The Man From Hell by Barrie Roberts

Author:Barrie Roberts [Roberts, Barrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781845869140
Publisher: Titan
Published: 2010-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

THE BRIDGE AT TWILIGHT

The South Pool of Backwater Park in daylight is a place of great charm, fringed with bullrushes and spread with water-lilies. On its north side a carriageway runs along most of the shore, crossing the pool by a narrow ornamental bridge some one hundred yards long towards the eastern end. While the northern carriageway runs through open grassland at the shore, once it has crossed the bridge it plunges into an ancient part of the thick woods that clothe much of the park to the south.

Shortly before sunset I accompanied Lord Backwater to the northern end of the bridge. With us came three armed grooms. There was no sign of activity when we arrived.

The money sack had been prepared and now we attached it to a length of rope and carefully set it in the middle of the bridge. Following the instructions in the letter, we carried the end of the rope to the southern limit of the bridge and laid it beside the specified area. With a last glance around us we retreated to the north side.

Anxiously we watched the sun slipping down behind the trees at the western end of the lake, the silence broken only by the occasional croaking of frogs and the rippling of the breeze in the reeds about the shore. Light dwindled from the sky and soon it became impossible for our eyes to pierce the dark tunnel opposite us where the carriageway disappeared into the woods. At last the sun vanished entirely, so that the scene was lit only by the reflection of the sky from the pool.

Lord Backwater and I were pacing nervously about the bridge’s northern abutment and I had just lit a cigarette when a voice hailed us from the far side.

‘Lord Backwater!’ it cried. ‘If you are ready to make the exchange, raise your right arm.’

Both of us strained our eyes but could see nobody across the bridge. Lord Patrick raised his arm and called, ‘Let me see my sister and her servants!’

Now we saw movement under the trees and a small group of figures emerged into the light. Two heavily built men in rough clothing and soft hats flanked the group, and between them stood two young women and a youth, their hands apparently tied behind their backs and handkerchiefs bound across their mouths.

‘They have come to no harm,’ the same voice called, ‘and there will be none so long as you stick to our terms. We shall tie the young ladies to the end of the rope.’

‘Watch the money-bag,’ Lord Patrick commanded the grooms. ‘If there is to be false play this is where it will occur.

‘Proceed very slowly!’ he called across the bridge. ‘You must know there are guns on you.’

‘There will be no tricks,’ came the reply. ‘Wait now while we make our arrangements.’

We watched while the two girls were attached to the rope, about two paces apart. They were led round the back of the tree while one of the men held the rope.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.