Men of Affairs Part 55

"If you ask me, Smith," said Bolt critically. "If you ask my opinion I'd say you've made a bloomer of this show."

"You can keep your opinion till I do ask for it," came the retort.

"Get in. She's clear now."

He took a heave on the starting handle and jumped to his place at the wheel.

"Keep your eye on those tyre marks, Dirk. If you lose 'em I'll break your head."

And from the spirit of this remark it will be seen that kindliness and fellows.h.i.+p had gone by the board.

CHAPTER 30.

THE TRUE AURIOLE.

Hugo Van Diest struggled to his feet gasping for breath and stroking his chin with sympathetic fingers. Comparatively speaking, Richard's blow had been a light one, but the Dutchman's training had not fitted him for taking punishment. He was hurt, outraged and resentful.

"This young man wa.s.s very violent, Hipps," he muttered jerkily. "I donno--s'no use--seems."

"Are we beat, Chief?"

"I don't like this word 'beat.' Mus' be a way." He paused for a moment to recover his breath then turned to Laurence. "This Miss Craven, she ha.s.s not arrifed yet?"

"She's here. Came five minutes ago."

"She know how we stand, yes?"

Hipps nodded.

"She don't quite register on the line we've adopted to make him talk.

Kind o' kept that in the background. Women are soft."

"Ask she come up," said Van Diest.

And Laurence went out pa.s.sing Blayney who was on duty outside the door.

"What's the bend, Chief?" demanded Hipps.

Van Diest shook his head thoughtfully. "Donno, donno. Wa.s.s awful if we mus' do someting. Eh? Hipps, eh?"

And he tilted his head suggestively toward Richard's bedroom.

"His own d.a.m.n fault," came the answer.

"But it wa.s.s a man's life, Hipps."

"I've no choice that way myself."

Van Diest began to pace the floor, his fingers tattooing on his chest and his head going from side to side.

"We ought to haf read better the character of this man. S'no good to know about the monies and not about the mens. We find ourselves in a terrible position. Ss! Terrible--terrible."

There was a clatter of footsteps on the stairs and Laurence, a telegraph form in his hand, burst into the room.

"What you haf there?"

"Can't make head nor tail of the d.a.m.n thing. Read it aloud," cried Laurence excitedly.

Ezra Hipps moved over to his Chief's side as the old man picked out the code words and translated them aloud.

The message was simple enough.

"'Saw Barraclough Polperro this morning. Been following all day.

Escaped in Panhard, probably will enter London by Portsmouth or Great Western Road. Am pursuing in Ford car. Obstruct. Harrison Smith.'"

It was handed in at eight o'clock and postmarked Wimborne.

"Saw Barraclough!" repeated Hipps. "Harrison Smith's gone crazy."

For a moment Van Diest said nothing, then remarked:

"Smart man, you know. Smart man."

"He's made a mistake," said Laurence. "How in h.e.l.l could he see Barraclough when----" There was no point in finis.h.i.+ng the sentence.

"S'not often he make a mistake. Our opponents haf been ver' quiet, you know, ver' quiet. Perhaps now they draw the kipper across the path."

"He's got bats," said Hipps. "Been standing in the sun."

"I'd ignore the whole thing," said Laurence. "Ten to one it's a trick.

A stunt put up by our adversaries."

"In our private code, Laurence? No, no, no. I tink it wa.s.s well we take some precautions with this gentlemen who wa.s.s so like our guest.

You will telephone to Mr. Phillips please that I would like some of those roads that lead into London made--difficult." Then as Laurence seemed disposed to argue: "You haf your orders," he thundered.

As Laurence was leaving the room, Auriole came in and stood hesitating on the threshold.

"Ah! Miss Craven," said Van Diest stooping to kiss her fingers. "For you a little work. You will talk to our guest, yes? So stubborn he wa.s.s. You ver' clever woman, ver' gentle. You put your arms around him--so! You whisper, you beseech, you ver' sympathetic. P'r'aps you make 'im cry. Then he tell you what he refuse to tell us.

S'understood?"

"Yes, I understand," said Auriole in a small voice.

"Goot! Then we go downstairs now. Come, Hipps." At the door he paused. "S'ver' important you succeed because we haf tried all the rest." He spoke the final words slowly and with great meaning, then turned and went out.

Auriole caught Ezra Hipps by the sleeve as he pa.s.sed her.