1940-12-28 — Page 13

O this bright starch morning, when even Whitehall

looked gay in spite of the sandbags, Tiger Standish felt that the lugubrious countenance of Sir Harker Bellamy was more than he could tolerate.

• "Snap out of il, Frog-face!" be exhorted; "you look us Mythough you wanted to be given up for dead-and then found that you had another ten years of life! What's the

mitter, old horse?”

*The Director of Y... British Intelligence, leaned back „Ja his chair, and subjected. the Jester to a very trank stare. Funny thing you should mention death, Tiror," he observed in a tone so calm that Standish knew he wan serious, "because I've just been contemplating death-no, not my own isolated case, but the deaths of millions of my fellow-countrymen " +

The visitor put down his hat and slick. This was no occasion. he knew, for emply persilloge; Bellamy was in deadly earnest.

"Something now?" he queried, as he pulled out his pipe and began to fill it.

*Yes-und nu," was the answer. Bellamy drew a sheat of paper towards him, and, after looking at it with what (seemed disgusted eyes, passed it over to his favourite agent.

"This came from Marples, only an hour ago," he ex- plained; "I was waiting for you to come in."

Tiger die not stop to light his pipe. Marples was the best agent Y., bad in Berlin at the present time, and any- thing he sent over was likely to be the authentic goods. Moreover, there was Bellamy's manner to convince him once again that this new development in the war, of espionage, whatever it might prove to be was a matter of serious. Importance.

This is what he read:

"ilave strong supleton that Boche contemplating new and terrible' phase chemical bacteriological war- fare London and other big towns Stop Trying to check up Stop Suggest you keep eye open your ênd Y. 39," "Well?" enquired Bellamy, after Standish had handed the paper back.

Tiger took his time in striking the match, and it was not until the tobacco was burning well that he replied. Just another of the wholesale terror series, I should say," he then remarked.

He was surprised to see Bellamy shake his head."

"I don't think so, Tiger, my boy; oh, I know that we have had our bellyful in the past about entirely new types of dresses invented by the Nazis, and the germs dropped from acroplanes in the dead of night! That sounds too much like a cheap thriller to be convincing, and, what's more, all the experts consulted by our people have given it as their definito opinion that the thing isn't, possible_ you will remember yourself the reasons they put forward." "Yes, I remember them very well; the picture conjured up was so ghastly-especially to anybody with a wife or kids that it simply wouldn't bear thinking about. What's on your mind, B.?" he continued,

"

"This," replied his superior; "Marples, as you know, is a very sound fellow; he wouldn't have sent that warning unless he had had pretty good grounds for thinking there was come truth In ft. We mustn't forget, Tiger, that the Boche in the last war had somo very nasty surprises up his sleeve for us-and that he may have some even worse ones when this present business really gets going. I shall certainly take this up," Bellamy went on, pointing to the paper on his desk, "with the Director himself,ut in the meantime, you might do a little scouting round yourself."

Starklish stared.

-You want me to start chasing sumne utterly unknown and entirely new bug-complaint?" he ejaculated; "Is that the idea?"

"Be serkus, my boy," adjured the other; "you must know a mediest man of standing whom you could talk this over with in the strictest confidence."

"Oh I can do that all right. There's Lessington Cross, for instance.”

"Excellent mont” declared Bellity; "rišpTMupTMand-have- a word with him, will you?--but remind him that it's very much under the hat."

"Grou won't want any reminding on that score," re- turned Standish; "as a matter of fact, B, he's helped me out in une or two directions lately you remember the Lady Malby case?"

"Yes, of course-well, I wish you luck, my boy," as the telephone on his desk rang.

*

☆

CITANDISH found that distinguished neurologiat,· Sir Lessington Cross, sitting disconsolately in his well- appointed consulting-room. The physician greeted his caller - with a half-hearted smile. "

"What's the matter with everybody üiis morning?" de- manded Standish; "there seems a blight on the universe. I've just left old Bellany; he could talk of nothing but death, Busy?" he broke off to enquire.

Cross, for reply, pointed to the chuir usually reserved for patients.

"I haven't had anybody in this morning," he retorted; "half laricy Street's emply and two-thirds of Wanpote Street is just as bad. If it goes on like this, I shall soon be bankrupt."

"Cheer up rallied the caller; and then, conscienco pricking him, he added quickly:"Then you're not in the mood to give any advice free, gratis und for nothing, I take 117"

The famous physician snapped out of his bad mood. "I'd do anything for you, Standish, and you ought to know it. What's the matter?"

"I've not come here as a patient, old fellow," was the younger man's answer; "I'm here on a hush-hush job. The Department wants your opinion on a certain mattér. Is it all right to talk here?" looking round.

Cross nodded.

There's only my secretary in the next room, and she's discretion itself. As for the waiting-room, as you probably notleed when you come through, It's us barren as a virtuous woman. Now," passing over a silver cigarette box, "what's it all about?”

THE

It took Standish only a few minutes to detail that morning's conversation with Sir Harker Bellamy,

Now, what do you think, Cross? Is this thing possible, or, from a medical point of view, is it too fantastic to be taken seriously?" he wound up.

The reply the physician gave was somewhat discon- certing.

"I is just possible,” he replied; "in fact, I've often thought that if a bacteriologist of genius started experiments in mating the bugs of two entirely different diseases, he would probably get some hair-raising results. On the other

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

The bacteriological war- most deadly of fiendish Nazi weapons-comes perilously close to being unleashed over the British

Isles, but Tiger Standish, brilliant intelligence agent,

December 28, 1940.

enlisted the services of all kinds of specialists and theso work in different fields, bacteriology included. Does that ́ convey anything to you?

"Of course, your own so-called 'experts' have told your Government that there can be no question of bacteriological warfare proving successful. When we read that in Ger- many, we laughed—you sco, those same so-called 'experta' did not know that German genius had brought into existence an entirely new bacillus to which there is no known anti- dole, not even in our own country,

"Of course, we are working on that now, and before long I have no doubt we shall prove successful; but, un` I have already told your to date, there is no known cure- or even remedy for Virus X, as this new bug has been. called,

›

'Before we go any further. let me tell you something about 'Virus X: it will be an intensified form of Asintic cholera; at least a thousand times more deadly than the disease we know at present. It will sprend so quickly through a country that it will claim millions of fresh victims a day: the contagion will be at least ten thousand Limes more rapid than, anything that has ever been ex- .perienced.

How will I be spread? Well, remarkably

of the contagious, it will be disseminated not only through the

prevents the spread of the

VIRUS X

hand, such bizarre proceedings might prove a complete #top."

"Then you think it possible that an entirely new disease, for which there could be no immediate cure or even treat- ment, is within the realms of practicnilty?"

A can tell you, Tiger, is that I have been thinking along those lines--ever since, in fact, I happened to rend an article in a German medical journal which hinted at something of the sort."

Standish softly whitled.

"Pretty alarining prospect, isn't it?"

"It Is but, remember, I'm only giving you my own personal views. On the other hand, it may be that we in this country, ought to be on our guard for something of the sort, And if I had my way," the speaker went on, his eyes glistening, "t would have general clean-up of some of these danied refugees-a few are all right,, but the majority are poisonous."

"Refugees?" Standish did not quite understand. "Alien doctors, then," was the irritable rejoinder; "several very unsavoury specimens have been allowed to start practising in this district; and they ought to be hooked out."

"What about your trade union-the General Medical Council, don't they call it?"

The neurologist shrugged. It was an eloquent gesture. “If a struggling G.P., goes the slightest way off the straight line, and he is reported, he's for it; if, on the other hand, a famous physician, and I could give you several notes-is known to be, shall we say, 'unoriiodox'?

By Sidney Horler

then, always providing he is famous enough, of course, he is generally left alone. That is, I he can carry on without any open ncandal."

"I sec. Then there's nothing to be done? I suppose ?" as a thought suddenly struck him..

"You suppose what?"

"I was just thinking, Cross, about the possibility of one of these alten doctors being really in Nazi pay. It seems to me that a fellow with a profound medical knowledge could do a hell of a lot of harm, especially_aiter what you have just told me,” “

"He certainly could." was the emphatic response; "and if you ask ine, Tiger, one fellow you ought to watch is the bloke next duur."

"Next door! That's rather close, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is especially as we're sworn enemies! I was against the man being allowed to practise from the begin- ming, because I'd heard the sort of things he aid in Beran, and he's got his knife well into me in consequence. Not that he can do me any harm, of course but--"

"Interesting 05 this professional feud-history was, Standish concentrated instead on the essentinis,

"What's this man's name?" "Noraheimer... funny thing; there he is, going out to his car now."

Cross, who had been standing by the window, beckoned to Standish,

Tiger was able to get a good view of the man. He saw a tall, stouty-built man of 50 or so, waking with n stuf, pseudo-inuitury strut. He hati a strong but unpleasant face, marked by a scar running from the right ear almost

"Scarcely a beauty, 'is be?" he commented. "He's a skunk!" was the emphatic retort,

☆

*

HE harsh voice had triumphant boasting in it. THE

"You have only yourself to thank for being here, my dear colleague," it said; but for the animosity you have shown towards nie, I might have selected another-" the vaice paused for a moment-patient".

The man who was bound to what appeared to be an impromptu operating table, felt his anger temporarily overcome by the inflexion in the speaker's voice as he said the last word "patient". What did it mean? It had a sinister sound. Sir Lessington Cross ached to ask a number of questions, but his thirst for knowledge made him exercise self-control.

.

The voice of Dr. Oskar Nordheimer went on.

"A rather stupid young man came into my consulting- room: the other day, Sir Lessington," It aid: "he gave his none as Birties, and he pretended to want my advice about the state of his health. I came to the con- clusion that he was masquerading--perhaps an agent of British Intelligence. Aen Ï' right?"

"Again there was silence.

"I can tell from your obstinate refusal to speak that I am right. You can take it from me that he was sent about his business-I told him I was a specialist in women's diseases, that I never by any chance took men patients, and that, in any case, I was for too busy to give him any more of my me. He went looking rather foolish, Perhops he reported back to you?--I noticed him gelag into your house a couple of days ago."

Sull

the bound figure remained silent. "But now to business: I mentioned the word 'patient' a few moments ago. It may have had an odd sound to you, but as a medical man yourself, you will appreciate the appropriateness of the term when I explain that you are about to contribute towards the advancement of modern science. In doing so, you will be rendering a great service -no, not to your country, but to mino: Nazi Germany!.

"Wo of the Third Reich are determined to win this war, Sir Lossington, and with typical German thoroughness, we are not leaving anything to chance. The Fulchrer has

breath but through every pore of the first patient's body. "And it is you-you who will have the honour, my dear Sir Lessington Cross, of being that first patient! That is why you are here now. After you have been Inoculated, you will be allowed to go but wherever you proceed, you will claim.comrades in your distress; and very quickly, too; the bug only takes 24 hours to act, and, long before your body is a mass of corruption, against which, as I have aiready told you, there is no known antidote, you will have Infected everyone with whom you come even remotely into contact.

"I myself am willing to die in the service of my beloved Fuchrer. As for you, even if you should decide to commit suleide, or go Immediately into hospital, the result will be the same: you will not only be doomed yourself, but you will be the means of dooming your entire nation. I may tell you that, in the last war, a similar experiment was made on a lunatic taken from a German asylum, but the attempt falled, first, because the new disease had not the properties claimed for it by its originator, and, secondly, the authorities of those days were too squeamish to allow it to proceed. We are not so foolish now.... You wish to speak?"

"Yes," came from the man who had been kidnapped outside the house of one of his patients in Belgrave Square two hours previously: "the only effect you have on me, Nordheimer, is to make me glad that the opinion I had of you before is now being amply confirmed; you are not only a

disgrace to the medical profession-assuring, that Is, that you are a doctor-but you are a disgrace to humanity. I fought against your being permitted to practise in London, and if there had been more of my colleagues who thought with me, you would never have been given the chance to do the abominable things that no doubt you have already done during the short time you have been In Wimpole Street,"

Dr Oskar Nordheimer smiled as he pulled on a pair of surgeons rubber gloves..

"You can say what you like about me, Cross, but you must not say that I am not a clever doctor; when I tell you that many years ago, I was a young student under the great Paul, Ehirich himself, you will appreciate that I know something of what I am talking about. Now, here is the little fellow-or rather millions of the little fellows," holding up a test tube in which was a mustard-coloured culture; "that is what is going to win not dnly this war but the whole world for Nazi Germany!"

Cross tried hard to appear unconcerned; he actually conjured up a smile as though he had been listening to the babblings of an irresponsible madman. But, beneath his outward show of composure. he felt terribly afraid.

For this ghastly thing might be the muntery as true!

Otherwise, why all this ridiculous

The facts

wero salient enough: he had incurred the enmity of this man; he had been kidnapped that night, he was powerless now to prevent the infection being made and, finally, it was fully in keeping with Nazl philosophy that a horror of this nature should at least be tried. Even if the threat of wholesale contagion affecting millions was an exoggera- tion and did not fully materialise, his own life would be forfeited.

He watched, with an ever-increasing sensation of dread, his enemy prepare the hypodermle syringe which he had now taken from a box, and realised that Nordheimer's boast that he had studied under a master of bacteriology was well-founded by his subsequent actions.

Finally, the German doctor walked up to him. There was a wolfsh gleam in his eyes.

"Where will you have it, Cross?" he asked: in the neck, perhaps?"

Stern as had been his determination not to give this fend any satisfaction, the neurologist could not keep back the gasp that rose to his lips. During the preceding few minutes, when Nordheimer had been preparing the culture. for transmission to the hypodermic syringe, Cross' nerves had almost falled him. He could see in a horrifying vision, the whole of Britain laid prostrate, trying in vain to fight a malady for which there was no cure.

"Yes, in the neck, I think," continued Nordheimer, and bent lower.

In that second, the silence of the place was shattered. Drama of another kind-more strident, it infinitely less sinister-took the singe: just as he was about to plunge the needle of the syringe into the flesh of his victim, the German - fell backwards, a small hole from which a dark-red fluid

oozed, visible in the very centre of his forehead,

Then a familiar voice spoke:

"Are you all right, Cross? Thank God, we got here in time if unly just in time. But I'll tell you all about that later. Meanwhile, are you quite all right?"

There was no reply; the, distinguished physician had fuinted..

to

"You fellows are much

too kind," replied. Tiger Standish, putting down his coffee-cup; "it was merely a case of putting two and two together and making Ave of them. After I had that talk with you, Cross," looking over at the neurologist, whose nervous system it was obvious had not yet fully recovered from the terrible shock. It had sustained, "I went the next day to pay a call on the worthy Dr. Nordheimer. Oh, I did it all according strict medical etiquette-I got a G.P. I know who lives. and when I got inside the place (it made me laugh to think out at Tooting Bee to ring up and ask for an appointment, that I was standing within a few fent of your own box of tricks), I told such a tale of woe to that bloody German- Nazi that it would have touched a heart of stone. His must have been made of cast-iron, because he didn't turn a hair, and after making me go through the hoop, he calmly told me that he was very sorry but that I had come to the wrong establishment-that he was really a specialist in women's discuses! Made me feel a bit of a mult. I can tell Yout

"But all the honours didn't go to him; during the time I was in the room-about half-an-hour, I suppose it was Inummed the beauty up pretty well; so well, in fact, that I kept pretty close tabs on him night and day over after. That same night, for instance, I followed him to that shack out in the wuds of Hertfordshire, where he used to keep his cultures. The mistake I made, of course, was getting so het up by what I found there that I didn't once think that you, old man," looking again at Cross, "were going to be implicated in any way. But when I called at your house at alne o'clock Inst night, and found the wife in a terrible state because you hadn't returned—she was always nfrald, she seld, that you'd come a cropper with your bad sight in the black-out-I got into my car and hustled down here as fast as I could lick, backing the good old horso "Intuition both ways" "2

"You saved my life," said the neurologists; "I can never forget that. What happened to the place?""

It was Sir Harker Bellamy who replied. "We set fire to it with Incendiary bombs-the only thing to be done."

(TÍIX END)

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