The Pit Prop Syndicate

e friends moody and engros

men of his age he had had affairs of varying seriousness, which in due time had run their course and died a natural death. But this, he felt, was diffe

ship it would at least settle the smuggling question. He did not think that any article could be shipped in sufficient bulk to make the trade pay, unnoti

d actually been arranged for that very day. While in the neighborhood they had been asked virtually to make the manager's house their headquarters, and it was evide

had been deliberately caused by Mr. Coburn with the object of keeping himself and Merriman under observ

d return to Bordeaux, ostensibly to resume their trip east. From there they would come out to the clearing by road, and from the observation post they had already used keep a close eye on the ar

d had so obviously fallen in love with this Madeleine Coburn was an unexpected and unfortunate complication. He could, of course, play on the string that the girl w

breakfast pipes, he broached the subject. But as

not concern us, and we are met with kindness and hospitality and invited to join a family party. Good Lord, Hilliard, I can't

elieve, and so must you, that there is something queer going on. We want to be sur

mollified by the other's attitude. "But I don't. It is quite absurd to suggest the Coburns

get no more. He therefore dropped the subject and they c

ted on their going over the whole place again. He showed them everything in detail, and when the inspection was complete both men felt more than ever convinced that the business was genuine, and that nothing was being carried on other than the ostensible trade. Mr. Coburn,

petition growing keener, and our margin of profit is dwindling. We are handicapped also by having only a one-way traffic. Most of the Baltic firms exporting pit-props have an import trade in coal as well. This gives the

ed and Mr. Co

boxes and nothing else, and two others are thinking of following suit. Then I am considering two developments; in fact, I have decided on the first. We are going to put in an air compressor in our engine-room, and us

. "I don't know much about it, but I believe so

ies to try a piece of it, and if that does well it might develop into a big thi

ir excursion. They visited a part of the wood where the trees were larger than near the sawmill, an

up in the launch, and Merriman's dream of making tea with Miss Coburn materialized. The more he saw of the gentle, brown-eyed girl, the more he found his hea

ned away and they came on vineyards. There they went ashore, and it was not until

d in sight of the wharf Mr.

She has made a good run. We weren't expe

, rounded bows sitting high up out of the water, a long, strai

ecially designed for carrying the pit-props, and also for this river. She

rprise-were not, he now saw, really suspicious at all. Mr. Coburn's remark met the first of these points, and showed that he was perfectly alive to the handicap of a oneway traffic. The matter had not been material when the industry was started, but now, owing to the recovery of the Baltic trade after the war, it was becoming important, and the manager evidently realized that i

crew of five men as well as the oil tanks and certain stores. Then amidships was a long expanse of holds, while aft were the officers' cabins and tiny mess-room, galley, navigating bridge, an

y in summer we could put ten thousand on her if we tried, but she is rather shallow in the draught for it, and we don't care to

haven, with a heavy jaw and thin lips which were compressed into a narrow line. His expression was vindictive as well as

an, as his gaze fell on himself and Merriman, give a sudden start, and then flash a quick, questioning glance at Mr. Coburn. The action was momentary, but it was en

ntly recovered himself, pulled off his cap to Miss Coburn an

he manager went on. "Yo

manner singularly cultivated for a man in his posit

ar as he could see, left nothing to be desired. They visited every part of the vessel, from the forecastle storerooms to the tunnel of the screw sh

ulla-strolled up with them and remained for dinner, but left shortly afterwards on the plea of matters to attend to on boar

that to try to satisfy his curiosity he would go down to the wharf that night and see if any INTERESTING operations went on under cover of darkness. The id

sighted the ship until they had left the manager's house at the conclusion of the game of bridge, not five minutes ago, he had been in Mr. Coburn's company.

reached the launch h

ng in. Don't wait up for me. Put out the light when you've done wit

bered on board the launch and disappeared below, while Hilliard, remaining

rmur of the moving mass of water was punctuated by tiny splashes and gurgles as little eddies formed round the stem of the boat or wavelets broke against the banks. Hilliard's eyes had by this time become accustomed

he landing steps. But as he rounded the vessel's stern he saw that her starboard side was lighted up, and he ceased rowing, sitting motionless and silently holding water, till the boat began to drift back into the obscurity down-stream. The wharf was above the level of his head, and he co

ce without coming within the radius of the lamp and so exposing himself to the view of anyone who might be on the watch on board. He recollected that

er deck was not more than six or seven feet above water level. It occurred to him that if he could get hold of the mooring rope pawls he might be able to climb aboard. But this after

The hull lay touching the vertical piles, and Hilliard, edging along a waling to the front of the wharf, felt with his foot through the darkness for the stern belting. The tide was low and he found this was not more than a foot above the timber on which he stood. He could now see the deck light, an electric bulb on the side of the captain's cabin, and it showed him the top of the taffrail som

narrow passage some forty feet long at each side of the central cabin. This cabin contained the galley and mess room a

of this building most of the remaining bridge deck was taken up by two lifeboats, canvas-covered and housed in chocks. On the

Here also it was dark, but a faint light shone from the window of the captain's cabin. Stealthily Hilliard tiptoed to the porthole. The glass was hooked back, but a curtain hung across the ope

a door open. There was a step on the deck below, and the door slammed

re lighted up, but the port boat was in shadow. He could distinguish it merely as a dark blot on the sky. Recognizing that he must be hidden should the port deck

n he walked with leisurely, unhurried footsteps. He kept to the dark side of the ship, and Hilliard, though he

pproach of a second individual, and in a

are you

men fell to pacing up and down, talking in low tones. Hilliard could catch the words when th

d Captain Beamish mutter. "What on

rumbled Bulla with a fat chuckl

be in an unenviable frame of mind. "Damned nuisance thei

uld fancy. Probably out do

liard could not hear the reply. When th

y. "He suggests a second depot on the other side, say at Swansea.

old hooker as it is," Bulla objected. "I

ggests a s

"But that's no new SUGGESTION. That was p

cumstances have chan

in reference to the proposed depot at Swansea-"it would look all right on account of the coalfields"-was suggestive. Surely that was meaningless unless there was some secret activity-unless the

red round the deckhouse he heard their hoarse laughter ring out. Then the captain cried: "That you, Coburn?" The murmur

from his hiding place, he crept stealthily along the deck in the hope that he mi

window through which he had glanced before. As he approached he heard a murmur of voices, and

urn sat round the central table, which bore a bottle of whisky, a soda siphon and glasses, as we

t anything about them?

Seymour Merriman, junior partner of Edwards & Merriman, Gracechurch Street, Wine Merchants. That's the dark, square-faced one-the one who was here before. The other is a man called Hilliard. He is a clever fellow, and holds a good position

t think they

er plate that day. I told you, you remember. Henri is sure that he did, and Madeleine thinks so too.

elf account for

Coburn h

then with a grimace he continued: "But I'm

ineer, made a

this evening I thought there was something in the wind. I gues

g man

look of relief. "I think it's a mare's ne

iman, but I'm hanged if I know what to think about Hilliard. He's pretty observant

for us, isn't it

ving up the props and going in for paving blocks and so on which I think he swallowed. But why should h

e anything suspic

at I ha

em trying to pum

ev

mish moved

h a trace of aggression in his manner. "Let's

arn something which would throw a light on these mysterious happenings. But alas for him! Just as the manager began to s

had consciously thought out the situation he found himself creeping silently up the ladder to the bridge. There he believed he would be safe from observation while rem

after a shout of "Come in," opened it. There wa

, Henri. The skipper wants t

lipping back to his former

as working a little coaster at twenty quid a month! And you, Cobu

nored the

umble to it. What we want is to try to get our piles made and close it down before anything happens. We ought to have th

answered. "You know we have considered that again and again, and we have a

n do more now with less risk. It ought to be rec

But I won't promise to vote for it. In our busine

catching some word or phrase which might throw further light on the mysterious enterprise under discussion. While the affair itself was being spoken of he had almost ceased to be aware of his

nd he had the uncomfortable feeling that he might pay the forfeit for his curiosity with his life. He could imagine the manner in which the "accident" would be staged. Doub

ure his knowledge being preserved? He felt that he ought, and yet the desire to remain in the hope of doing still better was overpowering. But as he h

id, "There's one o'cl

en with a brief exchange of "Good-nights," Coburn and the lorry driver passed down the ladder, crossed the gangway and disappeared behind a stack of pit-props on the wharf. Bulla with a grunted "'Night" descended the port steps and Hilliard he

make in his descent should betray him if the captain should still be awake. Then, a faint light from the rising moon a

er he was on bo