1954-10-16 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1954,

Sequence Sinister

F

Was

OR a moment no one moved. Lanning staring into the eyes of "green 'trousers' " companion. They were shrewd, clever eyes, tiny of with networks wrinkles round their corners. His bulk and ugliness sug- gested the ex-pug; but Lan- ing decided that he had brain as well as brawn, and might even be the Big Shot of the outfit.

Gerald still unconscious chair, was between the two

and partially tied to the

thugs and fanning. It took Lanning only a second

decide that he would staud little chance against the big man plus "green trousers As they came at him he Kave Gerald a violent shurve, The chair went over ways with a crash.

Nasty jolt

THE STORY SO FAR

Enid Cockburn, chased by thugs for a letter she is carrying for her scientist brother, Gerald, is helped by George Lanning.

After a 'dend manɑis found in Gerald's Richmond flat, George gets into a house In" Chelsea, where Gerald is trussed up. He over powers Cora, in charges of the house-but Then the gung arrive.... 2.

The five-author serial reaches its seventh thrilling day, with the last author but one coming in

neule danger.

now

Between them they must have

it could not be helped. Any with Gerald's sult-case and the how he felt little sympathy for pollée, evidently regarding him Gerald, because he had brought og No. 1 suspect, had chased-

sister into this des him into the park. his lovely

even site perale business without sking her consent, and funded her in a situation of a fair description of him, which by now would have been circulated to all stations.

But they did not know his name or kept address, so providing he

of them ho had a falr clear chance of evading arrest. the other hand if he went to of thugs them he would have to prope his be torturing her innocence, and that might not

Swinging round he dived He- for the open window hind him he heard a second crash and a spate of curses. The big man had taken n and header across Gerald, "green trousers" had been tripped up by the chair legs.

Squirming over on to his tummy. Lanning thrust out The his fert. grabbed window-sill and hung from it. As his pursuers scrambled to their knees he let KO. The drop gave him a nasty jolt, but the area was not a deep one.

Regnining his balance, he flashed up its six steps to the street. It was now fully dark, and as he ran off he glimpsed two heads, still mouthing curses, thrust out of the lighted window.

he

After Afty yards brought his pace down to a quick walk, and his agitated mind begun to grapple with the problem of what to do, A drink while he deliberated was clearly indicated, so he made his way through several side-streets to The Bella.

Champagne

The set-up, as Lanning saw it, Gerald had brought Was that back from America some secret formula which the agents of a foreign power were prepared to go to any lengths to obtain. For some reason unknown the rash ying fool had involved his sister be epsy.

them LIS an attempt to trick with dud papers; so presumably he had safely delivered the real ones to his firm.

That The idiot had walked straight into the gang'a head quarters and they now held him prisoner

They had already beaten him up, evidently in an secret attempt to extract hin from him, and would probably continue to do so.

Worse, infinitely worse; ir he refused to talk they might start beating up that slender, plece of loveliness blue-eyed named Enid, in front of him, as

Would deny it

On

who might even now

In vain he sought for, some way to save her without further embroiling himself, but he knew

there already

was only one thing for it. He must go back to the house and try to rescue her.

He would have to break in admehow and he needed weapon.

Д

Gerald might confess to the killing and plead rolf-defence. But the man had been hit on the back of the head, so if Gerald

Pouring out the last feared that he might hang for of the champagne gave him an the crime he would probably Idea about that. Having finish. deny all knowledge of it. ed his wine he asked the girl behind the buffet, for A DOWNL Lanning saw, too, that Enid, paper and a piece of string, having been with him when teuung her with a smile that he they found the body, did not meant to take the bottle home as necessarily let him out. If she they made-excellent, stands. for thought that the brother whom lampshades.

adored was going to: bo she

through

and sen of weeds reached the back of No. 9. A quick examination showed him that all the windows were fastened; s0 ho had to break, one with the butt end of his Lottle.

gemad..to. The falling gloss malce an appalling din. and be paused for a moment, his heart hammering apprehensively from fear that someone must have heard 1.5

bus and the amorous.

Wha

Jed to a closet and contáined this skylight for which he Jookings Two minutes later he was out on the roof.

Crouching dowl, to lesson the Likelihood of his allhouette agnet, the night sky being seen by someone at a neighbouring window, he made his way past a chimney stack to the roof

• of No:8,"found, the. almilar kylucht there and gently prised,

It open. The closet below was

in use as a bearoom, and he-

lowered himself

id of a large-

to the lid..

Now that tho, enemy

territory he knew that. the least note, might move this undoing, Tiploring over to the door, he turned the handle and emsed. It wito tough to peor through. Dimly he could make out the banisters of the land- ing.

His luck in

Unslinging bia. bottle, he grasped It by the neck, slipped through the door, and drew it -to behind film. Out on the land- Ing ho paused to Haten. No sound reached him-until, yės, a sort of whispering: a faint gobbling

an

His heart bean få hammer wildly, Ho had felt certain that it Enid was still in the house they would have confined her either in the bisement' or attie His fuck was in suli moving like a sharlow, he eased open the door from behind which the sobbing came. The room was in darkness, so ho switched on the light, and there was his lovely Enid lying tied

down on

a truckle-bed.

hja

Only the distant rumble of a With frantic angers he untied snarling her and the sat up. She was of two cats broke the stillness, pebbing sill, but now with re of the night, so he undid the Ifer Instinctively he put catch, pushed up the window arms round her to. Ut her off and clambered inside. There the bed. Her arms clored round was just enough light for, him, G, neok. Suddenly his mouth to see that he was in an empty was on harm. Her clasp tighten- scullery. Although there Was covered in an untenanted.house, instinctively he crossed it as quickly as he could.ne

a means of making him open his charged with murder she might's Ten minutes' walk brought. Ittle chance at him being did and, joy of joys, 'she returned

mouth

Felt sick

not tell the truth. Wamen, Lan him back fa Farley Street, ning know, were completely From the opposite pavement, he unscrupulous where their affee- Inspected No: 8. No lights show ilons were concerned,

ed in any of the windows. He noticed then that there was a To Lot! board outside No! 9. Thero WITO... no curtains, so evidently the house was empty.

Appalling din

his passionate kist.

Must get out

It gave on to a kitchen and beyond that was a narrow hall-

""Quick now!" "ho'' whispered way. There, It was 'pitch dark,

they drew but by flicking on his cigarette breathlessly, as

a moment, he apart. "Don't make a sound! lighter for

- All explanations later. We located the staircase.

must get out, while the A few paces brought him to good." it. Laying a hand on the banis- tera he tumbled his way round

He had known Enid for, only Litio bends of cold. per a few hours and had no reason spiration began to break out on at all to suppose that she had Lanning's forehead at the fallen for him at first sight in thought, and he felt slightly the way he had for her. There- Quickly he took another fore, it was quite on the cardi sick. swig of champagne. His in that, greatly as it would distress sunet Wis 10 abandon the si

any decent girl to do so, sho lobrier-which he was enting

to its lowest stair and began might decide to sacrifice him in without being conscious of its

11 order to save her idiot brother. favour and rush out to do

had

Gerald!

going is breathed. In the house somewhere, must find him."

sho

120

on Monday.

Walking back to the end of

the ascent. The noise of his " of Lanning sold firmly. the street and round the comer footfalls on the bare boards. may be down there. It something; but he checked it, Having decided that he dared came upon a parow alley socmed to echo through the would be mad to risk

The small gardens of the houses whole house, and its emptiness She shook her head, violently knowing that Enld's best hope of not put his neck in a noose by in Farley Street backed upon gave him an eerie feeling. He and her frm little chin stuck rescue lay in his making no going to the police, Lanning it. Turning up the alley he was breathing heavily as he out. We must! We've got tol move untli

he could act on

a moment if he a wondered for

not better bandon the counted the houses until he mounted the third fight, but he They may kill him. Leave me properly thought-out plan.

The obvious course seemed to whole business, and go into came to the gorden wall behind was so absessed with anxiety if you like, but I refuse to

1: No. 9.

about Enid that, he did not without him be to go at once to the police; hiding until matters had sorted

What will he da? See but there was the unnerving theméelves out,

But only for Unwrapping his parcel he so when he reached the top thought that they might be after a moment. He positively could tied the suring

Dennis Wheatley's" second tightly round landing.

the empty Three doors. Ifaced on to it.. him for murder. The porter at not face the thought of leaving the neck.

had seen him go off that entrancing girl at the meres bottle, then made a loop by The first he opened gave on to gripping chapter in this

which the bottle dangled from a small bare room. The second thriller epic

neck. After a quick look, round to make certain that no one was about, he grasped, the wall, of the six-foot scrambled up on to it,

and jumped down on the far side. Then he unbolted the dior in the wall in case he had to make a quick get-aways, he lat

Now that

ho was over the wall, he could see that the back of No. 8 was in darkness; so 11- seerned that its occupants had either gons early, fa bed or left the house. At the Intter thought

In the affet he was on the point of ordering a double whisky, but his the nets thirst

such Was

that it would have needed several to quench it, and he knew that if he got tight he might easily make a fool of him- self.

Beer would only dull his mind and if ever there was time when it needed Atimulating this

it.

16

WILS

This too, if ever there was one, was un occasion to dama expense; so he arder- ed a quart of champagne, a lobster, salad and brown bread and butter.

Having drunk a third of the bottle straight off, he felt better and began to concentrate. Ho hoped that he had not injured Gerald by throwing him over in front of the thugs; but if he had

Denni Wheatley

MEET AUTHOR No. 4:

has, like you, had his surprises from the story he has inherited from MICHAEL CRONIN, GEOF- FREY HOUSEHOLD, ́ ̈and LAURENCE MEYNELLA

Each of the first three of the five bestseller authors of this thriller has deftly tossed the ball, to his successor on a note of suspense.

And Dennis Wheatley's final chapter on Monday? That is intriguing you, and LP HARTLEY, who will write the concluding instalments..

WILL YOU JOIN

and, of course,

Helsinki, while the band. takes

File

sudden queasy feeling surged- up from the pit of his stomach.. The thugs, fearing that having (scaped he would bring the police on the scene, might have doped their prisoners 'and Lakken them to some other hide- outd

Spurtean by this now anxiety, ho ploughed swiftly

THE DANCE?

Party

the

Throw years ago the Finnish but, needless to say, members Communist Party announced:" of the "League”. vote as the Party's political line bhas Finriish Communist Party tells correct, but its achieve them to vote.

OR quantity as op- reat.:

posed to quality, the Furthermore, specially-trained, Communists here find commercial travellers carry the their.

Red "gospel to really `remolo - 100 best recruiting cottages; and, of course, the grounds in

the sparsely- Peace Partisans engage in populated, poorly-developed door-to-door canvassing every- regions of the north and where.

east

·No

other

The storile soil and

party has thé marshy, forest-covered the Communtate spaces aro fertile fields in the officials who deed for Red agitators, much time.

Mobile cinonias plus Part

from

ommunist orator make every

frequent visits to Isolated

illages and hamlets. Dances

in rural com

not antiafactory and Foreign advisers find the bair is not, wide. Finns rather complacent ; about Now executive their Communist On the ot

spintos Com- hand, it is a fact that there is crubstantially, no danger from the «Rada" in the" defence forces, the ollos, the broadcasting Con

com

am

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OIN

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Foodííki

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*Then you'll have ¡proved to

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