Part 20 (1/2)

wouldn't it be a streak of luck if he knew! Yes, I did the right thing in sending in that ad. One man's bitten at any rate.”

He went about the house all day chuckling away to himself.

The second incident which occurred that same day was of even a more disturbing nature. Late that afternoon the telephone bell rang, and when Bryce answered it a voice asked if he was the Mr. Bryce who had advertised for an a.s.sistant in an expedition to the Grampians.

”That's me,” said Bryce. ”But I'm sorry to say that the position's filled.”

”Why are you sorry?” the voice asked disconcertingly.

”Um!” said Mr. Bryce. ”Aren't you after it?”

”No chance,” said the voice. ”As a matter of fact, I was on the point of writing out a similar one myself, when I saw yours and guessed I'd let you do the work.”

”Who are you?” Bryce demanded with a trace of sharpness in his voice.

The man at the other end of the wire laughed cheerfully. ”Never you mind,” he said. ”You'll know soon enough, as soon as you've landed Jack Bradby's plunder. Now, I want to put up a sporting proposition to you.

We'll retire gracefully, if you'll split fifty-fifty.”

”We!” Bryce repeated. ”So there's more than one of you?”

”There's lots of us, and we've got the whip hand of you because, you see, you don't know who we are. We know you; we've been following a couple of jumps behind you right through all the records, and we guess it's high time we cashed in.”

”I'll see you in h.e.l.l first!” said Bryce angrily.

”Probably you will,” said the voice with a chuckle. ”If you won't treat with us, we'll get what we want in other ways.”

”No, by thunder, you won't!” said Bryce shortly. ”I'll warn you that I'll shoot on sight.”

”So do we,” the other laughed. ”I hope, for your sake, you recognise us first, though I don't think it likely.”

”If I catch you monkeying around I'll fill you so full of holes that your own mother won't know you from a colander,” Bryce threatened; but the voice laughed irritatingly, and when Bryce tried to get a reply he found that the other had rung off.

He flickered the hook with his finger. ”Exchange,” he said, giving his number, ”can you tell me who was speaking just now?”

”Box three, G. P. O. public 'phones,” said the girl wearily.

”Oh, h.e.l.l!” said Bryce in disgust, and hung up the receiver.

The rest of the week pa.s.sed without incident of any sort, and, despite the warning he had received. Bryce went on calmly with his preparations.

For all the fat flabbiness of him he was grit through and through, and it took more than a warning over the telephone to turn him aside once he had made up his mind to take a certain course. He went on quietly and silently; his only sign of perturbation was that first thing on Tuesday he slipped down town and bought a big calibre revolver.

Friday morning came, and at ten-thirty exactly, not a minute before or after, Mr. Abel c.u.mshaw knocked at the front door and was admitted. He was shown at once into Mr. Bryce's study, where that gentleman awaited him, watch in hand.

”On time to the tick,” he said affably as c.u.mshaw entered the room.

”Everything's ready for an immediate start. I suppose you've got all you want.”

”I'm always ready at a moment's notice,” c.u.mshaw said. ”I travel light.