The Devil's Cocktail (12 page)

Before going farther he decided to try and catch a glimpse of the lady with Novar – no doubt his wife – so that he would know her at any future time. They were apparently in the drawing room, so cautiously Cousins stretched his head round the corner until he could see into the room. To his surprise there were two women with Novar. One, a prim middle-aged lady, wearing pince-nez, was apparently looking at a fashion book; the other, a fair-haired girl, had her back turned to him, and was examining something with Novar leaning over her shoulder. The latter made a remark, which made her look up at him with a laugh – Cousins caught a glimpse of her face and drew back into the passage with a gasp.

‘Would you believe it!' he muttered. ‘The plot indeed thickens!'

He delayed no longer, but found his way towards the door. This time it was closed, but not bolted, and he pushed it gently open, and, going out, as gently closed it, and slid away into the darkness. Avoiding all light he made his way very cautiously towards the gates. On the way he very nearly walked into the chowkidar, who was sitting crouched up by a tree, with a lathi held in his hand. The man apparently heard him, for he stood up, and peered round him as though trying to discover what the darkness held. But with a stealth that would have done credit to a Red Indian, Cousins crept away and reached the gates. Here he took off the socks, and waiting until he was absolutely sure there was nobody watching outside the house, he
turned into the Mall, and strode away towards Crescent Road.

There was still an adventure before him, however, for he had hardly entered the drive leading to Shannon's bungalow, when he became aware of two shadows that dived into the undergrowth at his approach.

‘Watchers of the night!' he murmured, and continued on his way, with his eyes cast warily in the direction in which the shadows had disappeared.

Suddenly two forms silently sprang upon him. He heard the hiss of a knife and felt the ripping of cloth accompanied by a burning sensation in his left arm. He had been ready, however, and at the identical moment that his assailants attacked him, he skipped aside and fired. There was a yell of agony, one of the shadows staggered, but appeared to recover, and the two darted away into the darkness and disappeared. Almost immediately the sound of running footsteps could be heard coming from the direction of the bungalow. Cousins stood where he was, and his face started to crease into a broad grin.

‘A most interesting evening on the whole,' he chuckled aloud.

He was presently joined by the two runners, who – as he had guessed – were Shannon and Miles.

‘What has happened?' asked the former, when he discovered Cousins standing in the path.

‘I think our friends have decided that I am becoming a nuisance,' replied the little man. ‘I was attacked by two – er – shadows.'

‘Are you hurt?' inquired Miles anxiously.

‘No, I don't think so, at least not much. I am afraid though, that Messrs. Rahtz, Novar and Company owe me a new coat.'

There was no chance of their finding the assailants, so presently the three men entered the house. Joan had gone to bed, and apparently had not been disturbed by the revolver shot, as she did not come from her room to ask what had happened. Once in the sitting room the three noticed that the left sleeve of Cousins' coat had been slit from shoulder to elbow. There was a trickle of blood running down the arm, and Miles quickly helped the little man off with his coat and jacket and found a nasty cut about two inches long.

‘Say, boy,' he said, ‘you've had a darn narrow escape. Get some warmish water, Hugh – I've some lint and bandages in my room – and we'll dress this.'

Both Miles and Shannon were quite expert at first-aid work, and they made a very good job of the bandaging, much to Cousins' disgust.

‘Why make such a fuss over a little scratch like that?' he asked. ‘What bothers me is the damage to my coat!'

‘Blow your coat!' said Hugh. ‘Thank God you weren't badly hurt! What I can't understand is why you were attacked. It seems a bit weak to show their hand like this, and right inside these premises too.'

‘Was it you who fired the revolver, Jerry?' asked Miles.

Cousins nodded.

‘Yes,' he said; ‘and I think I gave one of them more than I received. Anyhow he let out a yell and staggered, but was able to run away.'

‘Well, I guess that don't help any. They didn't expect you to shoot, and got an unpleasant surprise when you did.'

‘We might as well sit down,' said Cousins. ‘I have a lot to tell you and I prefer to tell it from a chair.'

He sank into a comfortable armchair and the others followed suit, Hugh first taking care to see that the windows and door were closed, and the curtains drawn.

‘First of all, Oscar,' said the little man; ‘did you have any luck with Hudson?'

‘Not a bit! There were two other men dining. He showed a great deal of interest in Shannon, however, and wanted to know a lot of things I didn't tell him. He is sure puzzled about my staying here; I told him that I had been invited to stay till after Christmas. Darn cheek, I know, but I had to say something!'

‘Nonsense!' said Hugh. ‘You'll be staying longer than that.'

‘I guess not! Novar and Rahtz and their little crowd will get mighty suspicious if I do. But, Jerry, I'm doing all the talking – this is your innings.'

Cousins at once described his adventures of the evening, right from the time when he gave his shadower the slip in the Lawrence Gardens, until he was attacked. Neither of his hearers uttered a word until he had finished; Hugh sat puffing at a pipe, while Miles chewed a cigar.
The latter had laid aside his horn-rimmed glasses, and it was surprising the difference the lack of them made to his face. The indolent look of good humour had gone and the strength of the face now seemed to have come out almost aggressively. From time to time Hugh glanced at him in wonder; he had never seen Miles without his glasses before. At last Cousins finished, and a slow smile appeared on the American's face.

‘Not a bad evening's work,' he said.

‘What was in the letter, Cousins?' asked Hugh eagerly. ‘You can read it for yourself – it's in German and from Oppenheimer.'

He took his pocket book from his pocket and, opening it at the page whereon he had copied the letter, handed it to Hugh. Miles drew his chair close to the latter's, and they read together. It was dated from Calcutta, and after a long vague preamble about Oppenheimer's work among participants in the activity in Calcutta, none of which were mentioned by name, it went on – ‘I am distressed that the conference is to be held in Lahore, instead of Karachi where you informed me it might take place. If it had been Karachi, I would have been on the spot to leave for Germany; as it is I will have to travel many additional hundred miles by train, and train travelling in this country is an abomination. However, that is a detail, and I suppose the Mozang College is, as you say, an ideal place for a meeting of such educational importance. Is the new English professor of Sheranwala College proving himself to be the man his authorities desired? I am glad to hear that Mr Rahtz is taking such an interest in him, and watching his progress so carefully.'

The letter ended in the writer begging Novar to convey his felicitations to all his friends, and assuring the Russian of his eagerness to be at a meeting of such worldwide educational interest.

As he came to the end Miles lay back in his chair, and roared with laughter.

‘I guess that's the cutest letter that ever was,' he said.

‘It is clever,' admitted Hugh; ‘damnably clever! Nobody reading that would ever think that Oppenheimer was anything but a man interested in the progress of education, and that the meeting was anything but an educational one. I begin to grow interested in our German friend.'

‘He's a fat old boy,' said Miles, ‘who talks English with an accent as tough as Indian steak. But what a piece of luck to find out about the meeting. I was beginning to wonder how it was to be done!'

Hugh's face was all smiles as he handed back the pocket book to Cousins.

‘You've jolly well earned your supper tonight, old chap,' he said. ‘Rahtz has invited me to call at Mozang College one day, and he'll show me over it. You and I had better go together, Miles, and then we can compare notes about the lay of the land.'

‘Sure thing! The only thing we don't know now is the time.'

‘Well,' said Cousins, ‘that doesn't matter much we know the place and date.'

‘I suppose,' said Hugh suddenly, ‘this can't refer to another conference?'

‘Not on your life,' said Miles. ‘Anyhow we'll keep Oppenheimer well under observation from the time he arrives till he leaves for Karachi. We'll get a railroad official to watch for his arrival. Now then, Jerry, what are the other tit-bits you've collected?'

Cousins turned to another page of his notebook.

‘I will now, gentlemen,' he said, with the air of a lecturer, ‘proceed to read you a few extracts, which I think it will be as well to send to headquarters at an early date.'

The first was a suggested plan of the disposition of the Russian forces in India, and another of the Chinese. After that followed a note
of great interest. ‘Among our active allies,' it ran, ‘Turkey will keep the English engaged in Egypt and Mesopotamia, Afghanistan will open all the passes to our military trains, and invade the north-west frontier; and China, besides participating in the invasion of India, will attack Hong Kong and keep the English forces in the East occupied. Persia will close her ports to British ships and be prepared with all the ships she can gather together to transport the second Russian army down the Persian Gulf to India, as soon as the first has carried out the invasion.'

Hugh whistled long and softly, when he had heard that, and Miles sat back in his chair and looked across at Cousins.

‘Say, Jerry,' he said, ‘when you burgled old Novar's house, had you any idea that you were going to find this stuff?'

‘No; only hopes! But I've thought for a long time that Novar was really the moving spirit out here. And when I found out that he was attending the ball at Christopher's tonight, I thought I'd have a shot at burglary.'

‘It's been a jolly fine shot too,' said Hugh admiringly.

‘I take back what I said about your being a born valet,' remarked the American. ‘You're a born burglar instead.'

‘“Thank you, sir,” he murmured with real gratitude,' said Cousins.

‘I reckon my thinking apparatus is getting out of tune – I could have sworn that old Rahtz was the big noise!'

‘Well, anyhow I didn't,' returned the little man; ‘he might be as brainy as Novar, but he has less caution and self-control. He's full of a treacherous, vindictive cunning and cruelty, but when it comes to finesse, give me Novar every time. And now in support of my theory, I produce my last two efforts.' He took two documents from his pocket. ‘Letters actually written and signed by the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs to Novar – one giving him instructions to do all in his power with the aid of Rahtz to undermine British power and harm
British prestige in India, and the other informing him that Germany had actually and irrevocably cast in her lot with Russia, and had sent German experts to aid in the building of airships at Bokhara and Samarkand.'

He handed the letter to Shannon.

‘Good Lord!' ejaculated the latter. ‘Then we have proof that it
is
to be an invasion by air. But, dash it all how can you read this stuff? It's in Russian!'

‘So were practically all the documents in the safe.'

‘Then that language is one of the six?'

Cousins nodded almost apologetically. Hugh looked at him with pretended resentment.

‘Is there anything you don't know?' he asked.

‘Algebra!' replied the little man sadly.

‘Say,' put in Miles, ‘I guess when your Chief receives all these little bits, he will dance with excitement.'

‘May the gods grant that I will be present when Sir Leonard Wallace shows excitement,' said Cousins earnestly.

‘Is that all?' asked Hugh presently.

‘Isn't it enough?'

‘Good Heavens, yes! Cousins, your King and Country are indebted to you; you've done a hefty night's work, my lad!'

‘Sure!' said Miles heartily. ‘And I reckon the USA will feel grateful too. She isn't directly interested, but she is indirectly. You and I had better take a back seat after this, Shannon, and give the little man the glad hand while he gets busy.'

‘For two pins, not to mention needles, Oscar Julius Miles,' said Cousins with a frown, ‘I'd pulverise you!'

The American grinned.

‘Start right now!' he invited.

Cousins looked him up and down.

‘Ugh, you big bully!' he said.

‘Well,' said Hugh thoughtfully, ‘it almost looks as though Great Britain will have to turn once again from peace and gaiety to war!'

‘“From jigging veins of rhyming mother wits, And such conceits as clownage keeps in pay, We'll lead you to the stately tent of war”,' quoted Cousins.

‘That is Shakespeare, or I'm a Dutchman!' said Hugh.

‘You're a Dutchman,' said Cousins solemnly. ‘It's a bit of Christopher Marlowe!'

‘But what about that girl who gave you such a surprise in Novar's house, Jerry!' said Miles. ‘Who was she?'

‘Ah! That is the
piéce de resistance
!' returned the little man. ‘I bet neither of you fellows can guess.'

‘I'm not going to try,' said Shannon, who was rather irritated that he had mistaken Marlowe's words for Shakespeare's.

‘And I'm darned if I know enough people to make a guess!' said Miles.

Cousins leant forward impressively.

‘It was Miss Gregson!' he said.

‘Holy smoke!' exclaimed the American. ‘Not Olive?'

‘In very truth the same!'

Shannon sat bolt upright in his chair.

‘What in the name of all that's mysterious can she have to do with Novar?' he cried.

Cousins shrugged his shoulders.

‘“A woman scorned—” You know the rest!' he said.

‘Oh, but that's absurd and I didn't scorn her. I suppose a man's not bound to marry a woman if he doesn't want to?'

‘No; but the fair Olive has made up her mind to marry someone,
and she obviously took a fancy to you. No doubt she thinks she has been treated churlishly.'

‘Hugh,' said Miles, ‘I begin to see daylight. Do you remember that she suddenly became very friendly with Hudson after you gave her the go-by on the boat?'

Hugh nodded.

‘Well, I reckon that Hudson saw the way the wind was blowing, and got her to pour out her young heart to him. Then he spoke about it to Novar and Rahtz and the three of them decided to get her to come to Lahore in order that she could start some scandal against you which would mean your having to leave the place.'

‘But what scandal could she possibly cause?'

Miles shook his head.

‘That remains to be seen,' he said; ‘but you may bet your bottom dollar that Hudson will stop at nothing to do you harm. And a man who is a traitor to his country is the worst kind of scoundrel.'

‘Oscar is right,' agreed Cousins; ‘Hudson won't forget what happened on board ship in a hurry, and he'll take any chance he can to ruin you. Besides, if he thinks you are becoming dangerous, he'll do his utmost to get you out of the way.'

‘You're a couple of dismal jimmies,' growled Hugh.

‘Well, if he starts something in conjunction with Olive, or without her,' said Miles, ‘we'll start something that will give him a shock.'

‘But we can't do anything without giving the whole show away,' objected Shannon.

‘There are ways and means,' returned the other. ‘I guess you'll just have to leave it to me if Olive starts scandalising! Well! It's getting late – I'm going to bed!'

He rose, and the others presently did the same.

‘I'll have to send a long report and those two letters to the Chief by this mail,' said Hugh. ‘Would you like to send copies to your headquarters, Miles?'

‘No; I guess not. Your Foreign Office will no doubt communicate with mine. I'll just cable them to the effect that important information and documents have been sent by you to the British Foreign Office relative to the Russian activity.'

‘If you're wise,' said Cousins, ‘you'll send them by hand and not through the post.'

‘I was thinking of something like that myself,' said Hugh, ‘but whom can I send? I can't go myself and I certainly can't spare you.'

‘I'll take them to Bombay, and put them in charge of the captain of the mail boat,' suggested the little man. ‘They'll be perfectly safe then, and you can cable to say they are coming and how.'