The plane touched the ground, rose slightly, bumped, and then glided along for a few yards and came to rest. It had hardly stopped when Wallace, closely followed by Batty, dashed from the saloon towards the station.
Just before they reached it they saw the Pathan run towards what was obviously Billy’s car. He brought down the Sikh driver, who was standing by it, with a blow from the deadly-looking instrument he held in his hand and turning dealt in the same summary fashion with a small man who was following him. Then jumping into the car he started it and was away. Wallace tried a shot, but he was too far off to do any damage.
‘We’ll get him yet, Batty,’ he said. ‘Go back for the mechanics! Major Brien is lying hurt in the station yard.’
He just glanced at the fallen forms of the driver and the other man, and saw at once that their turbans had saved them from serious injury. Billy was in a worse condition, the blood streaming copiously from an ugly wound above the right temple.
Staunching it as best he could with his pocket handkerchief, Wallace watched his friend with anxious eyes.
‘Levinsky, you brute,’ he murmured. ‘I’ll be more than even with you for this. You have taken on a greater debt than you’ll ever be able to pay!’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Levinsky Loses His Nerve and His Liberty
Billy was carried to the aeroplane. Green and Woodhouse procured water and bandages, and after some time succeeded in stopping the flow of blood and bringing him round. In the meantime the driver and the detective – for Levinsky’s third ‘victim’ was Hakim – had recovered their senses, and the latter described to Wallace how he had followed the Pathan from the train and had been just too late to prevent him from attacking Brien; how he had wrestled with him, but had been overpowered and almost throttled, but still followed him until the Russian turned on him and knocked him out.
‘You and the driver had better return to Lahore as soon as possible,’ said Wallace. ‘I will give you a letter to the Deputy Commissioner.’
He wrote a hurried note on a page of his notebook, explaining what had happened, and gave it to Hakim. Then returning to the aeroplane he found that Billy had regained consciousness, though still very dazed and weak.
‘I seem to have made a pretty mess of things,’ said the latter with a rueful smile.
‘Mess! Good Lord, you’ve done wonders! I think it was brilliant the way you picked up the trail again and followed Levinsky.’
‘But I understand he has got away.’
‘Not for long. We’ll soon overhaul him. And then I hope that we shall get him and the plans at the same time. After that we return to Karachi and wipe up Dorin and Co.’ He called to Forsyth and Hallows, ‘Follow that road and it can’t be long before we come up with Levinsky. Fly low and turn him into a ditch; anything you like, so long as you do not finish him altogether. I reserve for myself the coup de grâce.’
He spoke so grimly that the two airmen gazed at him curiously, and even Billy looked up with interest.
‘Why this vehemence?’ he asked.
‘I have a double score to settle with Levinsky now!’
‘You mean—?’
‘I mean nothing,’ replied Wallace, almost irritably. ‘Come on, let us get away. There’s no sense in giving him too long a start.’
He helped Billy into the saloon, and in a few minutes the aeroplane was flying not more than a hundred and fifty feet above the road. In half an hour they sighted the car tearing recklessly along, and soon were right over it. The proceedings that followed can only be likened to a cat playing with a mouse.
For a time Forsyth was baulked in his attempts to get lower by the trees that lined both sides of the road and by the proximity of telegraph wires, but at last they came to an open space where there were no trees and where the telegraph wires meandered away from the roadside. The airman immediately took advantage of this and descended until he was flying not more than ten or a dozen feet above the car.
It takes a man of iron will to keep his nerve when driving a car with an aeroplane fifty or sixty feet above, but when that aeroplane is only a few feet up it is almost impossible. The roar of the engine is terrible in its intensity, and the whirr of the propeller causes such a blast of wind that it would sweep anything but an exceptionally heavy object away.
Levinsky proved himself almost a superman. He clung tenaciously to the wheel and, crouching over it, drove on with only an occasional wobble in his head‑long course. Once he cast a malignant look upwards, but the watchers above could see the sweat of a great fear covering his brow. Still he hung on desperately, striving to reach a belt of trees about a mile ahead where he knew the aeroplane would be compelled to rise higher, and where he could possibly abandon the car and escape into the woods. But Forsyth sank lower and still lower until the runners of the aeroplane were hardly more than a foot above Levinsky’s head. Then the suction of the propeller started to act. A sensation as though some gigantic magnet was drawing him upwards came over the Russian; a groan of agony broke from his lips as, clinging with all his strength to the steering wheel, he felt as though his arms were being torn from their sockets. He could not keep his seat, his body seemed to be gradually rising, the car behaved in a drunken manner, lurching from one side of the road to the other. Then the tortured man’s resistance broke and, with a cry of fear, he swerved the machine into the ditch, where it turned over and threw him several yards away. He was not much hurt, but his nerve was temporarily shattered, and he lay where he had fallen, trembling as with the ague, his breath coming in great sobs.
Forsyth brought the machine to earth as near as he could, and Wallace and Brien alighted and walked over to the prostrate man. They had watched his efforts to escape with grim interest and had seen how frantic his terror had become, but there was no pity on Wallace’s face as he stood regarding him and listening to his laboured breathing. He merely ordered Batty to bring some water and, when it had arrived, threw it over the Russian, who presently ceased trembling and after a moment or two shakily sat up.
‘Well, Levinsky,’ said Leonard, ‘we meet once more. I hope you appreciate your somewhat novel adventure!’
‘You inhuman brute!’ gasped the spy vindictively. ‘You coward!’
‘Many thanks for the pet names. Coming from such a gentleman of virtue, they are indeed worthy.’
‘You will suffer for this. I may be in your power now, but it will not be for very long.’
‘Dear, dear! That will be disappointing. Well, we cannot hold a friendly meeting here, so I suggest that you accompany us back to the aeroplane.’
‘By what right do you interfere with me? I am a perfectly respectable agent of a well-known firm, and you have nothing against me.’
‘And you are not the prime mover of the Russian Bolsheviks in India, of course; neither is your name Levinsky?’
‘My name is Silverman, and I know nothing of Russian Bolsheviks.’
‘Billy,’ said Leonard seriously, looking at his companion, ‘we must have made a mistake. This gentleman is a harmless commercial traveller, who makes himself up as a Pathan the better to sell his firm’s goods, and hits you on the head to impress you with their worth.’
But Billy was in no mood for humour. His head felt as though it were splitting.
‘What’s the good of telling us a yarn like that, Levinsky?’ he said. ‘You know us, and you also know that we know you. You escaped us once some years ago, but we’ve got you now, and we’ve got you for keeps this time.’
The spy stood up and bowed ironically.
‘It does me good to hear such optimism, Major Brien,’ he said. ‘As you say, it is rather useless keeping up this pretence, so I will drop it and bow to the inevitable. It is certainly a relief to be able to remove these things.’
He took off his turban and the wig, then gradually pulled the beard from his face – apparently a somewhat painful process, to judge from the grimaces he made.
‘Now I am at your service, Sir Leona
rd!’
‘Then first you can hand over any arms you have on you.’
The spy took a revolver from among the folds of his clothes, and gave it to Batty, who was standing by him.
‘Anything else?’ asked Wallace.
‘No,’ was the reply.
‘You’d better search him, Batty. I daresay he is lying.’
He was. Batty conducted his search thoroughly and found a long ugly-looking knife. The Russian merely shrugged his shoulders.
‘It is a pity you discovered that,’ he said.
Nothing else was forthcoming, so he was taken to the aeroplane, and ordered into the saloon.
‘What about the car?’ asked Billy.
‘We’ll leave it here and it can be collected in due course by the police. The Superintendent at Samasata will see to that.’ And Wallace gave orders to Forsyth to return to that town.
On the way back Levinsky showed no concern whatever over his capture. He seemed to have entirely recovered from the shock he had received to his nerves and actually attempted to enter into conversation, but he received no encouragement whatever from either Wallace or Brien.
‘I do not seem to be popular,’ he remarked to Batty.
‘Stow it!’ replied the sailor shortly, and so he lapsed into silence.
Samasata was reached just after noon, and the aeroplane alighted on the same open space that had been used as a landing-ground earlier in the morning. Wallace sent one of the mechanics for the Superintendent of police, then he looked grimly at Levinsky.
‘Now we’ll talk!’ he said.
‘Certainly, Sir Leonard. As a matter of fact I am tired of keeping silent.’
‘Before going further, I want Major Elliott’s plans which are concealed on your person.’
‘Plans! I know nothing of any plans!’
Leonard regarded the spy fixedly for a minute or two.
‘Listen to me, Levinsky,’ he said. ‘I am in no mood for any fooling, and I warn you that if you try it on I will show you no mercy. Give me those plans.’
‘I have no plans of any sort, I assure you!’
Wallace turned to Batty.
‘Tear every shred of clothing from that fellow’s body,’ he said, ‘and examine it!’
The Russian stiffened, and stepped back as the sailor advanced towards him.
‘Just a moment!’ he said. Wallace stopped Batty by a motion of his hand. ‘I suppose it is no use my continuing to deny any knowledge of the plans you are after,’ went on the spy; ‘but before you put upon me the indignity you threaten, I’ll admit this – I know where the plans are, but I give you my word that they are not in my possession.’
‘Carry on, Batty!’ said Wallace and lit a cigarette. The ex-naval man immediately laid hands upon Levinsky, and commenced to pull his clothes off. With a cry of rage the latter tore himself away and stood fiercely facing the sailor, his hands clenched, and a look of hatred on his face.
‘You dare!’ he shouted.
Leonard drew his revolver, and held it lightly in his hand.
‘If you resist,’ he said, ‘I shall be under the painful necessity of shooting you like the dog you are, and it is just as easy to search a dead man as a living one. Which is it to be?’
‘Shoot away, you coward!’ ground out the other.
‘Right-ho!’ He raised the revolver, and pointed it between the Russian’s eyes. ‘I’ll give you a chance,’ he continued. ‘Go in and continue your work, Batty, and keep low, for if he makes the slightest effort to stop you, I’ll fire!’
The sailor caught hold of the spy once more. For a moment it looked as though the latter intended to make a fight for it, in spite of his danger. He glared at the firm, grey eyes looking steadily along the barrel of the revolver, then with a shrug and a sigh he dropped his arms.
‘You’ll pay for this insult!’ he said.
Leonard put the revolver in his pocket, but did not reply. With no gentle touch Batty removed the garments of the supposed Pathan one by one and, examining them carefully, threw them on the floor. Brien picked them up and subjected them to a further scrutiny. At last the spy stood practically naked, but there was not a sign of the plans. Wallace went carefully through the heap of clothes himself, with no result.
‘For once in a way, Levinsky, you appear to have told the truth,’ he said. ‘Now perhaps you will tell me where the plans are!’
‘No!’
Wallace’s eyes narrowed.
‘It looks,’ he said, ‘as though you and I are going to quarrel.’
‘I feel certain we are,’ said Levinsky insolently. ‘Won’t you try your famous shooting trick again?’
‘Put your clothes on! I have nothing more to say to you just now.’ And he turned away.
The Russian seemed to think deeply for a moment, then:
‘I suppose that I had better admit that I am beaten,’ he said. ‘The plans are in the pocket of the car I stole, next to the driving-seat.’
At this surprising change of front Brien looked at the spy curiously, and Batty with contempt. Leonard, however, merely turned and smiled quizzically at the fellow.
‘Levinsky,’ he said, ‘you seem to have an almost constitutional dislike of telling the truth … Keep him well covered, Batty, and don’t hesitate to shoot if he makes any aggressive movement. I’ll send in Green to help you tie him up.’
And turning on his heel he left the saloon followed by Brien. He beckoned to the mechanic who was standing nearby, and sent him in to Batty’s assistance.
‘What makes you think that Levinsky is lying about the plans?’ asked Billy. ‘Isn’t it very likely that he shoved them into the pocket at the last minute in the hope that he could escape from us, go back later, and obtain them?’
‘No! Such simplicity is not the Levinsky way. I don’t think he has done us yet, but he very nearly succeeded, and I could kick myself for not being more careful.’
‘You’re talking in riddles,’ grumbled Billy. ‘What is the big idea now?’
‘Simply this. In our eagerness to catch Levinsky we have entirely forgotten that he had a companion with him in the car that you chased. That companion escaped from you with the Russian at Samasata, and it seems obvious to me that while Levinsky disguised himself as a Pathan and went towards Bhatinda, the other man has gone on to Karachi with the plans.’
‘Good Lord! … But why disguise himself if he meant to act as a decoy? I might not have recognised him.’
‘He intended to get away if he could, but probably thought that if you did recognise him in his get-up, you would be all the more certain that he had the plans. Levinsky thinks of every possibility. He only made one mistake, and that was in not anticipating that we could fly after him. The trouble is – and no doubt it occurred to him at once – that we do not know the other man by sight. I suppose you would not recognise him again?’
‘I never saw him – who is he, anyway?’
‘Ata Ullah, the proprietor of the place we raided in Lahore.’
Presently the Superintendent of police arrived, with Woodhouse sitting on the pillion of his motorcycle.
‘I understand you have caught your man, sir,’ he said.
‘Yes, but unfortunately the other fellow must have got away with the plans. I suppose you have made no arrest?’
‘No, sir. I raked the district where the two of them disappeared, but there wasn’t a person who was unable to account satisfactorily for his movements, and they were all residents of Samasata.’
‘Nevertheless, somebody gave the two shelter. However, it can’t be helped. I intended handing Levinsky over to you, and sending him under a strong escort to Delhi, but I have changed my plans – I shall take him on to Karachi with us. By the way,’ he turned to Brien, ‘you were waiting for a Karachi train that left at five, weren’t you?’
Billy nodded.
‘When does that train reach Karachi?’ Wallace asked the Superintendent.
‘About noon tomorrow, sir; it is very slow an
d stops everywhere. There is a mail through at two, though, which gets to Karachi at nine in the morning, but it does not stop here.’
‘Is there anywhere on the line where a passenger in the slow train can change into the mail?’
‘Yes; at several places, but the express actually catches up the other at Rohri.’
‘Well, it’s pretty certain, I think, that the man we are after will change into the mail train somewhere or other, so he will be in Karachi at nine. As none of us have the vaguest idea what he is like, will you ring up Mr Rainer at Lahore, and get a description of him, and then telephone it through to Major Watkins at Karachi?’
‘Very well, sir. What is his name?’
‘Ata Ullah.’
The Superintendent made a note.
‘Is there anything else, Sir Leonard?’ he asked.
‘Tell Major Watkins that we are on our way and hope to reach Karachi before dark!’
Wallace called Forsyth and asked him if he required any petrol or oil, and was assured that the aeroplane had enough to take them to Karachi.
‘Can you get us there tonight?’ asked Leonard.
‘Yes, sir,’ replied the airman, ‘if we start soon.’
‘We’ll start immediately.’ Shaking hands with the Superintendent, Wallace and Brien stepped into the saloon, and found that Batty and Green between them had tied up Levinsky so securely that he had the appearance of a trussed fowl. He glared malignantly at Wallace, but said nothing, and the latter merely looked at him as though he were a piece of useless lumber.
A slight defect found in one of the struts caused a delay, but Green and Woodhouse did not take long to put it right, and a quarter of an hour later the aeroplane was devouring space once more, with her nose set in the direction of Karachi. If Levinsky felt any curiosity as to his destination, he did not show it and indeed appeared for a long time to be asleep. He was given some food, which he at first refused but hunger apparently getting the better of him, he later fell to with a hearty appetite and consumed all that was put before him, his hands having been released to enable him to use them.
The Mystery of Tunnel 51 (Wallace of the Secret Service Series) Page 22