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Show i CHAPTER X Continued i -10 pick strolled with exasperating cool- ne53 Alster's face Blowly mottled and turned red. Losing his polite manners, I : a9ked abruptly, "Who are you, sir? I AreD't you the stowaway that came 1 down here unbidden?" "I came down on the yacht If you ehoose to call me a stowaway, all rient" "Mr. Blake was telling me about J0U " added the doctor. "He's been , ry anxious to see you. I'U summon ' Mm." It Isn't necessary," replied Dick. Tve met Ur- Blake several times." "I'll summon him at once." 0e moved toward the door. Dick made no attempt to detain him. It opened and closed behind the man, the lock clicking in response to the turn of the key on the outside. Dick smiled. On the other side he could hear voices in an altercation. Alice Cutler ' was speaking authoritatively. "You must give Lie that key, doctor at once." "I can't, Miss Cutler," replied the other. "He's a dangerous man, and I must summon Mr. Blake." "I'll be responsible for him," cut in the girl. "Are you going to give me that key?" "No, Miss Alice!" There was the sound of heavy retreating re-treating footsteps, gradually dying tway In the distance. Then a voice called softly through the keyhole. "You must escape! Mr. Blake will be here soon." "Don't worry about me, Miss Cutler," Cut-ler," Dick called back. "I can take care of myself. But" hesitatingly "I wouldn't put too much faith In Doctor Alster. I don't believe he's for us." Dick had surveyed the outlook through the window with just such a possible contingency In view, and It required little exertion or hazard on his part to climb out on the roof of the back porch and slide down one of the pillars. Before Blake and Doctor Alster appeared In the room he was in the woods, watching the window at a safe distance. ' "Blake will know by this time I've escaped from the cave," he meditated. "Therefore, he'll set McGee on my trail again. Perhaps this time I'll be prepared for him." His visit to the house had satisfied him on two doubtful points. The first, and what seemed the more Important to him, was that Alice Cutler had come to believe and trust In him. She no longer viewed him as an enemy or troublesome Interloper. The second point he had cleared up In his mind was that Doctor Alster was a friend of Blake's and In league with him. "That means three to one against me, not counting Marie," he reflected. It was noticeable that he did not Include In-clude Miss Cutler In this grouping, but that was because he had person-lly person-lly assumed her burdens and Intended Intend-ed to relieve her of all responsibility. He decided his next move was to pay another visit to the wireless plant, and learn If possible where the yacht was located. There was no question in his mind that Blake was comraunl-cntlng comraunl-cntlng with Captain Brent, exchanging exchang-ing messages of some sort or another. Dick remained a long time watching watch-ing the window and the back of the house. If any one emerged through the doorway, he could see him In ample am-ple time to get away. There was no sign of any one stirring stir-ring about, and he finally abandoned the watch. Retreating into the woods, he made his way cautiously to the bench and from there to the face of the clilT, which offered 'so many advantageous ad-vantageous hiding places. Concealing himself In (he mouth of a small sea cave where he had a clear view of every line of approach, he fell to meditating upon his next move. If he destroyed the wireless Hunt, he would cut off their last chance of getting a message ashore or to a passing vessel. On the other hnml, If he left it Intact, he permitted "lake to hatch up any sort of a plot with Captain Brent or to carry out his original scheme. "Which," he reflected with a scowl, "I'm still Ignorant of." The minutes slipped away swiftly. After his exertions, Dick felt tired mid sleepy. The reaction from the excitement made him doze In catnaps. Arousing himself from one of these, tie heard voices over his head. They came from the top of the cliff, which was just visible from his hiding place. They were angry words, spoken In a high-pitclied, feminine voice. "I saw you with her! You needn't deny it ! I'll scratch your eyes out If .voii touch her again !" It was Marie, venting her Jealousy upon her unlucky lover. Dick smiled, enjoying the conversation. Blake poke In a lower, more guarded voice. "No. I won't keep still!" the maid dried a moment later. "You got to Pr"tnise to leave her alone, or I'll toll her all. You ve deceived me. nnd" 1 tell you to shut up!" came from her lovP1. ln R memK.ing T0lce. k J'ou don't. I'll " "Wiitu will you do?" mocked the ninld. "You're a coward, and don't dare touch me. I know you." "Be carerui !' Marie laughed defiantly, taunting nhu oivt as an rouMd. Jealous worn-" worn-" could, nut In Hie midst of It there c"ie n new note, which made Dick iunce upward hurriedly. It was as UBugh had suddenly turned lure By George Ethelbert Walsh (Copjrlrht, 1925, by w. o. Chapman.) WNO &orvic a scream a frightful cry of fear and horror. A moment later a wriggling, twisting twist-ing body shot through the air, missing the ledge on which Dick stood by less than a foot. The maid had either stepped too near the edge of the cliff and fallen over, or she had been pushed to her doom by another. Dick had no way of judging the cause of her mishap. He simply saw her body hurtling through space and neard It splash in the greedy sea below. be-low. A last despairing cry escaped her lips, and then the green water closed over her. There was no way to reach her except ex-cept by a straight dive from his elevated ele-vated position. Dick reasoned that Blake, after the accident, would either flee panic-stricken or hurry down to the beach with help. In either case, the fellow would be of little assistance In the rescue. It was up to him to make the effort. Dick waited nntll she came to the surface, which seemed a long, torturing tortur-ing time to him. Her long fall had carried her far beneath the surface. When her head showed finally for an Instant, bobbing on the crest of a wave, he took the plunge, making a clean dive straight for her. The Inevitable In-evitable sinking and quick struggle to recover his breath on the' surface followed. fol-lowed. Then clearing his eyes of the salt water, he caught a glimpse of her as she was going under the second time. Dick was an expert swimmer, and understood the art of handling a drowning person. He made a surface dive, and caught her by the back of pSP: "Which," He Reflected With a Scowl, "I'm Still Ignorant Of." the hair, twisting It around in his fingers fin-gers until he had a firm hold, and then throwing himself on his back he began towing her in. Fighting his way slowly through the waves, he managed finally to grasp the nearest rock, and with this as a lever he swung the struggling body of the terrified girl into shoal water. After that It was easy to pick her up and carry her to a safe ledge a few feet above the highest roller. Gasping a little from his own exertions, exer-tions, he rested a moment before paying pay-ing attention to Marie, lie doubted if she had swallowed much water, and her moans and cries were due more to hysteria than to any alarming symptoms. At the worst she would suffer only a little physical discomfort. CHAPTER XI Marie came to her senses In due time, and struggled to a sitting position. posi-tion. Her wild, c-tartled eyes took in the sea rolling close to her feet. With an Involuntary shudder and moan she drew as far bach from It as she could. Dick smiled. "You don't have to be afraid of It, Marie. It can't reach you." She turned her terrified eyes to him. She was stupidly quiet for a few moments. mo-ments. You you saved me?" she gasped. "I picked you out of the sea," he replied lightly. "Y'ou weren't swimming swim-ming very well." "I can't swim," she replied. "Then you should keep out of the water. What made you take the long dive?" She shuddered again, and glanced up at the top of the cliff. .Memory suddenly Hooded her mind. Her eyes Hashed. "1 didn't dive!" she said. "He pushed me over. He wanted to kill ,e get me out of the way the murderer mur-derer !" "Whom are you speaking of Mr. Blake?" "Yes. the reptile! He tried to murder mur-der me. Oh, the wret ii !" She rsrao wringing her hands. "lie made love t0 mf-said he'd marry me, end then then to try to put me out of the way I Oil ! Oh ! Oh !" Dick permitted her to sob imuia- turbed, her whole body shaking violently. vio-lently. When she grew calmer he spoke with emphasis to Impress her. "Marie, I saved your life. You know that If I hadn't plunged ln you'd be food for fishes by this time. Now I'm going to ask a favor of you lo return. Will you grant it?" "Tes, sir, anything," she replied, weakly but honestly. "Then I want to know why you betrayed be-trayed your mistress and put yourself into the hands of Mr. Blake and Doctor Doc-tor Alster. Was It because you loved Blake?" In spite of her shaking she flushed slightly, and nodded her head. "I thought so," he resumed. "In fact, I knew It A woman in love will do the most extraordinary things." He paused again, glancing seaward. When he turned once more to her he was smiling frankly. "You didn't want anything terrible to happen to Miss Cutler, did you? That wasn't a part of the bargain with Blake, was it?" "No, sir, he promised not to barm her," she answered meekly. "Nor her uncle?" "No, sir, he said he was a sick man, and needed the change down here. He wasn't going to harm him." "Then what was his scheme?" asked Dick bluntly, taking her off her guard. "I I don't exactly know," she stammered. stam-mered. "He Bald something about making his fortune If he could keep Mr. Cutler down here for a few weeks. It was something about stocks. I don't know exactly." "H'm I" mused Dick. "I think I understand," un-derstand," He was quiet for a few moments. Then, noticing the girl's agitation, he took pity on her. "I'll get you around to the beach, Marie. You need dry clothing." "I'm cold," she murmured, shivering. shiver-ing. "Miss Cutler will help yon. Go to her and tell her you fell into the wa ter. Don't say anything to her about Mr. Blake." "Thank you, sir. I'll do as you ask." "Then come ; I'll help you to the beach. Go up to the house, and act as If nothing serious had happened. You might, by the way, redeem yourself your-self by looking after your mistress a little more carefully. Doctor Alster and Mr. Blake are no friends of hers." "I know It, sir, but I'll show them I am. I'll protect her from them. I'll scratch their eyes out, and and " "I believe you would, Marie. Now come 1" ' Dick helped her along the face of: the cliff until they reached the beach. ! Marie was so terrified of the water that she clung to him desperately un- til her feet touched the sand, and she knew she was safe. She drew a long sigh of relief then, and at Dick's bidding bid-ding hurried up to the house. Returning to his hiding place under the cliff, where he felt he was reasonably reason-ably safe from discovery, Dick awaited await-ed the coming of darkness to put hia plan In execution. He had gathered enough facts now to determine his course of action. It was to be drastic, dras-tic, and full of danger; but It was the only thing under the circumstances to do. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |