The Broken Thread

by William Le Queux

the end. He deployed his men to the best oftheir knowledge of the locality.

  A rat will hide from its pursuer with great cunning, but even a rat willlose its way in a clumsy manner, sometimes. That Apache had reckonedwithout the state of the tide. He had wormed his way out of the _cul desac_, and had intended to hide among some launches in one of the creeksthat find their way in shore, if it had not been high tide. He had losttime, and, in his efforts to redouble his tracks, was sighted byHerrion, who at once started in pursuit. The Apache turned and ran.Something caused him to stumble, and over he plunged into the swingingtide, to be sucked under a barge and drowned--or to escape again. Theysearched in vain.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

  RAIFE'S RESOLVE.

  On the day succeeding Raife's night excursion, having refreshed himselfby a little sleep, that had come readily after the night's adventure,and those aids that come to a rich man in rooms in St James's, he wasplanning a day's pleasure-hunting with Gilda. He was writing a note,making an appointment, when his man, Pulman, entered and announced avisitor. "Mr Herrion wishes to see you, sir."

  "Ask him in, Pulman, I'll see him at once," said Raife.

  Inspector Herrion entered, immaculately clad, as usual, but without thedrawl in his speech which he used principally at society functions, andwhen he felt it would serve him in his work.

  "Good morning, Herrion," said Raife, cheerily, and with extended hand."What were we chasing that fellow last night for? I got so keen on thehunt, I forgot to ask what it was all about."

  Herrion smiled a cryptic smile, and then said solemnly: "Sir Raife, Iwant to speak very seriously to you on a subject that concerns youdeeply, and the rest of your family."

  "Great Scott! Herrion, what's the meaning of this? What's it allabout? You look like an undertaker. Come, my dear fellow, what's itall about?"

  "Well, Sir Raife, I am speaking to you entirely outside my professionalcapacity. If you take offence, I can't help it. I shall be very sorry,but, I repeat, I can't help it. It is the high regard in which I holdyou and your family that prompts me to speak."

  Raife laughed heartily and said: "Come, come, Herrion, you're gettingworse and worse. I shan't take offence. Sail ahead and tell me allabout it. First of all, have a drink."

  "Well, I take you at your word, but please listen to me to the end."

  Raife dispensed the drinks and Herrion proceeded:

  "The man we chased last night was one of a gang of burglars. I had wordthey were making an attempt on Gildersley House, which contains a lot ofvaluable property, and there is jewellery and plate, too. I was right.Somehow, we did not succeed in catching them. When I seized you, I didnot, of course, recognise you, and I thought you were one of the gang."

  Raife intervened. "I think that's rather amusing, don't you?"

  "No, Sir Raife, I fear not. That Apache-looking fellow is practicallyin the employ of a certain Doctor Malsano."

  Raife started, and his expression became engrossed.

  "The important part of what I want to say is," proceeded the detective,"that, although it is merely a coincidence that you should have been inthe middle of the night on the scene of an attempted burglary, I sawyou, earlier in the evening, dining at the Savoy with a Miss GildaTempest, who is supposed to be the niece of this Doctor Malsano."

  Raife sprang from his seat and said: "Come, come, Herrion, I can't heara word against Miss Tempest."

  "I ask you to keep cool, Sir Raife, until I explain to you how seriousis the situation. It is incredible to feel that your good name--SirRaife Remington--should be associated with a gang of continentalswindlers, of whom this lady is the decoy."

  Again Raife hotly intervened. "I must ask you, Herrion, not to dragMiss Tempest's name into the dust."

  "It is true, I think you will agree, that my professional positionentitles me to speak."

  Raife winced, but his was not the nature to give in easily. In spite ofhis own personal knowledge of the doctor, and of Gilda, he loved thegirl dearly, and love is blind--sometimes to the point of madness.

  Herrion continued: "I assure you, in confidence, that Doctor Malsano andMiss Tempest are liable to arrest at any moment. When I was in Nice, ashort while ago, they had a plan for stealing the Baroness vonSassniltz's jewels. She was staying at the Hotel Royal, and so werethey. In addition, this Apache-looking fellow, who fell in the riverlast night, was in their service for the purpose. He was employed as amessenger, and I had him removed. I had other work on and could notstay to protect the baroness's jewels. I did my best in thecircumstances. The doctor caught sight of me in the hotel, and he, andhis niece, disappeared at once."

  This was circumstantial enough, and, but for the obstinate strain in allyoung lovers, would have carried conviction. Raife remained obdurate,almost defiant, but the skilled observation of the famous detectivenoticed that he was wavering. With great dignity and deliberation headded: "Sir Raife Remington, in your own interests, I beg of you toabandon this mad alliance. It is suicidal."

  Raife rose from his chair and walked slowly around the room. He mixedhimself a whisky and soda, and drank the contents at a gulp. He crossedthe room to Herrion, and, extending his hand, said:

  "Herrion, you are right. I thank you heartily for your mostdisinterested action. I will abandon the whole accursed crew. Theyhave blighted my life."

  The strong, stern, little man, relentless in the conviction of crime,unwavering in the performance of his duty, had saved a man's name--afamily name. A whimsical smile spread over his countenance as he leftthe room.

  Two days later Gilda Tempest received a letter from Raife. It wasbrief, and to the point. It stated that it was his duty not to beassociated with a man whom he was convinced was an unscrupulouscriminal. He expressed regrets and bade farewell.

  Gilda's wonderful, beautiful, and yet inscrutable face did not tell howmuch she suffered. Doctor Malsano was furious, and showed growing signsof weakness by allowing his passion to get beyond control.

  A few days after the foregoing events, Raife Remington, accompanied byColonel Langton, was on his way to Egypt. Colonel Langton was abig-game shooter, and a club friend of some years standing. Theirintention was to make for Khartoum and thence up the Blue Nile.

  "The Nile-guarded city, the desert-bound city, The city of Gordon's doom. The womanless city, cradleless city, The city of men--Khartoum."

  This was to be the goal of Raife Remington who had emerged from a greatcrisis, the crisis of a dangerous passion for a woman. A passion for abeautiful woman--but a woman whose very presence seemed to heraldtrouble. The big game was to be found beyond Meshrael Zerak, and he wasto forget the loss of his love, with the companionship of his friend,Colonel Langton, among the mysterious and unfathomable Arabs of thedesert.

  Some men are destined, by nature, to live in an atmosphere of alteredplans or broken hopes. Raife Remington's inheritance had, so far, beenattended by both. Raife got to Khartoum, but he did not reach MeshraelZerak; there were other plans for him. When he and Colonel Langtonarrived at Khartoum, there remained much to be done before it waspossible to get together the entire outfit necessary to a big-gameshooting expedition. Colonel Langton's experience was essential to thispart of the work, and Raife took the opportunity of seeing what there isof the fantastic life of the desert city of Khartoum. In the daytimethe city slumbers, and when the stars or moon rise, there is life.There are cafes in Khartoum, as well as poultry-farms, in this late landof the Mahdi and incredible horrors. Raife selected a seat at a cafefrom which point of vantage to observe the passers-by on the broad plankwalk. He called for a bottle of Greek wine, an impossible concoction,less for his consumption than as a passport or ticket for the use of thetable and chair, and the enjoyment of the vantage point of observation.There were many other tables at which men sat, for be it remembered thatKhartoum is "The womanless city, the cradleless city. The city of men."They were men of many nations, from Greece, Sicily, Roumania, andnomad
ic Semitics from no one knows where. The British conquerors governthere, as in so much of the east and south, not by weight of numbers,but by the inherited knowledge that he is pre-eminently the sahib, theacknowledged ruler in such quarters.

  There was not much of comfort in the cafe of Raife's choice. The Greekwine was bad, the food he called for was worse. A couple of arc lightsshed a flickering brilliance which revealed myriad insects of all sizesand shapes, and possessed of malignity in varying degree. They fell inshoals all over the place and created a sense of nausea. In spite ofall this, overhead was the deep-blue vault of the unfathomable skiesflecked by a million stars. The stolid, sulky silence of the duskyArabs, in every variety of costumes, which include the turban, thetarboosh, loose, flapping drawers, and