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Show Y Y Y Y "BANNI MERWIN RAY WALTEFLT CWYWOHT 1909 w DODO, WHVD V COMMKy" J . When Orme t til made no move to leave his seat, the steely fingers on his wrist ran up his forearm and pressed down hard ujum nerve-center. nerve-center. The ptiln was ulinoHt unbearable, unbear-able, anil for the moment IiIh arm wan paralyzed. A quick Jerk brought him to the ground. An he alighted, stum-bllngly, stum-bllngly, Maku caught him by the other oth-er arm. He was held In such a way that for thi moiin'iit It seemed futile to struggle. Arlina. meantime, npoko rapidly In Japanese to Maku. Per-hapn Per-hapn hi, a commander of the sltun-tlon, sltun-tlon, wan giving precise orders an to what wuh to ho doni. Orino looked over IiIh shoulder at the girl. She wan clutching the door of the tonneau ami loaning forward, staring with horrllli'd eyes. "Keep cool," he counseled. Her answer van a moan of anguish, and he realized that alio feared for Mm. Suddenly Hhe began to call for help. Twice her cries rang out, and then one of the Japanese leaped into the tonneau and placed his hand over her mouth, smothering her voice. The sight of tills action wan too much Tor Itrino. He began a furious effort to break away from Mn cap-torn. cap-torn. One Hiidden mo"on freed hi right arm from Arlmai clutch, and he reached for Maku throat, lint after a moment of scuffling, ha wag again held securely. '(Jlrl!" he shouted, "don't try to call out. Keep quiet." The Japanese In the tonneau appeared ap-peared to understand the words, for he took bin hand away from the girl mouth, though he remained beside her, ready to put an end to any fresh outbreak. out-break. "Now," mild Orme. turning bin eye on Arlma, "what does thla mean?" "You give uh pupers," replied the Japanese softly. "I have no papers that mean anything any-thing to you." "We see. (live thern to me." "What papers do you want?" demanded de-manded Orme. "You know." Arlma voice sounded sound-ed Ichs patient. "Hut I have nothing; that you care anything about." repeated Orme. " At that Arlma begun rapidly to search Ortue'e pockets. There was sufficient light from the lamps of the two ears to Illuminate the scene. Arlnia'a left hand still hold Orme right forearm, and his right hand was free to hunt for the papers. Maku, on the other side, had meantime strengthened his grip on Orme's left arm, at the same time raining one knee so that Orme could feel It pre Ing against the small of his back. "What this!" asked Arlma. taking a long envelope from the Inner pock et of Orme's coat and holding It up for Inspection. "A blank contract," said Orme. "Do you want It?" Arlma took the paper from the envelope en-velope and examined It Then wlih an exclamation of disgust he replaced It In Orme's pocket, and continued his search. "You see," said Orme calmly, "there Is nothing here." The Japanese, muttering In his own tongue, ran bis hands over Orme's body and even looked Into his hat. Nothing was found. "You might as well believe me first as laHl," exclaimed Orme. "The papers pa-pers you want are not here." Arlma was clearly puzzled. "You had them," he began. "i'osHibly. Hut I haven't them now. How would you feel If I should tell you that the young lady and I have made thin journey simply to throw you off the scent, and that the papers were being delivered by another person?" per-son?" "I not believe," declured Arlma shortly, Suddenly Maku began to Jabber at Arlma, who, after an Instant of con j slderaiion, gave a quick order to the fourth Japanese, w ho stood by. This man went to the tonneau and gut the prospectuses which Orme had placed under the seat cushion. Arlma snatched the papers with his free hand, then, resigning Orme en tlrely to Maku's csre, and clucking strangely, opened them. A glan.-e sufficed. With a cry of disappointment, he tore the paper In two and threw them to the ground He thrust his fsce close to Orme t "W here the papers?" he said Orme did not reply. iTo II K roNTINlKH . had halted the night before in their search for the hidden papers. "We'd better give him further directions." said the girl. Hut the chauffeur turned north at the corner and put on more speed. "He's taking the rlht direction," she laughed. "Perhaps bis Idea Is to follow Sheridan road tilt we ti ll him to turn " "I don't quite like It," said Orme, thoughtfully. ' He's a bit too sure of what he's doing." The girl hesitated. "It is funny." she exclaimed. "And lie's going faster, too " She leaned forward and called up to the chauffeur: "Slop at this corner." cor-ner." He did not seetu to hear. She repeated re-peated the order in a louder voice, but the only answer was another burst of speed. Then Orme reached up and touched the chauffeur's shoulders. "Slop the car;" he cried. The chauffeur did not obey. He did not even turn his bead. Orme and the girl looked at each other. "I don't understand," she said. "I'm afraid I nm beginning to," Orme replied. "He will not stop until we ate where he wlahes us to be." "We can't get out," she exclaimed. "No. And If I pull blm out of the seat, the car will be ditched." He puzzled vainly to hit on a method of action, and meantime the moments sped. They passed the university grounds quickly. Orme retained an Impression of occasional massive buildings at the right. Including the dome of an observatory, ob-servatory, and at the left the lighted windows of dwellings, He saw, too, I In- tower of a lighthouse, light-house, a dark foundation support Ing changing light above; and then the road turned sharply to the left and, after a few hundred yards, curved again to the north. Suddenly the chauffeur slowed down. On either side were groves of trees. Ahead were the lights of an approaching approach-ing motor. Orme waa still at a loss, and the girl was awaiting some decision from blm. When the chauffeur at last turned and spoke three short words Orme realized too late the situation he and the girl were In. "We stop now," said the chauffeur. Ami the girl, with a horrified gasp, exclaimed: "Maku!" Yes, It was the Japanese. Calmly he put on the brakes and brought the car to a standstill by the roadside; then, removing his goggles, turned to Orme and the girl and smiled an Inscrutable smile. There was an ugly bruise on his forehead, where Orme had struck blm with the wrench. Hut quick though Maku was, he was not quick enough to see a motion which Orme had made Immediately after the moment of recognition a motion mo-tion which had even escaped the notice of tho girl. Perhops It accounted for the coolness with which Orme met his enemy's eyes. CHAPTER XVI. The Struggle. The approuehlrig lar now drew up near by, and three men Jumped lightly light-ly to the road. In the radiance of the lumps on the two cars. Orme recognized Arlma. The men with him were also Japanese, though Orme was not conscious that he had ever seen them before. It was clear enough how he and the girl hud blundered Into the bands of the Orientals. Maku had undoubtedly undoubt-edly secured a car and had driven It to the vicinity of the Kookery In response re-sponse to a telephoned order from Aleatrante, transmitted. In all likelihood, likeli-hood, through the Japanese minister. The appearance of the car on Im Salle street hud been expected by the South American. Perhaps he had not anticipated that Orme would hull It; the probability was that he had wished Maku's assistance without a definite idea of what that assistance should be. but the use of the car by Orme fell In nicely with his plans. He had assumed readily enough the direction the car would take, and getting promptly Into telephonic communication communica-tion with Arlma. had arranged this meeting on the road. Orme now remembered that Arlma's Arl-ma's car. when approaching, had sounded Its horn at regular Intervals. In series of threes evidently a signal. "Don't worry, girl, dear." whispered Orme. "I " he broke off his sentence sen-tence as the newcomers clustered about the tonneau, but the confident glance of her eye reassured him. He knew not what they were to face. The Japanese, he Inferred, would not deal with him pleasantly, but surely they would not harm the girl. Arima opened the door of the tonneau ton-neau and with a lightning motion grased Orme by the wrist "(Jet out." he ordered. Orme waa in no mind to obey. There were four of the Orientals against him, and he stood little chance of success In a fight with them, but If he could only delay matters, someone some-one might pass and he could raise aa alarm. So be sat firm, and said, calmly: , "What do you want?" "Get out." repeated Arlma. |