 Blair of the Mounties! Represent episode 36 in Blair of the Mounties, being the third and concluding part of the Ibex robbery. In this story, we find Inspector Blair beginning to see a solution of the biggest problem in his career, the mysterious succession of gold robberies. First, the cross-channel boat Ibex, and then the Atlantic liner, Altonia, are stopped on the high seas and robbed of bullion shipments. The circumstances point to a deep-laid plot in which not private gangs but nations are involved. With Commander Reid of the British Naval Intelligence, Blair is at Coombs Seaton in Devonshire. By a lucky shot, Blair has just succeeded in deciphering one of the mysterious wireless messages sent by the pirate concern. Reid, old man, we've got it! Good heavens, but they'd never use a simple code like that. I don't think it's simple. If we hadn't picked up that key notation, we'd never have got it anyway. Well, here it is. Prepare to intercept liner Arcadia, leaving Southampton 4 p.m. Saturday, 12. And then there's a nautical position given, latitude and longitude and so forth. See where it is, Reid. Oh, that's simple. It's off the Irish coast. Not far from where the Lusitania was put down. It's an ideal place for a submarine to lie up. And that's tomorrow night. Yes, tomorrow's the night. But this time they lose out. That's if this message isn't a fake. We'll be on hand with half the British Navy. I don't see what use that is. Just means there won't be any gold robbery. That's all it does mean. What's your idea, Blair? I was thinking there ought to be some way to drop in on this body after it gets nicely started. Yes, I see. That's not a bad idea. But it'd be pretty hard. The whole thing's a matter of minutes. If you give the Arcadia destroyer scot, nothing will happen at all. Got any suggestions? I was thinking of submarine. Yes, I see. Well, we have plenty of submarines, of course. But it's not so easy at that. A submarine's not a very handy sort of craft, you know. Yet I don't know. It might be a good plan. We have the big sea-going submarines in the Y-class. They're fast, too. Of course you know more about the technical side of the thing than I do. It seems to me it's the only chance to counter grips with this strange craft. Of course it's mostly guesswork. Yes, they may have something pretty hot in the way of a new type of submarine. They've certainly got something new in that neutralizing force. If we could get on to what that is, it'd be a tremendous thing. You better have a talk to headquarters. Here's the plane coming back. Yes, all right. I'll get on the phone. Hello, plane. Find anything? Not a thing, sir. We looked over those quarries. Not a sign of anything unusual. No caves along that bank? Not a sign of one. How's the depth along there? Well, there's plenty of depth, but no place a submarine could hide out. You see, the naval people have a line on every possible place along the coast where a submarine could get in. They got it during the war. Yes, I see. Of course, Grayson Hall may be just a sort of directing station. They've stopped sending them wireless messages from here, aren't they? I wondered what it was that passed in the saw last night. There must have been something. Anyhow, you'd better keep your men on. Watch things pretty closely tonight and tomorrow night. Got plenty of men? The country's full of police now. We've got every road covered and the naval patrols are out along the sea front. All right, McClane, that's all we can do at present. I'll be here if you want me. Very good, sir. All right. Yes. Yes, goodbye. Get anything from McClane? No, he didn't find anything. Never mind that. I talked to the chief in code. He likes that idea of yours. We're going to try it tomorrow night. You mean the submarine? Yes. We'll have four big ones out of Plymouth today. We'll take them all that time to get to that place. Look here, Reed, I've travelled, in fact, every sort of conveyance of my time, but I never travel in a submarine. You mean you'd like to go along, eh? Yes, if it's possible. Certainly. You can't do much good here. I'm leaving for Plymouth at once. Get your things and he'll go. Fine. If it's a fair question, Reed, where are we just now? Oh, within a mile of that position, they gave us in the wireless message. It's right on the Arcadia's course. How far down are we? About three fathons. They're cruising slowly to starboard of the Arcadia's course. The Y7 is about a mile from us, running parallel. I see. Getting near time, isn't it? Yes. The Arcadia should show up any minute now. If everything's all right. I say, what's the plan? Well, we stay down to a spotless mystery ship. She's got to come up. Then we go up quick and open fire. We've got to maneuver to avoid hitting the Y4. She'd open fire also. Do these people on the Arcadia know about this? Yes, we've told them. They wanted to alter their course, but we persuaded them to carry on as usual. Otherwise, we'd never have got a chance at this submarine. The captain of the Arcadia and his officers know the whole plan. I bet they're on their toes up now. He shouldn't wonder. How far away can you see the Arcadia? Well, that depends. We've got two big periscopes up. Not far. Probably a few minutes before she draws a breast of us. She has special recognition lights. All right, Preston, can you make out the lights? Yes, it's the Arcadia, sir. She's coming apart. She's right on the dot. Now we're going to see something. There goes the bombs on her deck, sir. She's slowing down. Hand right of low, fallen tanks. Hand right of low, fallen tanks. Hand right of fallen ganku. Hand right of fallen ganku. Got it. Yes. Can you see any planes, Preston? No, sir. But there's still a bomb in there. Gas bombs bursting for an arc. Only that confounded submarine would show up. And to Lahoy! There's a big submarine coming up about two points on the port bow. She gets the water. No, fallen tanks. No, fallen tanks! All tight, Blair. We're going up. Left rudder, one degree. Aye, aye, sir. Aye, aye, sir. Wave, hollard. Aye, aye, hollard, ganku. Poor little Preston. Come on, Blair. Put this ladder. We ought to be able to see something. I hope. Holy smoke there she is. Oh, yes, sir. Look at the size of her, will you? It's about putting off my submarine, sir. And there's another one, sir. By George, those fellows are smart. Let them get away a little, Preston. Then you can open fire. Aye, aye, sir. Stand by for a gun. Sight on, Peddyson. Stand by for a gun! Look, the Arcadia's nearly stopped. She's swinging out of control. Her decks are full of smoke. The Y-4 is open fire, sir. All right. Give her a couple of rounds, Preston. There's a hit by George. Right on the control position. Right on the control position. There's a firing from the boat, sir. All right. All right. Look, she's hit, sir. She's healing over. Yes. Lord, there goes our last chance to see what's on her. General Y-4 to cease firing. Yes, sir. Come on. We'll get those boats. We'll get them anyway. Can you see Blair? Yes, I see. I say to look if she's going, doesn't she? Yes. There she goes. And that confounded secret goes with her. Come on to read, sir. Yes. Captain of the Arcadia wants instructions, sir. Says no damage. Engine's okay again. All right. Give him my compliments and tell him to proceed on his course. Yes, sir. Hello, McLean. How's everything? All quiet. Glad to see you back, sir. Did they get that submarine? Yes, they got it, unfortunately. She was hit at midships. Thank with all hands. We got the men in the boat, sir. So that's the end of the gold robberies, eh? Yes, that was that part of it. Next thing is Grayson Hall. How do you mean, sir? Why, we got the story from one of those prisoners. There's a big tunnel. Runs from under the hall out to the old quarry. The entrance is underwater at the quarry end. A tunnel? Yes, that's where they kept the submarine. It appears they were all underground passages used in smuggling days. These people enlarged them. They got plenty of accommodation down there. That's why we never got onto their movements. But who are these people, anyhow? Well, keep this quiet, McLean. These men were all picked men from the Maritainian forces. They had quite a fight before we rounded them up. We got eleven of them. There'll be a big row about that, I'm thinking, sir. No, that's not likely. They've pain and dentity, and that's all. That's a queer thing. Sort of secret war. Piracy on a grand scale. First time's been done since the days of pivotering. What's the program, sir? Commander Reed will be here in a minute. He has an armed party. We're going to break into that secret passage under the hall. Don't know who's down there, but that's where they have that gold. Where do you want to meet, sir? Oh, you won't be on this such party, McLean. Well, I know, Inspector, listen to me. No, no, I told you, McLean. It's after your fight. No use of getting killed. It's a job for the Navy. But if you'll give me a gun, I'll be weak. Oh, yes, I know. But you'll get your men and throw a cordon on the hall. Here's Commander Reed now. Well, all right. Really, Blair? Yes. You might as well get into this business. Yes, we'll have to look out for gas in that tunnel. Yes, we're ready for that. That'd be a rather tough job, isn't it, Reed? Oh, I don't know. It depends on how many men we have to deal with and what weapons they have. Anyhow, let's get going. All right. At you, McLean? Yes, sir. Anything stirring? No, sir. It's all quiet. And there's nobody in the house at all. How do you know? We just took a look around there. The place is deserted, sir. Hmm, that's funny. Where's that main door, McLean? This way, sir. All right. Bring the men up, Collins. Aye, aye, sir. Ready, Blair? Yes. Go ahead. What's those other entrances, McLean? I will be watching them, sir. Let's see. This entrance is in the panel somewhere in this hall. Yes. Third panel to the left of that door. Long here somewhere. Yes. Here we are. Left hand bottom. Yes. That's it. Take it easy. Don't use that flashlight. There are steps. Yes. Look out. Look out. Yes. There's water just below. There's a path along the ledge. Get all the men down, Collins. They're all here, sir. You'd better go ahead slowly, hadn't we? No. No. Take a rush. Come on. Hold on. There's something here. What is it? Why? It's a man. Show me the light. He's dead. He's dead, all right. Here's another reaser. Why, look. There's several of them. There's a side passage here. What's this in these boxes? Oh, that's all right. That's the ghoul. They got off those ships. Well, that's what we're after. Hold on. What's that paper? It's in a foreign language. Good lord, it's written in blood. Long live Maritania. Well, good luck to them. They prefer death to failure. Yes, that depends on the idea. Well, that's the last of the Ibex mystery. You have listened to episode 36 in Blair of the Mountains.