Evening Star Newspaper, September 8, 1929, Page 105

I P — " STAR, THE SUNDAY the smugglers’ band, we should most easily find him by discovering their headquarters. Leaving the light and noise of the Can- neblers behind us, Levallois and I walked toward the maze of alleys and narrow streets flanking the harbor, streets where anything might happen. In a few minutes we had slipped by imperceptible degrees from France into the East—the mysterious, soft-footed, fur- tive East—which here rubs shoulders daily, hourly, with European civilization, and yet re- mains absorbed in its own impenetrable am- bitions and desires. Like the eternal feminine which to man was incomprehensible while it was wrapped in its vells and mystery, but which as it abandoned its age-old attributes lost much of its aloof- ness, so the Orient by assimilating the ways of Southern France in this vast seaport has laid bare some of its motives, at any rate those which the white can understand. Nevertheless the gulf which separates the yel- Jow and the brown man from the European is very evident in those .dimly lit and strangely odorous taverns and tenements. Shrill metallic voices jabbered.in clanging Malay idioms. Monosyllabic coolie dialects, which sounded to our ears like the unmean- ing chatter of apes, spurted from the gloom of stone arches, and now and then, akin to the snarl of beasts about to rend and tear, came the rush of guttural Arabic. We picked our way carefully over the siippery cobble- stones. The sound of evil refuse falling with a splash into the stream of gurgling water which swirls night and day along the edge of the narrow pavements caused us to choose the middle way. Dressed in dirty overalls, we were able to enter some of the eating hous:s withdut arous- ing comment, but we quickly realized that with no definite clew to guide us we might search in vain for years. “No wonder the police here have found nothing,” Levallois said to me as we sat sip- ping 6ur China tea and eating a dish of cous- cous in the public room of a dingy tavern which bore the grandiloquent name of “The Pear] of the Orient.” “Chance might possibly put us on the right track,” the little fellow grumbled in an under- tone, “otherwise in this labyrinth we need the guiding hand of Ariadne. These people live two lives. The inner, true life they lead can only be guessed at; what we see is either harm- less or make-believe. But yellow and white have one motive in common. Greed! Greed for gold! If everything else fails I shall try to buy my way into one of the inner sanc- turas.” A Jarge ship had evident!ly berthed that day alter & long voyage, for soon the place began to fill with customers. Lascars and coolies mostly, with here and there a more spick and span Japanese steward. We sat idly watching them drinking and plaving dice at the coun- ter, when abruptly Levallcis kicked me under th= table. lie cuor had opened a faw inches, and I scw a bent shape slip through the gap and glide swiftly between the gamblers and the bar until it reached the shadows at the far end, where the proprietor of the tavern sat smoking a Turkish pipe. As the intruder straightened up. I caught a glimpse of the sallow face of an Algerian. Barely 10 words were exchanged, but they were enough. The landlord pressed some hidden spring; a sliding door opened and shut and like a swiftly- moving, impalpable shadow the Arab was gone. A moment later grufl voices sounded from the street and two burly harbor police kicked open the door and entered. Shouldering the startled customers aside, they marched up to the imperturbable inn keeper, while a third barred the exit, a hand on his pistol holster. “Ali came in here just now,” I heard one of the police say sharply. “Where is he? Quick—we saw him slip in and he’s wanted.” > host shrugged his shoulders and waved & +'ua hand toward the bar. “Lrarch—whoever came in is still there.” 10 the two pfficers lined up cvery one S the wall, including ourscives. Then, aft:r a quick search for hidden weapons, they withdrew, followed by curces and laughter. “You sce,” said my friend, “that's how it's done. But those three are no fools. They are waiting outside. They understood at once that the fellow they want had been hidden. It’'s lucky our pistols were not in the hip pocket or we should have been hauled off to jail. Stay here and I'll get a few more men near the place, then we'll try to find out what's behind that sliding door.” 1 stopped Levallois as he was about to rise. “Keep still,” I whispered. “The fellow with the pipe is watching us. We're the only white men here. You'll ruin our chances by going out. Even if we found contraband on the premises, we should be no nearer to our object, which is to find out where it goes. Since Juck has led us here, we'll stay and watch awhile and come back tomorrow.” After a sufficient lapse of time to allay suspi- cion, we paid for our meal and sauntered ot ‘The police were nowhere to be seen, but as we passed a narrow alley a hand grasped my arm and the light from a police lamp flashed in my face. Quickly explaining to the men who we were, we learned that Ali had been seen climbing over the dock gates. with a parcel and chased to this tavern. I admitted that the man they were after was probably still inside. but cautioned them not to take any steps unless he came into the street again. We then edged rapidly away, keeping to the shadows. and so worked round by devious ways to the back of the Pearl of the Orient. ‘We saw that a narrow court, shut off from the street by a heavy wooden gate, was access 1o another larg: rambling building. On the front was some Chinese lettering and a small sign: WU FONG & CO. Spenge énd Pearl Shell Importers. “That's the way Ali went—I'll wager. Wait here while I have a look at the yard,” Leval- lois whispered. Like a cat he sprang for the top of the wall, but dropped back with & WASHINGTON, DT, “We picked our way carefully over the slippery cobblestones.” hoarse cry of pain. I saw that his hands were bleeding from several jagged cuts. “Steel spikes, just inside, below the top,” he snarled. “I'll get even with t‘hem for that, Here—I'm taking no risks. Pour some brandy over these wounds and then light a cigarette and cauterize them. Go on—I'm a primitive savage and just as much a stoic as ever they were.” Notwithstanding his boast—I saw great beads of perspiration roll down his face as I pressed the burning end of a cigarette to the raw flesh. When I had bound some strips of linen round his hands and he had somewhat recovered from the pain of my rough and ready surgery we made a careful survey of the position of both houses, the windows and the doors. Just as we were about to.go a creaking of bolts caused us to drop hurriedly out of sight. One-half of the gate opened silently inward and a dark blot, which we guessed to be the head of a man, on hands and knees, peering out, warned us to be prepared. A moment later a crouching figure slipped past our. hiding place. With the hurt of the spikes still rankling, Levallois made a sweeping grab at the fellow's legs, while I sprang out and twisted my canvas jacket round the head, stifling a possible outery. It was Ali and we quickly bound his hands on his back and forced a gag into his mouth. A minute later we pushed him struggling and kicking into the arms of the astonished police, who still waited near the Chinese eating house, Levallois laid a finger on his lips. “Ali,” he whispered. *“Hang one of your capes over his shoulders, put a police cap on his head and get him to a taxi. You can take the credit for his capture. It was only luck anyway, but keep aho'u find in his pockets for us. We'll be along to headquarters in an hour. We may capture others creeping out from the back.” But for that night cur adventures were over. Durand was waiting when we arrived at head- quarters, a huge grin of delight on his face. “Splendid,” he cried the moment we ap- peared. “You've got on their tracks already. This Ali had a paper with several names on it in his money belt, but best of all we found a note signed ‘Le Breton,’ with the words, ‘Sponges and Shell coming on Jap. Have the cars ready.’” “What did you do?” I asked. “This is going to spoil everything.” “Oh, no. The chief gave him a good scolding for climbing over the dock gates, as though that was all we had against him, returned the note and all the other stuff in his pockets to him, and kicked him out with his blessing. Needless to say, our best Arab inspectors are after Ali like shadows.” Levallois nodded dubiously. “H-m-m, well, it wouldn't fool me, but we'll hope for the best. We are meeting Voltaire at seven, so we'll just get a little sleep and call for your detective’s report later.” E had agreed to meet Voltaire at a cafe on' the Corniche, just outside the town. The morning sunshine was brilliant and stimulating and after a short but refreshing sleep we felt quite pleased with our first encounter with Le Breton's gang, but our poor colleague had evidently passed a bad night, for we found him sitting disconsolately before a steaming cup of breakfast coffee. He brightened up when we related our adventures, and his eyes lost some of their gloom. “I followed in the wake of the steamer,” he told us, “but my launch was no match for her engines, and I was soon left behind. Any- way, she didn’t stop between Toulon and her berth, for I beached my boat and took a car, and so got to the docks just as she was mak- ing fast. If that note referred to the Tokio, the stuff is still on board.” “Very well,” I said. “We’'ll go to the docks now. Durand has a dozen men there already, and the customs have been warned; but some- how I don’t believe it's passed through the usual channels. When you've had some sleep join us at Ling Tang's place .and we'll £0 on from there to the house where Ali wag caught.” But although we kept a sharp watch on the eating house, and men patrolled the alleys and harbor-side ceaselessly, there was no sign of suspicious packages in the possession of any of the foreign seamen on shore leave. It was just after midnight and we were sitting noodily staring at the continuous stream of blue clad coolies and Lascars, when a burly- Arab came in and sat next to us. “Durand want you quick,” he muttered. We rose and left at once, and gained headquarters building near the cathedral without loss of time, thanks to my knowledge of short cuts. Durand was in the fore-court with several men, busily unloading a small touring ecar which was packed with bales tightly wrapped in tarpaulin, “We are all on the wrong track,” he said ex- citedly. “One of our revenue cars came on this one standing in a field on the road to La Ciotat. 1t had broken down and several men were busy carrying some of the bales to a taxi. They ran when they saw our men. We didn't get any of them; but I've opened several of these bundles. Look!” Spread out on the ground we saw a mound of cakes of raw opium and several heaps of embroidered silken shawls, kimonos and rolls of silk. “This was put on shore somewhere between Nice and Toulon,” Durand informed us. “But how and where is a mystery. We had a man on board watching the crew and the passengers. The Tokio never slowed down since leaving Naples and the Italian police were on board until she left. Nothing was landed there. This is evidently the consignment Le Breton was waiting for, although Ali hasn't budged from his room all day.” “Your men made a mistake,” Levallois snap- ped angrily. “They should have taken no notice of the car, and then when the men had carried the stuff to the taxi, they could have followed it to tcwn. It was a chance that won't come again.” Durand nodded. “I quite agree, but they lost their heads. Anyway we've got the num- ber of the taxi. Come up now, the chief wants to talk things over.” The result of our discussion was that Levallois decided to try to become {friendly with some cf the Chinese who were known to keep clandestine opium dens. He would go there as a drug addict and agent for drug peddlers, in the hepe of obtaining information. We accompanied him to the Pearl of the Orient tavern, after agreeing upon a signal whereby he could summon help. Voltaire was very anxious to go with his friend, but two strangers would inevitably arouse suspicion. The idea had to be abandoned. Now began an anxious time for waiting, for the risk the little fellow was taking was very great, The men we were after were known to be utterly callous, with little regard for human life. Their leaders were evidently reaping a rich harvest and would certainly not allow any spy to get away alive, That night neither Voltaire nor I obtained any further sight of Levallois, although we entered the same tavern some hours later. We supposed, therefore, that he had succeeded in gaining the confidence of the proprietor and was now feigning to be steeped in the paradise of the slaves of the black smoke. 'THE next day dragged slowly by, with no news from our colleague until the hour at which we were to have met had long gone, Volfaire was almost frantic with apprehension, for he loved the queer little man he had met under strange conditions, while investigating the murder of Daniels. At last we could stand it no longer. We each slipped a heavy revolver into our- pockets and thus prepared strolled down the Cannebiere toward the harbor. At the Cafe des Glaciers we saw Durand and one of his Arab inspectors. He beckoned to us as we were about to pass. I explained that we were going to explore the place where Levallois was Jast seen. While we were discussing the best means for forcing our way into the hidden cellars where the opium smoking probably went on, a Chinese lad entered the cafe, ped- SEPTEMBER R 1920, . |, i ‘dling paper dolls of weird shapé so mueh in favor as mascots. $ & b z He appeared to be quulrl’l mfiesw our table, and insisted in shrill tones I should buy a peculiarly hideous specimen of his art.” In order-to be rid of his importun- ities I threw a couple of francs to the boy, who thereupon held out the fetish to me. Something about his tiny beady eyes ar- rested my attention, and as I grasped‘the doll I felt his fingers press a ball of paper into my palm. Under cover of the table I unrolled this and perceived that it was a note from Levallois: “I'm a prisoner in the house where Ali was hidden. In great danger—follow boy—plenty of men——speed essential.” I quickly informed Voltaire of the message and rose to seek the boy. He was waiting by the doors and as I approached he shuffied off. Only stopping to make sure that Durant was collecting his men, we walked quickly-after our guide, who the moment he had left the brilliantly lighted thoroughfare put his head down and ran at great speed until he reached the harbor. We were quickly in the narrow ailey where the police had waited on our first visit. When I gained his side he pointed to 2 wooden cellar flap against the wall, and whispered: L “Bell him ring—make much noise—plenty fine you go in all ways same time,” and with that he disappeared. Our plan was quickly formed. Durand and several men were to rush the cafe and enter through the sliding panel, which I described to him. Voltaire and a detective would enter . simultaneously by climbing over the gates, first covering the deadly spikes with their capes, . While I and three men forced an entry through the cellar. The signal for action was to be a blast from my whistle. My heart beat fast' as I pushed the blade of a knife along the edge of the flap, seeking the bolt. This, after some diffi- culty, I was able to work back, breaking my knife as I did so. Fortunately I remembered the Chinese boy’s warning; it would have to be a surprise attack. A shrill blast warned every one that the moment for action had arrived. e Pistol in hand I tumbled down some rotting wooden stairs. . Above my head I heard the tramp of feet, followed by loud shouts and several shots, Somewhere a bell was ringing furiously. As we dashed down a narrow tunnel a volley of stones and bottles sang around us, and & wooden door at the opposite end slammed shut, but we had come prepared and the men with me at once attacked it with axes and levers. Under our furious onslaught it splintered and gave way. 5 b THE light of our torches disclosed a mm room, foul with the lees of stale Poppy smoke, which resembled a ship’s forecastle. A brazier in the cenfer added its pungent chare. coal fumes and made the air almost unbreath- able. On both sides along the wall we saw tiers of bunks in which men sprawled in varie- ous stages of drugged sleep. A dozen coolies and Lascars, crowded toe gether at one end, awaited our rush with gleam- ing knives and heavy clubs. But we were by now in a reckless mood. G The fight was short and sharp. Two of my companions fell before we scate tered the snarling Orientals, and a blow from a club half stunned me for a moment, but a shrill voice calling wildly for help recalled my reeling brain to the necessity for immediate action. 3 2 * A second door fell before our attack, although an unexpected rush of men from above forced us reluctantly to use our pistols. I left my men to deal with the attackers and ran to where Levallois was still calling lustily for assistance. I arrived just in time, He was struggling on the ground with a gigantic African, whose great hands were around his throat. It was not time for niceties, and I fired point blank at the negro, and had the satisfaction of seeing his grip relax. A mo- ment later he sprawled sidewise and lay &till. “Quick,” my friend gasped, “this way. I believe Le Breton is there.” I ran after him down another passage. Behind me sounded the yells and cursesief Durand and his men, who had, by now, come to the aid of their colleagues. Voltaire had espied his friend Levallois, and was close on my heels. The tunnel, which we had entered, sloped upward and our progress was hampered by large barrels which came rolling down the incline, but at last breathless and exhausted we reached the upper air. X Before us lay the courtyard from which All. had emerged. It was now filled with police and the men we had pursued were already prisoners, firmly gripped by arms and legs. During the next hour we were busy taking stock of our haul. The house adjoining the cafe was evidently the storehouse of the smug- glers, for in it we found a number of bales containing contraband, but Le Breton had slip=. ped through our fingers. When we searched what had evidently been his office, I per- ceived Levallois looking curiously at a large bladder which glowed faintly luminous in the dark. “See, Voltaire,” he squealed excitedly. “Now we know how they landed the stuff. It was simply dropped overboard as the vessel steamed along the East. Each bale was carefully pro- tected from the water by tarpaulin and tied to a long rope, at the end of which was one of these bladders, It's smeared with phosphorus. “Their confederates then came along in launches and located the buoys and hauled the bales up by the rope fixed to the bladder. Clever, eh? That's why nothing was ever found when the customs people came on board. The goods were then taken to: some deserte spot and put on motor cars. i “What we have to do now is to watch for the next ship that comes in from the East and follow the launches as they pick up the lumi- nous buoys.” “They’ll not dare to try that again,” Dur- and growled, “for they’ll guess that we’ve found out how they do it.” “Not at all!” Levallois cried. “While I was 8 prisoner here, I heard them talking. You see, . they suspected me from the first; I ought to have been on my guard when they allowed Continued on Twenty-thirc Pere