house?'
'I am concerned with those within,' announced Hadlow, steadily. 'You, Elger, and your associates, of whom there are too many. No one is going to answer that door - until I give the word.'
He motioned with one gun. The gesture was for Elger and Tully. The two men backed into the living room, toward the corner where Chunk was standing. A louder rapping came from the front door. Hadlow ignored it.
'There has been murder on this isle,' denounced Hadlow, in a steady voice. 'I have seen evidence of it; and I suspect those responsible. You, Elger, have deliberately attempted to forestall justice. I have suspected you of planning new crime. I have anticipated it.'
'This is preposterous!' protested Elger. 'What do you say to it, Jalway?'
'It puzzles me,' declared Jalway, eyeing Hadlow, who was using one gun to cover the living room, while he kept the other on Royne, at the front door. 'Off hand, I would say that our friend Hadlow is deluded; and yet' - he paused to light his pipe - 'there may be merit in what he tells us.'
Pounding at the front door. Still Hadlow remained firm. He added one more statement to his accusation.
'You are a smug crook, Elger.' Hadlow said it in a positive tone. Then, to Jalway: 'I would have called upon your aid had you not gone out tonight, Jalway. The only person to whom I could appeal was Professor Marcolm. I told him that I sensed danger.
'He gave me his revolver. This second weapon which I hold. I managed to instruct Dashler to aid me. I was afraid, Jalway, that you would not return. Danger lurks on Timour Isle. But you are here; and I am counting on you to aid me in this emergency. Have you your revolver ready?'
Jalway nodded. He drew the weapon.
'Cover those men in the corner,' ordered Hadlow.
JALWAY did so, an even smile upon his lips. He backed toward the front of the room and motioned Dashler to stand beside him. The sailor obeyed. At that moment, Francine came into the hall. The girl gasped as she saw Hadlow with his pointed guns.
'Step into the living room, Francine,' ordered Hadlow, promptly. 'Stand behind Jalway and Dashler. You will be safe there.'
Mechanically the girl obeyed. She had caught only the last of Hadlow's accusations. As yet, she could not grasp the understanding that Purvis Elger was a crook. Jalway motioned Francine to the safety of a corner.
A final, emphatic pounding came from the front door. Hadlow, seeing that Jalway and Dashler held the men in the living room at bay, was ready to concentrate upon this new point. His smile tightened.
'You are the master of this isle, Elger,' he commented. 'Tully and Chunk are evidently members of your evil band. But there are others. Those who now crave admittance. Let them come. I am ready.'
Leveling both revolvers toward Royne at the front door, Hadlow issued a stern command:
'Unbolt the door!'
Royne started to obey, half trembling as he reached for the upper bolt. The grating must have been heard from the other side, for the pounding ceased.
Framed in the door of the living room, Hadlow was concentrated on delivering a surprise to those outside the house. He was not ready for the attack that came from another quarter.
A SWIFT figure came pounding from the hall. A pair of brawny hands caught Hadlow's wrists from behind and tried to wrest the guns from the sportsman's hands. Before Hadlow could manage to twist a weapon free, two others were upon him. Then a fourth.
At the same instant, Jalway performed an unexpected move. Shooting out his left hand, the promoter caught Dashler's wrist and snapped it upward; at the same instant, he jabbed his revolver into the sailor's ribs.
Seth Hadlow had been overpowered by Ruff Turney and his crew. The mob-leader and the shore band had pulled the unexpected. They had come through the passage from the caverns where they had left the swag. Entering through Elger's study, they had been ready to cut off the retreat of any fugitives.
Creeping forward, Ruff had seen Hadlow in the front hall. He had passed the word to his underlings. Their creeping attack had culminated in a perfect finish. Hadlow, disarmed, was in their power. Ruff, rising from the floor, was ready with a revolver, to join an attack on Dashler.
That was unnecessary. Elger, Tully and Chunk had given Jalway aid. Bounding across the room, they had downed Dashler. Tully was rising with the sailor's gun; Chunk was seated on the fellow's chest.
Francine Feldworth had tried to aid Dashler. Seeing Jalway's treachery, she had grabbed at the promoter's arms. But the girl had been too late. Jalway had wrested free from her grasp. His revolver was now pointed in the girl's direction. Francine was subsiding in the corner.
Triumphant, Purvis Elger was standing in the center of the room, his glaring eyes on Seth Hadlow, who sat, dejected in the grip of Ruff Turney's men. Sarcastically, Purvis Elger leered at the helpless sportsman. Then the master crook turned toward the door, where pounding had come anew.
'Open the door, Royne,' ordered Elger. 'Let us see who our new guest may be.'
CHAPTER XX. MEN MARKED FOR DEATH
PURVIS ELGER was back in his living room. Ranged with their chief were Tully, Chunk and Royne. Ruff and his henchmen were in the hall; with them a newcomer. Hexler had entered to take his stand beside the land lieutenant.
Three prisoners were bunched in a corner of the living room. Seth Hadlow pale and dejected, was backed against the wall. With him was Dashler, glum but stolid. The third in the group was Francine Feldworth.
The final occupant of the room was Bram Jalway. Calm and unruffled, the traitor seemed almost neutral in his attitude. He appeared to be waiting for Purvis Elger to speak. Yet he seemed to lack animus toward the prisoners.
'I have been branded as a crook,' sneered Elger. 'You, my friend' - he was looking straight at Hadlow - 'are the one who made the denunciation. Very well. I am a crook.
'I have ruled this island unmolested - until you and your companions appeared. Your presence is a menace to my safety. Therefore, you shall be eliminated. All of you.'
'You intend to murder us?' queried Hadlow, in a strained tone.
'I intend to dispose of you,' corrected Elger. 'This man' - he indicated Hexler - 'has come ashore from a ship called the Dalmatia which is anchored off Timour Island. The captain of the Dalmatia is a useful man; but a stupid one.
'He was kind enough to unload smuggled goods tonight; and he used one of his boats to aid in bringing boxes ashore. We are sending the boat back to him. With it, a few heavy boxes that will be of no use to us. Those boxes will be dropped overboard. Miles at sea.'
'Our coffins,' declared Hadlow, solemnly.
'Precisely,' nodded Elger. 'And there will be caskets, too, for the corpses that now lie in the construction house out back.'
A PAUSE. Elger chuckled, then puffed at his pipe.
'You are a fiend,' said Hadlow, slowly. 'A murderous fiend. There is no use to cry to you for pity. Dashler and I are willing to receive the death that you offer.
'But you can have no purpose in slaying Francine Feldworth. Let the girl go free. She has not harmed you.'
'I can provide for that, Hadlow,' put in Jalway. 'Tonight, I made a deal with Elger. Francine will be allowed to live. At my request.'
'At the request of a traitor?' demanded Francine. The girl's face was scornful. She turned to Hadlow. 'Why ask for any mercy from men like these? I would sooner die with you, Seth.'
'That would be foolish, Francine,' said Hadlow, placing his arm on the girl's shoulder. 'I could stand death if I knew that you were safe. I can't believe that Jalway is a traitor. I believe that he was forced into this.'
A smile showed on Jalway's lips. Hadlow was aiding his cause. Smugly, Jalway took up the suggestion.
'I had no other alternative, Francine,' he declared. 'I can assure you of safety. Elger has promised me your life. With one condition only; that you never tell of the events that have occurred here.'
'What!' exclaimed Francine. 'You expect me to live, carrying such a secret? Knowing that you were a party to the murder of the man' - she looked toward Hadlow - 'of the man I loved?'
Hadlow tried to soothe the girl. It was useless. Her denunciation begun, Francine persisted.
