidence of a more recent C^a^0-I1gi given, and adjourned the heal

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