The Airship Golden Hind

by Percy F. Westerman

  CHAPTER XII--CONFIDENCES

  In one of the store-rooms, the contents of which had been removed inorder to adapt the place to present requirements, sat Enrico Jaures andthe would-be assassin. They were under lock and key and had beenunceremoniously bundled into durance vile without the formality of anintroduction.

  Enrico was feeling fairly content, in spite of being a prisoner. Afterall, he reflected, nothing had been proved against him. He had scoredin his encounter with the captain and owner of the British airship, and,all things considered, he was being well treated.

  He made no remark when his new companion was gently but firmly propelledthrough the doorway. The newcomer was equally reticent; so theill-assorted pair--one rigged out in the nondescript garments of alow-class inhabitant of Gibraltar and the other in European clothes anda tarboosh--sat in opposite corners of the limited space.

  For the best part of an hour neither spoke. Occasionally they regardedeach other furtively. Then the gentleman who had demonstrated soeffectively how not to shoot straight began to slumber. Sitting on hishaunches with his arms clasped round his bent knees, he nodded hiscrimson tarboosh until his head found a rather uncomfortableresting-place on his clasped hands.

  Then in his somnolent condition he began muttering his wanderingsentences, punctuated with many "Achs!"

  Enrico listened intently. Hitherto he had been in ignorance of themotive that had prompted the would-be murderer. Now he had enoughevidence to form the conclusion that they both had a motive incommon--to wreck the attempt of the British competitor to win theChauvasse Prize.

  Nevertheless Jaures was of a cautious disposition, and when hiscompanion awoke he still maintained his attitude of aloofness.

  Breakfast time came. One of the "Golden Hind's" crew appeared withquite a substantial meal, and both men were hungry. The pure, cold air,a striking contrast to the hot, enervating atmosphere of Alexandria, hadgiven them an enormous appetite, and the fact that they had to sharetheir meals and were not provided with knives and forks did not troublethem.

  "Pass the salt," said Enrico's companion, speaking in German.

  Jaures complied without hesitation. The request was so natural that ittook him completely off his guard.

  "So you do speak German," remarked the wearer of the tarboosh.

  Enrico shook his head.

  "Come, come," continued the other. "Do not say that you cannot. I askedyou for the salt. I was not looking at it, so that you have no excuse."

  Jaures swallowed a big chunk of bread and stole cautiously to the door.For a few seconds he listened lest there should be anyone eavesdroppingwithout.

  "Yes," he admitted. "My mother was German. But don't speak so loudly."

  "From what town came she?" enquired his companion.

  "From Lubeck," he replied.

  "And I come from Immeristadt. I am a Swabian and my name is OttoFreising," announced the German. "What are you doing here?"

  "I am not here of my own free will," said Jaures, guardedly. He wasrather inclined to shut up like an oyster, but his semi-compatriot waspersistent.

  "I suppose these Englishmen will hang me," remarked Otto. "My oneregret is that I did not succeed in my attempt."

  "What attempt?" asked Enrico, innocently. As a matter of fact he knew,having watched the shooting affray.

  Otto told him.

  "The trouble is," he added, "I've been paid for this business. Tenthousand Egyptian piastres. I have a banker's order for that amount inmy pocket. Will they search me?"

  "Without a doubt," replied Enrico, whose knowledge of British criminalcourts was of a first-hand order. "But in a way you are lucky. Youwere paid--I was not. I succeeded--you failed."

  The German raised his eyebrows, but forbore to elicit furtherinformation concerning Jaures' motives.

  "My difficulty," resumed Otto, "is what I am to do with this banker'sorder. I undertook the business because I was hard up, and should I behanged or even imprisoned my family will not benefit because the moneywill be confiscated."

  He paused. Enrico eyed him thoughtfully. He would willingly robanybody. Now was a chance of enriching himself at the expense of hissemi-compatriot.

  "These English cannot keep me in captivity much longer," he observed."They can prove nothing against me. When I regain my liberty I proposepaying a visit to my mother's relations in Lubeck. Perhaps I might beable to render you a service by handing that draft to your relatives."

  Otto showed no great eagerness to close with the offer. His hesitationincreased his companion's cupidity.

  "Rest assured that the money will eventually reach a safe destination,"he urged enigmatically. "Better even to run the risk of its being lostthan to let it fall into the hands of these Englishmen."

  "That is so," agreed Otto. "At any rate I can entrust it in yourkeeping for the next few days until I know what they propose doing withme. You will, of course, be paid well for your trouble."

  Enrico waved his hands deprecatingly, swearing by his patron SaintEnrico of Guadalajara that it would be a pleasure and a duty to assist aGerman in distress.

  "Very well, then," agreed Otto, producing a paper from the double crownof his tarboosh.

  The Rock Scorp, craftily concealing his delight at the success of hisplan, took the document and glanced at the amount written thereon. Ashe did so he uttered an exclamation.

  "Dios!" he ejaculated.

  "What is it?" enquired Otto.

  "The signature--Hans von Effrich. I know the man. He was at Barcelonawhen the U-boats were busy. I helped him to--"

  He broke off abruptly, realising, perhaps, that there were limits to anexchange of confidences.

  "Von Effrich--I have never met him," declared Otto. "All I know is thathe is now an agent for Count Karl von Sinzig."

  "Where is he now?" enquired Jaures.

  "Who?--von Sinzig or von Effrich?"

  "Von Effrich."

  "He is usually to be found in Corinth," replied Otto. "Why do you ask?"

  "Because he might also pay me what von Sinzig owes me," replied Enrico."We apparently are engaged on similar tasks."

  "To cripple or delay this airship," added Otto. "Up to the present wehave not made much of a success of it. My prospects are not at allbright, but my one hope is that when we arrive at Singapore von Blickerwill be there. A clever fellow, von Blicker. I met him at vonEffrich's house just before I left Corinth for Alexandria--a month ago."

  "What is he going to do?" asked Enrico.

  "I believe he'll---- S'sh! someone coming."