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THE SECRET OFTHE SILVER CAR
WYNDHAM MARTYNIS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF"ANTHONY TRENT, MASTER CRIMINAL""ALL THE WORLD TO NOTHING""THE MAN OUTSIDE"
THE SECRET OFTHE SILVER CAR
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ANTHONYTRENT, MASTER CRIMINAL
BYWYNDHAM MARTYN
AUTHOR OFTHE MAN OUTSIDE; ALL THE WORLD TO NOTHING;ANTHONY TRENT, MASTER CRIMINAL; ETC.
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NEW YORKMOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY1920
COPYRIGHT, 1920BY MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY
THEIR FATHERDEDICATES THESE FURTHERADVENTURES OF ANTHONY TRENT TOPHYLLIS AND CYNTHIABUT NOT WITHOUT A GUILTY FEELING THAT THEREMUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHINGLACKINGIN THE ETHICAL TRAINING OF THESEESTIMABLE CHILDRENSINCE THEY TAKE SUCH INTEREST IN THECAREEROF A MASTER CRIMINAL
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I THE PUZZLING PASSENGER 1 II THE MAN IN THE DARK 14 III THE BEGINNING OF THE SEARCH 25 IV A LADY INTERRUPTS 63 V THE MAN WHO DENIED 80 VI FRESH FIELDS 101 VII THE SENTENCE OF BANISHMENT 119 VIII COUNT MICHAEL TEMESVAR 133 IX PAULINE 146 X THE GREATER GAME 174 XI ANTHONY PLAYS HIS HAND 186 XII SAINT ANTHONY 214 XIII DOWN TO THE SEA 236 XIV THE CABINET MEETING 266 XV ANTHONY THE TRIUMPHANT 277
CHAPTER ONE
_THE PUZZLING PASSENGER_
"Stop him," the second officer yelled, "he's going to jump overboard!"
The man who dashed past him and through a group of passengers wavinghands at friends on the deck below, was too quick for those who soughtto stay him. He balanced himself for a moment on the rail and thenjumped ten feet down to the pier.
The gangplanks had already been withdrawn and the great liner bound forNew York was too mighty a piece of momentum to pause now. Furthermoreher commander was going down the river on a favoring tide and nothingshort of a signal from the port authorities would have made him put backfor a passenger who had chosen such a singular moment for a leap intothe dark.
An hour or so later in the smoking room the disappearance was discussedwith fervor. A collar manufacturer of Troy, named Colliver, was holdinghis group for the reason he had been standing by the rail when the youngman jumped and had even sought to restrain him.
"He was too quick for me," Colliver declared. "I surely thought he'dhurt himself jumping ten feet down."
"What did he do after he jumped?" a man demanded.
"Picked himself up and looked around as if he expected to see someone.The last I saw of him was going from group to group of people askingsomething I couldn't hear."
"Very mysterious," another passenger commented. "I don't believe he wascrazy. I believe he jumped off just at the right moment--for him. Ibelieve we shall find he took some loot with him. The purser is makingan investigation now."
"I've got a theory," another smoker asserted. "I was just going to askhim for a light when he began that run down the deck to the rail andbelieve me he can sprint. Just as I was about to open my mouth I saw hisface suddenly change. Evidently he had seen or heard something thatfrightened him."
"So he ran away from danger?" Colliver added. "That might be. I tell youon a big boat like this we are surrounded by crooks, male and female,and they look on us as their lawful prey. He might have been a gamblerwho spotted a victim he was afraid of."
"Or a murderer," a Harvard theologian replied nervously. "I never feelreally safe on a great liner like this. We all have to take one anotheron trust. I have been introduced to you gentlemen as a professor ofpastoral theology. I may be a professional murderer for all you know.Mr. Colliver here isn't known to me personally and he may be a reallyhigh class bank robber for all I can tell."
Mr. Colliver took the suggestion sourly.
"Everybody in Troy knows me," he replied with dignity.
"Exactly," the theologian answered. "But Troy is not on the ship'spassenger lists to any such extent as to corroborate your statement.There may be Harvard men on board who know me by name but for all theyknow I may be made up to represent Professor Sedgely so as to gain yourconfidence and rob you."
"My collars encircle the necks of more men than those of any othermaker," said Colliver quoting one of his advertisements. "My name isknown everywhere. No man is perfectly dressed without my collars. Ipresented a swimming pool to Troy and there isn't a man or woman in thecity but would resent any slur on me."
"My dear sir," said the professor smiling, "I am not attacking your goodname or your city's fame. I am only saying that if you were crossingwith the idea of making a killing at games of chance I should notbenefit because you assumed the name of one who ornaments the cervicalvertebrae of perfectly dressed men. I only meant that anything can takeplace on a ship such as this is and that this man who escaped tonightmay have done so to avoid capture and possible imprisonment or evendeath."
"The purser had a wireless sent to the company's office and no doubthas a reply by this time," another passenger broke in.
"He is probably in prison now," Professor Sedgely remarked.
"You certainly have a cheerful mind," Colliver commented.
"I read for mental relaxation the lightest forms of fiction," theprofessor answered, "and I am prepared for anything. I maintain thatevery passenger on a fast ship like this is regarded as a possiblevictim by the cleverest criminals in existence. For myself I havenothing of value, being poorly paid, but our friend there who has sofinely benefitted his home city wears a diamond pin of great value.Furthermore there is a sapphire set in platinum on his finger whichmight well tempt the professional robber."
"Say," said Colliver a little uneasily, "you're observant all right.Anything else you saw?"
"That you have a gold cigar case with initials in emeralds. I have," theprofessor said modestly, "trained my powers of observation. I do it toprotect myself."
He rose from his chair and bowed a courteous goodnight to the immediategroup and then went on deck.
"I don't trust that man," said the manufacturer. "I never trust any manon a ship who wears smoked glasses. He wanted to conceal his eyes. I'llbet he never saw Harvard except on a picture postal. Damn it!" Collivercried peevishly, "Why can't a man wear a passable ring and stickpinwithout it attracting the attention of other people?"
The Harvard theologian had sown seeds of suspicion. Colliver, as amiablea manufacturer of collars as any in Troy, looked over at Myers Irvingwho ran an advertising agency in New York and suspected him of being aconfidence man.
"It's a pretty good looking ring," Irving said heartily. He wished hehad one like it. Now that he knew who Colliver was he thirsted after hisaccount. His overtures were accepted with marked reserve and a gloomfell upon the party until the entrance of the genial purser.
"Who was the mysterious man?" Colliver asked.
"His name was Anthony Trent," said the purser.
A man in the uniform of a captain in the United States army who had beenplaying solitaire and had taken no part
in this talk, looked up withsuch sudden interest at the name that the purser turned to him.
"Do you know Anthony Trent?" he demanded.
"Yes," said Captain Sutton, "I do."
"Can you think of any reason why he should jump ashore just as we werestarting for the Hudson River?"
"He might have been saying goodbye to his best girl and taken no heed ofthe warning to go ashore."
"That won't do," the purser declared. "All his kit is in his stateroomand he had already seen his table steward and arranged about his seat.He went off on the impulse of the moment and I'd like to know what thatimpulse was."
"Has anyone missed anything?" Colliver asked.
"Don't know," the purser said. "Haven't heard of anything so far. Iwirelessed the office and the pier superintendent and they have lost alltrace of him. The last they heard of him was that he was seen offering ataxicab driver double fare to drive fast."
"He saw someone on the ship he was afraid of," Colliver said with theair of one called upon to solve a deep mystery.
The purser was determined not to let Captain Sutton get back to hissolitaire.
"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you more about your friend," he saidsmiling, "the whole thing is so unusual that the old man wants athorough investigation. In confidence, is there anything fishy aboutthis Anthony Trent?"
"In confidence, I may tell you," Captain Sutton answered, "but myconfidence will be in the captain's cabin and not here."
"Do you think we'd say anything to anyone about it?" Colliver demanded.He feared he was to be robbed of interesting details.
"I'm a lawyer by profession," Captain Sutton returned, "and I know howpeople talk even when they mean to be silent. Anthony Trent is a friendof mine and I shall constitute myself his counsel. He served under me inthe war, was recommended for a commission, and won the _Croix deGuerre_. He is an American with enough money to play golf and flyfishfor trout all he wants to. He was in a hospital in the Isle of Wight forthree months after being wounded and I had a letter from him saying hewould come over on this ship. I came by Liverpool just because I wantedto see him; and when I didn't see him at dinner I thought he had changedhis plans. I can give no reason why he should have left the boat in themanner he did but as a lawyer I can assure the company that it is hisaffair and not theirs."
The purser was skilled in the ways of human beings. He had notstraightened out difficulties for his company on half a thousand tripsacross the Atlantic for nothing. He could see plainly enough thatCaptain Sutton knew something about Anthony Trent that he would not tellthe captain or anyone else unless process of law compelled. There hadbeen a quick look of fear on his face when he realized Trent was the manof whom the group about him had been speaking. Whether Captain Suttonknew the reason why his friend had leapt from the ship's rail wasdoubtful; but that the act had conjured up sudden fear gave the purserfood for thought.
"The company certainly does not want to bring suit against a passengerwho has paid for a high priced state room and a number of excellentmeals and refuses to benefit by them. The old man was annoyed thateveryone was talking about it at his table and he wasn't able to get offhis little crop of chestnuts as usual. He'd appreciate it if you wouldtell him what you know about Mr. Trent."
"If I see him it will be as Mr. Trent's lawyer," Sutton retorted.
The purser looked at him keenly.
"So you admit," he said genially, "that this mysterious Anthony Trentneeds a defender?"
"I admit nothing of the sort," Sutton replied quickly. But he felt hehad not conducted the affair with his usual skill. "There's been a lotof hot air talked about crimes on board ship and I'm not going to havemy friend's name linked with that sort of thing."
"Of course not," the purser agreed. "I can understand why you come tothe rescue; still there is bound to be some misunderstanding about a manwho leaves all his baggage behind and takes a desperate jump as he did."
"He saw someone on this ship he was afraid of," Colliver insisted. "Itmight have been you for all I know."
"What do you mean by that?" Sutton demanded and flushed dusky red.
Colliver was amazed at the sudden heat. The purser was more interestedthan ever. He would have been even more amazed if he had known thatCaptain Sutton honestly believed that it was because Anthony Trent hadseen him face to face that he had escaped. The letter of which he hadspoken was non-existent. He had lied because of the man whom he had, forthe first time, claimed as his friend.
Sutton had been the officer; Trent the enlisted man and the disciplineof the service prevented a friendship that would have been possible inother days and, now war was finished, might again become practicable.The space of an hour was the time the officer had been with the man andyet he was determined to fight for his interests. And he suddenlyrealized that he had begun his fight by antagonizing a very shrewdpurser.
"My dear sir," the purser said gently, "I am sure you are taking thistoo much to heart. Nobody is accusing your client of anything moreserious than risking a broken leg which, after all, is more his affairthan even his counsel's. Captain Kingscote will ask you a few questionswhich you must understand, as a lawyer, a ship's commander ought to ask.There is such a thing as a log and it has to be written correctly.Tomorrow morning perhaps? You will be offered an excellent cigar and adrink that you can't get in all the length and breadth of your nativeland."
"Any time at all," Sutton answered with an effort to be as genial as thepurser. "I only resented the idle chatter that centred around a man whofought very gallantly."
"If you mean me by that reference," Colliver said angrily, "I'd like tosay that I have as much right to talk as anyone on board."
"Certainly," said Myers Irving, "and I can't see why anyone wants to getexcited about it. It was that professor who began it. Mr. Colliver whatdo you say to a little smile?"
Colliver looked at the card Irving handed to him. He did not likeadvertising men as a rule but he felt this debonair head of a big agencywas an exception. He had come to the aid of big business.
"It must be the salt in the air," he confessed, "I don't mind if I do."
Left to himself Sutton closed his eyes and lived over again thosemoments in France when Anthony Trent had been brought before him asadjutant on extraordinary charges.
Once or twice he had seen Private Trent and had been vaguely reminded ofa forgotten face. It was only when Anthony Trent had been recommendedfor promotion and had declined it that he remembered the name. Trent hadbeen the Dartmouth football captain in that historic year when Harvardwas humbled. Sutton, a graduate of ten years previously, had shoutedhimself hoarse at the great run by which Trent had passed the crimsonscore.
Private Trent had been chosen on very dangerous business and theadjutant had no chance to speak to him as he had determined to do.Anthony Trent was one of those who volunteered to clean up machine gunnests left behind to harass the advancing troops of the Allies. He haddone so well that Captain Sutton was proud of him for the sake of theold college in Hanover.
He remembered the shock he had when Lieutenant Devlin, a formerdetective in New York and a man to whom he was not drawn, declared thatthis same Anthony Trent was the most famous criminal of the day, amaster craftsman who had never been in police toils.
Sutton laughed at the very suggestion. It was absurd. Devlin's answer tothis made the soldier-lawyer less confident. Devlin said that Dr. Trenthad left his son but a few hundred dollars and a rambling mortgaged homeamong New Hampshire hills. Young Trent had come to New York and settleddown to writing detective and criminal stories for the lesser magazines.Then, suddenly, an Australian relative had died and left him a fortune.This was a lie, Devlin declared. There was no such relation. It was doneto explain his sudden giving up of writing and living in a far betterstyle.
Trent owned, so the detective asserted, a beautiful camp on KennebagoLake in Maine, two automobiles and sundry other aids to a comfortableexistence which his writings would never have gained for him.
St
ill disbelieving, Captain Sutton was shown the dying depositions of anEnglish soldier who had been butler to a New York millionaire whosehouse had been robbed. Austin, the butler, had seen Trent and assumedhim to be a friend of his employer. He had recognized him when Britishand American troops were brigaded side by side and had told only Devlina detective who had worked on the case.
Evidence at last seemed conclusive. Devlin, dying in hospital wished forthe downfall of a man who had beaten him in three big cases. Theadjutant remembered well one case when the Dangerfield ruby worth almosttwo hundred thousand dollars was taken.
Private Trent seemed quite calm. He assured his officer that thesecharges were preposterous. "What else could they be?" he had asked.
"They might be the truth," Sutton had said gravely.
He remembered the visit to the hospital where Devlin lay dying but eagerto sign the testimony he had woven about his enemy. The ending of theincident was very curious. It made him like Devlin after all. WhenDevlin knew his end was come and the last rites of his church had beenadministered he had given up his plans for revenge. He had looked intothe fearless eyes of the master criminal and he had seen there anunconquerable spirit which he admired. And so, with his last effort hehad torn up the written evidence and declared that Anthony Trent was notthe man; that it was all a mistake.
Sutton remembered the relief with which he had put his hand on theshoulder of the younger man and that he had said, "Trent, you were inluck this time. Don't take a chance again."
After the signing of peace he had determined to look up the old athleteand see if he could not offer him such opportunities that he could gostraight. Sutton was a man of immense wealth and had mining propertiesin South America which needed supervision.
And now to find that Trent was aboard the ship and at the last momenthad risked a broken limb in order to escape. It was not likely that aman who feared detection so much dare rely on the generosity of a manwho knew his secret. There were probably rewards for his capture which,in the aggregate, offered immense inducement to deliver Anthony Trentto justice. How was Trent to know that Sutton the adjutant wasfinancially secure enough to make the sacrifice? Undoubtedly he had seenSutton and made the desperate leap.
Sutton determined to safeguard his interests. The baggage for instance,that should not be searched. There might be in it evidence as damagingas that which the brothers of Joseph put into the younger's sack. Itwould be far better to see the captain and make a friend of him. Why hadnot Trent been a better reader of character and recognized that inCaptain Sutton he had a friend?
Sutton did not know that long ago Trent had seen that in the rich lawyerthere was one whom he need not fear. Few were more skilled than themaster criminal in the reading of those signs by which men reveal for asecond or so the depths of their natures.
Anthony Trent had not jumped from the rails of the big ship because hehad seen Sutton. He had no idea his old adjutant was on board. He hadnot jumped ashore because of any person on the liner. He took hisreckless leap because among those who waited on the pier he heard thevoice of the one man he feared, the man he had been trying to find sincethat day in France when death seemed at last to have claimed him.