Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE THREE HOSTAGES. the skulls of cavemen, and his eyes to have a blue light in them like the sunrise of death in an arctic waste. One day I had a very narrow escape. f went to the club to see if there was any- thing from Mary, and found instead a long cable from Gaudian in Norway. I had just opened it when I found Medina at my el- bow. He had seen me enter, and followed me, in order that we should walk home to- gether. Now I had arranged a simple code with Gaudian for his cables, and by the mercy of Heaven that honest fellow had taken special precautions and got some friend to send this message from Christiania. Had it borne the Merdal stamp it would have been all up with me. The only course was the bold one, though I pursued it with a quaking heart. “ Hello!” I cried. ‘ Here’s a cable from a pal of mine in Norway. Did I tell you I had been trying to get a beat on the Lear- dal for July? I had almost forgotten about the thing. I started inquiring in March, and here’s my first news.” I handed him the two sheets, and he glanced at the place of dispatch. “Code,” he said. ‘‘ Do you want to work it out now?” “Tf you don’t mind waiting a few sec- onds. It’s a simple code of my own inven- tion, and I ought to be able to decipher it pretty fast.” We sat down at one of the tables in the hall, and I took up a pen and a sheet of note paper. As I think I have mentioned before, I am rather a swell at codes, and this one in particular I could read without much diffi- culty. I jotted down some letters and num- bers, and then wrote out a version, which I handed to Medina, This was what he read: Upper beat Leardal available from first of month. Rent two hundred and fifty with option of August at one hundred more. No limit to rods. Boat on each pool. Tidal waters can also be got for sea trout, by ar- rangement. If you accept please cable word “Ves.” You should arrive not later than June 29. Bring plenty of bottled prawns. Motor boat can be had from Bergen. Ander- oe se Hotel, Christiania. 137 But all the time I was scribbling this nonsense I was reading the code correctly and getting the message by heart. Here is what Gaudian really sent: Our friend has quarreled with keeper and beaten him soundly. I have’ taken charge at farm and frightened latter into docility. He will remain prisoner in charge of ally of mine till I give the word to release. Meantime think it safer to bring friend to England and start on Monday. Will wire address in Scot- land and wait your instructions. No danger of keeper sending message. Do not be anx- ious, all is well. Having got that clear in my head, I tore the cable into small pieces and flung them into the waste-paper basket. ‘Well, are you going?” Medina asked. ‘““Not I. Um off salmon fishing for the present.” JI took a cable form from the table and wrote: “ Sorry, must cancel Lear- dal plan,” signed it “ Hannay,” addressed it to ‘“‘ Andersen, Grand Hotel, Christi- ania,” and gave it to the porter to send off. I wonder what happened to that telegram. It is probably still stuck up on the hotel board, awaiting the arrival of the mythical Andersen. On our way back to Hill Street Medina put his arm in mine and was very friendly. ‘“T hope to get a holiday,” he said. ‘* Perhaps just after the beginning of June. Only a day or two now. I may go abroad for a little. I would like you to come with me.” That puzzled me a lot. Medina could not possibly leave town before the great liquidation, and there could be no motive in his trying to mislead me on such a point, seeing that I was living in his house. I wondered if something had happened to make him change the date. It was of the first importance that I should find this out, and I did my best to draw him out about his plans. I could get nothing out of him except that he hoped for an early holiday, and “ early ” might apply to the middle of June as well as to the beginning, for it was now the 27th day of May. Next afternoon at tea time, to my sur- prise, Odell appeared in the smoking room, followed by the long lean figure of Tom Greenslade. I never saw anybody with oO Eomichbooks co