XXIX + 

Limp, hysterical, and half-paralysed by her own emotions, Mrs. Gertstein took the place of Sophie Lengholm. It was an interview that did not last long, for she literally flung herself before the detective in a burst of piteous appeals for mercy. There was no possibility of extracting information from her in her present state, and Labar gave instructions that she should have the attention of a doctor. + 

Moreland came by motor to Lydd from Dover. So far as any fresh results were concerned his journey had been fruitless. The members of the crew of Larry’s boat were utterly unknown to him. But his arrival back at Lydd was opportune, for he was able to take charge of the arrangements for getting the prisoners up to London. + 

Labar himself was to follow, but he was wishful to run over to Rye to escort Penelope to town, and he determined to have a final look round before leaving the district. It was still within the bounds of possibility that some clue would arise in regard to the movements of Larry. Winter and the Assistant Commissioner also were anxious to get back to their desks in town, but decided to stay overnight in case of any fresh development. + 

The three motored over to Rye together in the gathering dusk, making a casual detour towards Mope’s Bottom at the request of Labar to pick up a report from Malone. But Malone was not there. Indeed, there were but a couple of C.I.D. men left in the house, and two uniformed constables of the Kentish force on duty outside. One of the C.I.D. men observed that a messenger had been sent on to Lydd⁠—whom they must have missed⁠—telling of two men believed to be Larry and Billy Bungey lurking in the buildings of a farm on the outskirts of Rye. Malone had at once set off to investigate, taking with him a dozen men roped in from Mope’s Bottom and its vicinity. + 

“Who brought this story?” asked Winter. + 

The officer questioned jerked his head outside, where by now, spite of the loneliness of the place, something like a small crowd had gathered about the house which had seen such strange doings during the day. + 

“It wasn’t an officer, sir. Someone picked it up as gossip outside. Malone questioned the man who started it, and decided that there might be something in it. He judged that it was his duty to go and have a look into it.” + 

“Quite right,” agreed the Chief Constable. He turned to Labar. “It’s likely enough to be a mare’s nest. You know how these yarns spread about at these times. Doesn’t sound like Larry to me. All the same we’d better go and see. It’s on our way.” + 

With this vague destination⁠—for no one knew anything more concrete⁠—they set off, the Metropolitan constable, who drove, taking the marsh road cautiously under the advice of the local policeman who sat by him as a guide. + 

On the main road into Rye, Labar had his attention drawn to an antiquated Ford which he thought that he recognised. As he suspected, it contained Malone. The big sergeant was out and at the doorway of the Assistant Commissioner’s car in a trice. + 

“I was hoping to catch you, sir,” he said addressing Labar. + 

“A stumer, I suppose?” questioned Winter. + 

“No, it was the straight tip. We were too late to do anything ourselves, but one of the Kent men has pretty well blown Billy Bungey’s head off with a shot gun. Billy’s as dead a man as ever you saw.” + 

“And Larry?” interjected Labar. + 

“Larry was in the shemozzle, but there were only two constables and he plugged the one who laid Billy out. The other gave him both barrels but he doubts if he so much as winged him. Larry held him and the farmer at bay with his automatic, and backed into a field of standing corn. Neither of them cared to follow him without more help. By the time that arrived there was nothing to find except his tracks through the corn which came out on this road. I’ve sent men the other way and we were seeing if we could pick up any trace in this direction.” + 

A few quick questions made the matter clear. A couple of men detailed to patrol the road had received information from a farmhand of two strangers moving about the outbuildings of a farm. Their movements had, in light of the mysterious police doings information of which had spread over the marsh, struck him as suspicious. + 

The two policemen, without waiting for more, had rushed to search the place. Rounding a haystack one of them had come face to face with Billy Bungey. They were perhaps a couple of yards apart. As the gunman raised his automatic the policeman fired. Billy dropped forward half his head shot away, and it was then that Larry Hughes came into view round the haystack and shot the policeman through the shoulder. The other had been held at bay until Larry could make good his escape. Then the wounded man had been assisted into the farmhouse, and in the queer way that rumour spreads, news of the adventure had reached Malone. + 

“Carry on, Malone,” ordered Winter. “We can get into Rye in ten minutes and send out help. We’ll keep an eye in this direction.” + 

It was necessary to get to Rye also to assume direction of the telegraphic and telephonic communications of the hunt. Assured that Larry was still within close reach, Labar ached to take some physical part in the hunt. Had he been alone it was probable that he would have dropped all other considerations to do so. But the presence of his two superiors deterred him from any such suggestion. + 

After all, there was little that he could do in Rye beyond sending out a few more men to help beat the surroundings of the farm, and send messages to all concerned of this new development. So far as human foresight went all the boltholes had already been stopped. But once in the town and this done, his thoughts moved to Penelope. He determined to reassure her of his safety before turning out on the pursuit once more. + 

He walked from the police station a little pleased with himself. It was the first time he had permitted himself to relax for many long hours, and calm consideration told him that he had done well. The thing was nearly over. To scour out any of Larry’s associates who had so far escaped would call for nothing more formidable than ordinary routine and detail work, now that the mastermind was a fugitive who would of a certainty be caught at any minute. It was a pity about Larry but still⁠— + 

He raised the knocker at the door of his lodgings. His matronly landlady received him with warmth. + 

“Glad to see you back, sir. There have been all sorts of funny stories round the town of things that have been happening. Don’t know how you came to miss Miss Noelson. She⁠—” + 

Labar was wiping his boots on the map. “She’s out, is she? Where has she gone?” + 

The landlady’s face dropped. “Why, she went to meet you. Didn’t you send her a note to meet you at the railway station?” + 

The detective gripped her by the shoulder and a wave of apprehension swept over him. “I sent no note. How long ago was this?” + 

“A quarter of an hour. I⁠—” + 

But Labar had flung away from her. He was running at the top of his speed in the direction of the railway station. He was, perhaps for the first time in his life, conscious of deadly fear. Instinctively he knew that such a note could have only come from one person. How Larry Hughes could have known where Penelope was, why he should take the heavy risk of being in Rye at all were matters on which the detective did not stay to reason. Enough it was to know that the girl was in danger. + 

He stayed only to fling an abrupt question to the porter guarding the platform. “Has any train gone out in this last ten minutes?” + 

“No, sir. There’s one on the other side just going out for London. Heigh, you can’t go through without a ticket.” + 

But Labar thrust him aside and took the shortcut over the rails without troubling the bridge. Another porter roused by the shout of his colleague rushed to stop him. Labar gave him a push in the chest which sent him headlong. + 

“I’m a police officer,” he cried. “Let me alone.” + 

Normally he would have cried to the officials to stop the train, but his mind was obsessed with the one idea, and for the moment incapable of coherent reasoning. As he swept by the line of carriages he caught a second’s view of the guard with his flag raised and his whistle at his lips. + 

The train began to move very slowly, but he was for the moment gaining upon it, his eyes fixed upon the panorama of the carriage windows. One glimpse he caught of a face that he knew, and jumped for the door of a first-class carriage. In the corner of the compartment farthest from him Larry Hughes was holding back Penelope with one hand while he faced about with a snarl of rage at the intruder. The door stuck and Labar wrestled fiercely to pull it open. + 

Abandoning the girl for the moment Larry leapt forward and aimed a blow at the officer which had it reached him would probably have dashed him from his precarious hold. Then like a wild cat the girl took a hand. So vehement was her attack that Larry was pulled from his balance and fell backwards on top of her. Before he could recover Labar was in the carriage. + 

He had pulled his automatic but he dared not use it lest he should hit Penelope. Dropping it upon the seat he dashed at the other man with his naked hands. Larry was taken at a disadvantage, but, powerful though the detective was, he was unable for a while to gain the mastery. Pinned for the time beneath the two writhing, struggling men the girl could do nothing. Indeed she stood in considerable danger of injury for Labar dared not relax the fight that she might free herself. + 

Larry was not so big a man as Labar, but some dynamic power seemed to keep him going. A passing fear came to Labar that the door would give and precipitate the three of them on the line. He exerted all his force to pin his antagonist to the floor, but Larry was as slippery as an eel. + 

The detective took the risk of suddenly releasing his man and stood half upright. As Larry, too, tried to regain his feet Labar with careful calculation swung at him. There was one hundred and eighty pounds of muscular manhood behind the blow, and Larry dropped as if he was shot. Labar dragged his body off the half-fainting girl and helped her to a seat. + 

“Are you hurt?” he asked. + 

She smiled faintly upon him. “A bit bruised and breathless but otherwise all right,” she gasped. + 

Satisfied that she had suffered no material harm he turned his attention to Larry Hughes. The girl was pale as she observed him examine the victim of the knockout. + 

“Is he dead?” she said. + 

Labar laughed. “No, he’s alive enough. He’ll be as full of beans as ever in five minutes’ time. Let’s see what we can do.” He lifted the unconscious man to a more convenient position. “Now if you can help me. Hold his hands while I make sure of him.” + 

She obeyed his instructions while Labar for want of anything better⁠—like most detectives he never carried handcuffs except for some definite purpose⁠—knotted his own handkerchief, and one taken from Larry’s breast pocket, about the prisoner’s wrists so that his hands were firmly lashed behind him. + 

“That’s that,” he observed, propping Larry up in a corner. “He’ll do till we reach a station. Now tell me how all this came about.” + 

Careless whether Larry returned to consciousness or not he placed one arm about her and bent his face to hers. + 

“I had a note,” she explained, “signed with your initials telling me that all was well and asking me to meet you at this train as it was necessary that you should go to London immediately.” + 

“Who brought the note?” + 

“Some boy. Probably a messenger picked up in the street. Of course I went to the station at once, but could see no sign of you, nor of anyone that I knew till the train was about to start. That was just a little before you came. Then suddenly Larry Hughes was beside me. I was startled, of course, but the audacity of the thing somehow prevented any sense of alarm for the instant. + 

“ ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Labar?’ + 

“ ‘What are you doing here?’ I cried. ‘Where is Mr. Labar?’ I was so worried about you that I was unable to think clearly. + 

“ ‘I am on parole till the train starts,’ he declared. ‘You will be pleased to learn that I have surrendered, that I am a prisoner.’ ” + 

Labar interrupted her story. “My dear child. Don’t tell me that you were ingenuous enough to swallow that⁠—to believe that I would let a prisoner⁠—especially Larry⁠—move about on his own?” + 

“It does sound silly. I was off my balance I suppose. I did not altogether believe it or disbelieve it. It sounded a little strange, but then so many strange things have happened to me. I could not account for his presence in Rye unless he had surrendered. He declared that you were treating him as a gentleman, and that you had gone to send a telegram and would be back in a minute. Malone was already in the train. + 

“We walked along the train to find the compartment in which Malone was supposed to be. All at once he gave me a quick push and thrust me into the train. Instantly he followed, pinning me down to the seat with some kind of jiujitsu hold, and with one hand over my mouth, but seating himself so that it would be difficult for anyone passing along the platform to notice what he was doing. Then you came.” + 

In the other corner of the carriage Larry Hughes opened his eyes. + 

“A fool for luck, Labar,” he said sardonically. “Things have come your way with a vengeance.” + 