Part 20 (2/2)

”... Mind you, I don't actually expect an attack in force, but we must be prepared. For all we know, there may be a hundred men waiting on the moor. One thing is certain. They know where, or whereabouts we are, or that gentleman on the floor would not have got in, nor all those s.h.i.+ps be cruising about outside. So we must be off with all we can take to our emergency base in the Hebrides. Once outside, nothing can touch us, of course, and we'd get up to sixteen thousand feet at once. Barometer readings make it pretty certain that it will be cloudy at dawn, and it's a million chances to one against our even being seen.”

I lay not three yards away. I had not noticed it until now, but my ankles were tied together, and, weak as I was, any physical effort was impossible. Helzephron had talked over his plans with an absolute disregard of my presence. He may or may not have known that I was conscious; quite obviously he didn't care twopence one way or the other.

And that meant one thing and one thing only.

Before the Pirate s.h.i.+p fled from its lair for the last time John Custance would have ceased to exist in the body.

”... Now for Sir John. How do you feel, Vargus? You took a nasty toss, and it's d.a.m.ned lucky for you we turned up when we did! Do you feel strong enough to drag Sir John into my room? If so, I'll go ahead and turn on the lights.”

”I'm quite strong enough for _that_,” said Mr. Vargus, with a nasty laugh, and in a few seconds he had me by the heels, and was towing me like a log over an uneven floor. It was only by stiffening the muscles of my neck till they cracked that I could keep my head from bruising badly. Then a cloth of some sort was dropped on my face and tied round my head. I felt myself carried for a yard or two, put into a chair with an upright back, and then lashed securely to it by strong cords.

”I'll call you when I want you again,” said the voice of Helzephron. ”Go and help the others load the s.h.i.+p. And remember that we must take every round of ammunition we can stow in her. Twenty-four hours' rations will be ample. We can renew those at any time. Sh.e.l.ls are quite another matter. Sacrifice everything to them.”

A door closed. I heard the creak of a chair as Helzephron sat down.

There was a long silence, and through the cloth I could feel that he was watching me.

The duel to the death began. I was as a naked man before another with a sword. I braced every nerve and stiffened my will!

”You are in a very unpleasant predicament, Sir John Custance.”

The voice was pa.s.sionless, even a little weary.

”I think it's mutual, Mr. Helzephron,” was my answer, and I put an accent on the ”_Mister_.” He should have no honourable military t.i.tle from me.

”Well, that is possible. Indeed, I admit that you have seriously deranged my plans. But the trumps are mine, after all. With your intelligence you must be aware that you have a very short time to live.”

”I don't doubt that, but I dispute your estimate of your hand.”

”May I ask why?”

”With pleasure. I don't care twopence about my own life in comparison with my duty to society. You care a good deal for yours, and you also have a short time in front of you. If it is any satisfaction to you to know, you're in a net from which even the particular minor devils that preside over thieves can't free you.”

Thus I lied bravely. A good deal, I thought, might depend on my ability to get the scoundrel into a furious rage, and, anyway, it was a delight to insult him.

A sharp breath told me that I had drawn blood.

”You use dangerous language, Sir John. You'll be sorry if you go on.”

”Now, look here,” I rapped out, in the tone I should have used to an impudent office boy, ”please understand that you can't frighten me. I know that bounders of your type don't understand a gentleman and how he feels about things. I only a.s.sure you that you will waste your time. And time _ought_”--I said it with meaning--”to be worth more to you now than all the valuables you picked from the pockets of the _Atlantis_ pa.s.sengers.”

He came up to me, and I thought that this was the moment. But he only tore the cloth from my head and returned to his chair.

I looked round with interest. The room, no doubt part of the cavern system into which the mine had penetrated, was matchboarded all round.

The boarding was painted white, and a cl.u.s.ter of electrics hung from the ceiling. There was a carpet on the floor, a couple of arm-chairs, a writing-table, and a big steel safe. In one corner was another door than the entrance one, partly concealed by a green curtain hanging from a bra.s.s rod.

Helzephron himself sat opposite. The handsome, hawk-like face was badly bruised. He stared at me with concentrated malignancy. Then he smiled, with a flash of large white teeth.

”Really, I should hardly have known you,” he said.

”I should have recognized you anywhere, even with the bruises!” I replied. ”Mr. Ashton left you your teeth, I see.”

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