The Pit Prop Syndicate

rly astir next morning, and after breakfast Hilliard went out

moments. "It's up the river-must be seven or eight miles up by the look of it; the Nort

le, found there was a train at 10.35, and

les out they stopped at a station called Hassle, then a couple of miles farther their perseverance was rewarded and they saw a small pier and shed

o Hassle," Hilliard suggested,

ey turned eastwards in the direction of Hull. In a few minutes they came in sight of the depot, half a

r

y to M

ds * *

*_

Ackroyd

ott

ne *

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]Syndicate's De

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r Hu

ng back, as they learned afterwards, until it reached the main road half-way to Hassle. The railwa

his one, besides having windows in the gables, seemed the smaller of the two. Its back was only about a hundred feet from the railway, and the space between was taken up by a yard surrounded by a high galvanized iron fence, above which appeared the tops of many stacks of pit-props. Into the ya

ped and stood

ithout being seen?" he questioned. "It's like a G

e feet high, on which lay the railway tracks. There were clumps of trees farther inland, but none along the shore, and the neare

ked as they turned to continue their walk. "Considering the populo

ded as they

uld carry on any tricks they liked the

e and passed what was evidently its frontage. A siding ran into its rear, and there were connections across the main lines and

look there!" cried

building had come into view and they were able to rea

an in considerable excitement. "By Jove! Hilliard, that's

s not so en

. "You mean that it supports my b

concern the nearest building in an isolated region is a distillery-a rectifying house, mind you! Isn't tha

between distiller

from the stills are so thorough as to make fraud almost impossible, rectifiers, because they don't themselves produce spirit, but merely refine wh

shook h

r people. I'm afraid I don't see that this place being here helps us. Surely it's reasonable to suppose that the same cause brought Messrs. Ackroyd & Bolt that at

oincidenc

we can prove that the ship brings

ed his shoulder

uestion that somehow or other we must inspect that depot, and if we find nothing we must watch the Girondin unloading

n they had imagined. Had not each had a strong motive for continuing the investigation, it is possible they might have grown fainthearted. But Hilliard had before him the vision of the kudos which would accrue to him

istillery half a mile behind, when Hil

nd watch that place. Something may happen during the afternoon, and if not we'll

depot, then creeping into a little wood, sat down

ed gently down to the railway bank, along the top of which the polished edges of the rails gleamed in the midday sun. Beyond was the wide expanse of the river, with a dazzling track of shimmering gold stretching across it and hiding the low-lying far

arrival. The door in the galvanized fence opened and five figures emerged and slowly crossed the railway. They paused for a moment after reaching the lane, then separated, four going

obese. In his rather bovine countenance hardly any spark of intelligence shone. He did not appear to hav

ut here you ca

jerked his he

e," he answere

he way and have a drink w

d this and his

replied s

ng much response from their new acquaintance, and it was not until he had

king?" Hilliard went on. "My pal and

parently noticing nothing

t thi

he boss anyway. Wher

likely. He be t

is house. Can you t

own at

t sleep at the

eps in t

cult than they had supposed. A secret inspection seemed more and

stevedoring to do. You've a stea

learned that the Girondin called about every ten days, remaining for

a fresh supply of beer, and returning to the station, took the first train back to Hull. As they

g idea first, not because I quite believe in it, but because it's the only one w

replying, h

e try to slip round secretly we shall be spotted from those windows or from the wharf; on the other hand, if we invent so

el

we can do, or else risk making a noise climbing over the galvanized iron fence. Besides we might leave footmarks or other traces. But if we go by water w

atic nod expres

about getting a boat to-morro

e should be an alarm we could get away by the river far more ea

hey succeeded in obtaining the desired article. They purchased also close-fitting caps and rubber-soled shoes, together with some food for the night, a c

lines of the buildings of the town and turning the opposite bank into a gray smudge. Not a breath was stirring, and the water lay like plate glass, unbroken by the

ey came nearer inshore, until in the fading light they recognized the railway station at Hassle. There th

gan sculling gently inshore. Several lights had come out, and presently

d yards more," said

drift on until the dark mass of the wharf loomed up ahead. Then

e letter V, one, in front vertical, the other raking to support the earthwork behind. Here in the same relative position were the steps, and to these Hilliard made fast the pai

re connected along the front of the wharf by a cross road and turn-tables. Between the lines were stacks of pit-props, and Decauville trucks stood here and there. But these details th

d wait," Hilliard whispered,

ns the light was unchanged, on the third it had moved to the first and second windows, and on the fourth it

least an hour more," Hi

e of its occupants made it heel slightly over and started a series of tiny ripples. It was not cold, and had the men not been so full of their adventure they could have slept. At intervals

lly nothing except a rusty steam winch, a large water butt into which was led the down spout from the roof, a tank raised on a stand and fitted with a flexible pipe, evidently for supplying crude oil for the ship's engines, and a number of empty barrels in which the oil had been delivered. With their torch carefully screened by the black cloth t

obsessed with the idea of seeing the unloading of the Girondin, urged that the contents of the shed were secondary, and

xample; you relieve me tomorrow night; I relieve you the next night, and so on. Nothing could be unloaded that we wouldn't see. But," he

nswered, then went on excitedly: "But, there's

" Merriman was excited in his t

le; it was a galvanized iron box with the lid riveted on, a

t was placed in the corner beside the right hand gable of the shed, that is, the opposite end of the manager's rooms, and the wooden down spout

he lid," whisp

from slipping off. They raised it easily and Hilliard flashed in a beam from

reathed. "That's all we

t. Hilliard still wanted to try the doors of

ered again. "We've do

the cask, and let one of them, properly supplied with provisions, get inside and assume watch. The other one would row away, rest and sleep during the day, and return on the fol

twenty-four hours in that b

t. We've got to. Come on, H

tide had turned, and soon they relaxed their efforts and let the boat drift gently downstream. The first faint light appeared in the eastern sky as they flo

. Then re-embarking, they pulled and drifted on until, between seven and eight o'clock, they reached the wharf at which they had hired their boat.