Salt Lake Tribune | 1915-02-07 | Page 41 | The Exploits of Elaine a Detective Novel and Motion Picture Drama

IKFimltFfcill A DETECTIVE NOVEL iMipityilO and Motion Picture Drama' Presented by The Salt Lake Tribune in Collaboration With the Famous Pathe Players and the Eclectic Film Co WRITTEN BY ARTHUR B. REEVE, the WVll-Knowri Novelist and the Creator of the "CRAIG KENNEDY" Stories. Dramatized Into a, Photo-Play by CHARLES GODDARD, Author of "The Perils of Pauline." Introducing MISS PEARL WHITE, MR. ARNOLD DALY and "CRAIG KENNEDY," The Famous Scientific Detective of Fiction. Cast of leading characters in the motion picture reproduction by the popular Pathe Players. , " r HARRY Bi.JNJNi.Ll Mr. Sheldon Lewis Everything you read here today you can see in fascinating pathe motion pictures at the Rex theater this week. Next Sunday another chapter of 'The Exploits ot Elaine" and now Pathe reels. Synopsis of Previous Chapters. The Now York police are mystified by a series of murders of prominent men. The principal clew to the murderer is the wanning wann-ing letter which is sent the victims, signed with a "clutching hand." The latest victim vic-tim of the mysterious assassin is Taylor Podse, the insurance president. His daughter, Elaine, employs Craig Kennedy, the famous scientific detective, to try to unravel the mystery. What Keruuedy accomplishes ac-complishes is told by his friend Jameson, a newspaper man. The Clutching Hand band attempt a daring robbery of a jewelry store, but are foiled by Kennedy. The criminals kidnap kid-nap Elaine and leave her to drown inside a steel taink. Craig Kennedy arrives in the nick of time to save her. CHAPTER VI. "The Vampire." (Opyrlprht. 1915, by the Star company. All foreign rights reserved.) KENNEDY went the next day to the Dodge house, and, as usual, Perry Bennett, Elaine's lawyer, was thero in the library with Elaine, still goinj; over tho Clutching Hand case in their endeavor to track down the mysterious master criminal. Bennett seemed as deeply as ever in Jove with Elaine. Still, as Jennings admitted Craig it was sufficiently evident evi-dent by the maimer in which Elaine left Bennett and ran .to greet Craig that she had the highest regard for kiin. "I've brought you a little document that may interest you," remarked Kennedy, Ken-nedy, reachiug into his pocket and pulling pull-ing out an envelope. Elaine tore it open and looked at the paper within. "Oh, how thoughtful of you!" she exclaimed iu surprise. It was a permit from the police made out iu her name allowing her to carry a revolver. A moment later Kennedy reached into his coat pocket and produced a little automatic which he handed to her. "Thank you," she cried eagerly. Elaine examined the guu with interest, inter-est, then, raising it, pointed it playfully at Bennett. "Oh, no, no!" exclaimed Kennedy, taking her arm quickly and gently deflecting de-flecting tho weapon away. ''You mustn't think it is a toy. It explodes at a mere touch of the trigger when that safoty ratchet is turned." Bennett had realized the danger and had jumped back almost mechankally. As ho did so he bumped into a suit of mediaeval armor standing tyy the wall, knocking it over with a resounding resound-ing crash. "I beg pardon," he ejaculated, "I'm very sorry. That was very awkward of me.'" Jennings, who had been busy about the portieres at the doorway, started to pick up tho fallen kpight. Some of the pieces were broken, and the three gathered gath-ered about as the butler tried to fit them togethor again as beat he could. "Too bad, too bad," apologized Bennett Ben-nett profusely. "I really forgot how close I was to the thing." "Oh, never mind," returned Elaine, a little crestfallen, "it is smashed all right but it was my fauit. Jennings, send for someone to repair it." She turned to Kennedy. "But I do wish vou would teach me how to use this thing," she added, touching the automatic gingerly. "Gladly," he returned. "Won't you join us, Mr. Bennett?" asked Elaine. "No," the young lawyer smiled. "I'm afraid I can't. You see, I had an engagement with another client and I'm already late." He took his hat and coat, and, with a Teluctant farewell, moved toward the hallway. A moment later Elaine and Craig followed, fol-lowed, whilo Jennings finished restoring tho armor as nearly as possible as it had been. It was late that night that a masked figure succeeded in raising itself to the narrow ornamontal lodge under Elaine s bedroom window. Elaina was a light sleeper, and, besides, be-sides, Eustv, h"er faithful collie, now fully recovored from the poison, was in her room. Busty growled and tho sudden noise awakened her. Startled, Elaine instantly thought ot the automatic. She reached under her pillow, keeping very quiet, and drew forth the gun that Craig had given her. Stealthily concealing her actions under U10 covers, she leveled the automatic at the figure silhouetted in her window and fired three times. The figure fell back. . Down in tho street below, the assistant assist-ant of the Clutching Hand who had wait-d whilo Tavlor Bodgo was electrocute-" was wa'iting as his confed-err confed-err pict 'Pitts Slim'' which indicated n Haw was both wiry in stature and li in delegating his nativity n armiie attempt. ' ' ovcilim came tumbling down, hav. ii w.ileu back from tho window above ra. .'Uy wounded, the confederate li' a'l him up and carried him out of s'1', hurriedlv. Elaine, by "this time, had turned on the lights and had run to tho wi-adow to look out. Busty was barking loudly. In a side street near by stood 'a waiting wait-ing automobile, ot the wheel oi which sat. another of the emissaries of the Clutching Hand. Tho driver looked up, 'artled as he saw his fellmvs hurry n ,d the corner carrying tho wounded f'lb' Slim." It was tho work of Dion moment to drop the wounded comfortably as possible under cuinstauccs," in tho rear seat. while his pals started the car off with a jerk in the hurry to escape. Jennings, having hastily slipped his trousers on over his pajamas, came running run-ning down the hall, while Marie, frightened, fright-ened, came in the other direction. Aunt Josephine appeared a lew seconds later, adding to the general excitement. "What's tho matter?" she asked anxiously "A 'burglar, I think," exclaimed Jj.la.ine, still holding the gun in her hand. "Someone tried to got into my window." ,'.'y gracious!" cried Aunt Josephine, Jose-phine, in alarm, "where will this thing end.'" Elaine was doing her best now to quiet thefears of her auut, and the rest of the household. '"Well," she laughed, a little nervously, nerv-ously, now that it was all over. "I want you all to go to bed and stop worrying about me. Don't you see I'm perfectly aoio to take care of myself J Besides there isn 't a chance now for the burglar bur-glar coming back. Why, I shot him." Yes," put, in Aunt Josephine, but Elaine laughingly interrupted her, and playfully made as though she were driving theai out of her room, although tbey were all very much concerned over the affair. However, they went finally, and she locked the door. "Rusty!" she called. "Down, there!" Tho intelligent collie seemed to understand. un-derstand. He lay down by the doorway, his nose close to the bottom of the door, and his ears alert. - Finally Elaine, too, retired again. Meanwhile the wounded man was being be-ing hurried to one of the hangouts of the mysterious Clutching hand, an old-fashiohed old-fashiohed house iu the Westchester suburbs. It was a carefully hidden place, back from the main road, surrounded sur-rounded by trees, with a driveway loading load-ing to it. The car containing the wounded "Pitts Slim" drew up, and the other two men leaped out of it. With a hurried hur-ried glance about, they unlocked the front door with a pass key and entered, carrying the man. Indoors was another emissary of the Clutching Hand, a rather studious looking look-ing chap. "Why, what's the matter!" he exclaimed ex-claimed as the. crooks entered his room supporting their half -fainting, wounded pal. "Slim got a couple of pills," they panted as they laid him on a couch. "How?" demanded the other. "Trying to get into the Dodge house. Elaiue did it." Slim was, quite evidently, badly wounded and was bleeding profusely, A glance at him was enough for the studious-looking chap. Ho went to a secret panel and, pressing it down, took out what was apparently a secret house telephone. In another part of this mysterious house was the secret room of the Clutching Hand himself where he hid his identity even from his most trusted trust-ed followers. It was a small room, lined with books on every conceivable branch of science that might aid him, and containing innumerable little odds and ends of paraphernalia that might help in his nefarious criminal career. His telephono rang and ho took down the receiver. "Pitts Slim 's been wounded, badly, chief,'' was all ho waited to bear. With scarcely a word he hung up the receiver, then opened a table drawer and took out a full face mask. Next he went to a nearby bookcase, pressed another secret spring, and a panel opeued. He passed throngh, tho mask adjusted. Across, in tho larger outside study, another panol opened and the Clutching Hand, all crouched up, transformed, appeared. ap-peared. Without a word he advanced to the couch on which the wounded crook lay, and examined him. "How did it happen?" ho asked at length. Miss Dodge shot him," answered the others, "with an automatic." "That Craig Kennedy must have given it to her!" he exclaimed with suppressed fury. For a moment the Clutching Hand stopped to consider. Then ho seized tho regular telephone. "Dr. Martin?" he asked, as ho got the number he called. Late as it was, the doctor, who was a well-known surgeon in that part of tho country, answered from an extension exten-sion of his telephone near his bed. The call was urgent and apparently from a family which he did not feel that he could neglect. "Yes; I'll be there in a few moments," mo-ments," he yawned, hanging up the receiver and getting out of bed. Dr. MaTtin was a middle-aged man, one of those medical men in whose judgment one instinctively relies. From the brief description of tho hemorrhage which the Clutching Hand had cleverly clever-ly made over the wire he knew that a life was at stake. Quickly he dressed and went out to his garage back of the house to get his little runabout. It was only a matter of minutes before be-fore the doctor was speeding over the now deserted suburban roads, apparently apparent-ly on his errand of morcy. At the address that had been given him he got out and ran up the Hteps to the door. A ring at the bell brought a sleepy man to the door, in his trousers trous-ers and nightshirt. "How's the patient?" asked Dr. Martin, eagerly. "Patient?" repeated tho man, rubbing rub-bing his eyes. "There's no one sick hero." "Then what did you telephone for?" asked the doctor peevishly. "Telephone? I didn't call up any one. I was asleep." Slowly ,it dawned on tho doctor that it was a false alarm, and that he must be the' victim of some practical joke. "Well, that's a great note," he growled, as the man shut the door. He descended the steps, muttering harsh language at some unknown trickster. trick-ster. As he climbed back into his machine ma-chine and made ready to start two men seemed to rise bofore him as if from nowhere. As a matter of fact they had been sent there by the Clutching Hand, and were hiding in a near-by ceilanvay until the chance came. Tho men stood on the running boards, on either side of him, and two guns yawned menacingly at him. "Drive ahead, that way!" muttered one man, seating himself in the runabout runa-bout with his gun close to the doctor 's ribs. The other kept his place on the running run-ning board, and an on they drove in the direction of the mysterious, dark house. Half a mile, porhaps, down the road, they halted and left the car beside tho walk. , Dr. Martin was too surprised to marvel mar-vel at anything now, and he realized that ho was in the power of two desperate des-perate men. , Quickly they blindfolded aim. It seemed an interminable walk, as they led. him about to confuse him, but at last he' could feel that they had taken him into a house and along passageways, which they wero making unnecessarily long in order to destroy all recollection that they could. Finally he knew that he 'was in a room in which others were present. Ho suppressed sup-pressed a sudden shudder at tho low, menacing voices. A moment later he felt them remove the bandage from his oyes, and, blinking blink-ing at the light, he could seo a hard-faced hard-faced fellow, palo and weak, on a bloodstained blood-stained couch. Over him bent a masked man and another man stood near by, endeavoriug by improvised bandages to stop tho flow of blood. "What can you do for this fellow?" asked the masked man. Dr. Martin, seeing nothing else to do, for he was more than outnumbered now, bent down and examined him. As he rose, he said: "He will be dead from loss of blood by morning, no matter if he is properly bandaged. I "Is thero nothing that can save him?" whispered the Clutching Hand hoarsely. "Blood transfusion might save him, " replied the doctor. 'But so much blood would he needed that whoever gives it would be liable to die himself." Clutching Hand stood silent a moment, mo-ment, thinking, as he gazed at the man who had been oue of his chief reliances. Then, with a menacing gesture, ho spoke in a low, bitter tone: "She who shot him shall supply the blood." A few quick directions followed to his subordinates, and as he made ready to go he muttered, "Keep the doctor hore. Don't let liim stir from the room. " 'Thep, with the man who had aided I him in the murder of Taylor Dodge, he I J": c ! - 1 It" Holding his hand over Elaine's mouth to prevent her screaming, he snatched the revolver away before he could fire it. sallied out into the blackness that precedes pre-cedes dawn. It was just before early daybreak when the Clutching Hand and his confederate con-federate reached the Dodge house in the city aud came up to the back door over the fences. As they stood there the Clutchiug Hand produced a master key aud started to open the door. But bofore bo-fore he did so he took out his watch. "Let me see," he ruminated.' "Twenty minutes past 4. At exactly half-past I want you to do as I told you see?" The other crook nodded. "You may go," ordered the Clutching Clutch-ing Hand. As the crook slunk away Clutching Hand stealthily let himself into the house. Noiselessly he prowled through tho halls until he came- to Elaine's doorway. He gave a hasty look up and down the hall. There was no sound. Quickly Quick-ly he took a. syriugft from his pocket and bent down by the door. Inserting the end under it, he squirted soim liquid through which vaporized rapidly in a wide, fine stream of spray. Be fore he could give an alarm, Rusty was overcome by the noxious fumes, rolled over on his back and lay still. Outside, the other crook was waiting, looking at his watch. As the hand slowly slow-ly turned the half hour he snapped the watch shut. With a quick glance up and down the deserted street he deftly started up tho rain pipe that passed near Elaine's window. This time there was no faithful Rusty to give warning, and the second intruder, in-truder, after a glance at Elaine, still sleeping, went quickly to the door, dragged the insensible dog out of the way, turned the key and admitted the Clutching Haud. As he did so he closed the door. Evidently the fumes had not reached Elaine, or, if they had, the inrush of fresh air revived her, for she w-aked and quickly reached for the gun. In an instant the other crook had leaped nt her. Holding his hand over her mouth to prevent, her screaming, he snatched the revolver away before she , could fire iti In the meantime the Clutching Hand had taken out some chloroform, and, rolling a towel iu the form of a couo, placed it over her face. She struggled, gasping and gagging, but the struggles grew weaker and weaker and finally ceased altogether. When Elaine was completely under the influence of the .irug they lifted her out of bed, tho chloroform cone still over her face, and quietly carried her to the door, which they had opened stealthily. Downstairs they carried her until thev came to the library with its new safe, and whero they placed her on a couch. At an early hour an express wagon stopped before the Dodge house and Jennings, half dressed, answered the bell. "We've come for that broken suit of fw.' i ' -- - i -i i . ' . ! ' fl. . - i i v - t C if - - - ... v 1 . f - - J & - i ;-. '-.. -' : ' - vi A- . ,' ,..- - , , ; .-: V If' - ' 'i -.'. -' " ' "" ' -" - " " I v 1 " r . ' , , i - ' ! "Elaine tos kidnapud in the armur' cried Kennedv. armor to be ropairedj" said a workman. work-man. Jennings let the mon in. The armor was still on tho staud aud the repairers repair-ers took armor, stand and all, laying it on the couch, where they wrapped it iu tho covers they had brought tor the purpose. They lifted it up and started start-ed to carry it out. Be careful,''' cautioned the thrifty Jennings. , Rusty, now recovered, ivas barking and sniff in j; at the armor. "Kick the mutt off," growled one man. The other did so, and Rusty snarled aud snapped at him. Jennings took him by the collar and held him as the repairers re-pairers went out, loaded the armor on the wagon and drove off. Scarcely had they cone, while Jeu-ninga Jeu-ninga straightened Out tho disarranged library, when Rusty began junifdng abouti barking furiously. Jennings looked at -him in amaz.ameut as the dog ran to the window and leaped out. He bad no time to look after the log, though, for at that very instant j he heard a voice calling, ' 4 Jennings. Jennings! ' ' It was Marie, almost speechless. He followed her as she led the way to Miss Elaine 's room. There Marie pointed mutely to the bed. Elaine was not there. There, too, were her clothes, neatly folded, as Marie had hung them for her. "Something must have happened to her!" wailed Marie. Jennings was now thoroughly alarmed. Meanwhile the express wagon outside out-side was driving off, with Rusty tearing I after it. j "What ;s the matter? ' cried Aunt ! Tosephine, coming in where the footman land the maid were arguing what was 1 to be done. i She gave oue look at her bed, the clothes and the servants. ' 1 Call Mr. Kennedy! ' ' she cried tin alarm. "Elaine is gone no one knows how or where, " announced Craig, as be leaped out of bed that morning to answer an-swer the furious ringing of our telephone tele-phone bell-It bell-It was very early, but Craig dressed hurriedlv and I followed as best I could, for he had the start of me, tieless and collarleps. When we arrived at tho Dodge house Aunt Josephine and Marie were fully dressed. Jennings let us in. ' ' What has happened1,1 ' ' demanded Kennedy, breathlessly, While Aunt Josephine tried to tell him Craig was busy examining the room. "Let us see tho library," he said at length. , Accordingly down to the library we went. Kennedy looked about. He seemed to miss something. ' 4 Where is the armor V he demanded. de-manded. "Why. the men came for it and took it a way" to repair," answered Jennings. Kennedy's brow clouded in deep thought. Outside we had left our taxi waiting. wait-ing. The door was open and a new footman, James, was sweeping tho rug, when past him flashed a dishevelled hairy streak. Ve were all standing there still, as Craig questioned Jennings nbout this armor. With a yelp, Rusty tore frantically fran-tically into the room. A moment he stopped and barker. "We all looked at him in surprise. Then, as no one moved, he seemed to single out Kennedv. Ken-nedv. He seized Craig's coat in his teeth and trie. to drag him out. "Here, Rusty down, sir, down!" called Jennings. " Xo; Jen uings, no," interposed Craig. "What's tho matter, old fellow fel-low V Craig patted Rusty, whose big brown eves seemed mutely appealing. Out of the doorwr.y be went, barking still. Craig and I followed, while the rc?t stood in The vestibule. Rusty was trying to lead Kennedy downjhe street. "Wait here," called Kennedv to Aunt Josephine, as he stepped with nit; on the running board of the cab. "'Co on. Euty; gnod dog!'? Rusty needed no urging. With an eager vein be started ofT, still Lurking, ahead of us. our cur following. On we v. eut. murh to the astonishment of I hose who were on the sf rvri nt such an early hour. It seemed miles thai we Tt-rut. Imt ni Inst we dyne fn : peculiarly deserted looking house. Hrre Knstv turned in Hint bri.ran scratching ot the noor. Wc juiiMied off the cab and followed. Thp (loor was locked when we trie.-! it. and from inshlf we cmM fjet iu-auiwer. iu-auiwer. We put our shoulders to it aud burst it in. Rusty gavo a leap forward with a joyous bark. We followed more cautiously. Thero were pieces of armor strewn all over the floor. Rusty sniffed at them and looked about, disappointed, then howled. I looked from the armor to Kennedy in blank amazement. "Elaine was kidnapped da the armor," ar-mor," he cried. He was righ't. Meanwhile, the armor repairers had stopped at last at this apparently deserted house, a strange sort of repair shop. Still keeping it wrapped in blankets, they haa taken the armor out of the wagon and now laid it down on an old broken bed. Then they had unwrapped it and taken oil' the helmet. There was Elaine! She had been stupefied, bound and gagged. Piece after piece of the armor ar-mor they removed-, finding her still only bait' conscious. " Sh ! What 's that 1 ' ' cautioned one of the men. They paused and listened. Sure enough, tnere was a sound outside. They opened the window cautiously. A dog was scratching on the door, endeavoring en-deavoring to get in. It was Rusty. I think it ?s her dog," said the man, turning. "We'd better let him iu. Some ouo might see him." The other nodded aud a moment later the door opened aud in ran Rusty. Straight to Elaine he went, starting to1 lick her hand. "Right her dog," exclaimed the other man, drawing a gun aud hastily leveling it at Rusty. "Don't," cautioned the first. "It would make too much noise. You'd bet-; ter choke him! " j The fellow grabbed for Rusty. , Rusty was too quick. He jumped. ; Around the room the' ran. Rusty saw the wide-open w indow and his chance. . Out he went and disappeared, leaving j the man cursing at him. ! A moment's argument followed, then j they wrapped Elaine in the blankets! alone, still bound and gagged, and carried car-ried her out. In the secret den the Clutching Hand was waiting, gazing now and then at his watch, and then at the wounded man before, him. In a chair his first assistant sat, watching Dr. Martin. A knock at the door caused them to turn their heads. The crook opened it and in walked the other crooks who had carried off Elaine in the suit of armor. Elaine was now almost conscious,, as they sat her down in a chair, and partly loosed her bonds and gag. Sho gazed about, frightened. "Oh, help! help!" she screamed, as she caught sight of tho now familiar mask of the Clutching Hand. "Call all you want here, young lady," bo laughed unnaturally. '"No one can hear. These walls are soundproof. sound-proof. "Now, doc,'-' ho added harshly to Dr. Martin. 4 'It whs she who shot him. Her blood must save him. " Dr. Martin recoiled at the thought of torturing tho beautiful young girl before be-fore him. "Are yon willing to havo your blood transfused?" he parleyed. "No, no, no!" she cried in hor.ror. Dr. Martin turned to the desperate criminal. "I cannot do it." "The deuce you can't." A cold steel revolver pressed down on Dr. Martin's stomach. In tho other hand the master crook held his watr-h. "You have just one minute to make up your mind." Dr. Martin shrank back. The revolver followed. The pressure of a fly's foot must mean eternity for him. "I I'll try!" The other crooks next carried Elaine, struggling, and threw her down bc:-idr t lie wounded man. Toetht-r they ar-ran ar-ran eed a not her couch beside him'. Dr. Martin, still covered bv the gnn, bent over the two, the hardened eri m-inal m-inal and the delicate., beautiful girl. Clutching Hand glared fiendishly, insanely. in-sanely. From his bag he took a little piece of something that shone like silver. It was in the. form of a in i nut e, hollow cylinder, with two grooves on it, a cylinder so tiny rht it would scarcely have slipped over the point of a pencil. ' ' A ennmda, ' ' he explained, as he pTeiiared to make an incision in Elaine's arm and iu the arm of the wounded rojTJC He cupped it over 1 h'j seerd c,r,( f) the artery so c I f . v e r i y that the i n n r r linings of the vein and aiterv, the endothelium as it i-' called, were in complete ronta.'t with ca'di other. CI'ti'Miing Hand watchr,'l e.igerl v, as though V: fonud some new, .cientilic engine of death in the little hollow cylinder. v "A moment and tho blood that was, perhaps, to save the life of ihe wounded wound-ed felon was coursing inio his veins from Elaine. A momeut later, Dr. Martin looked up at the Clutching Hand and uodued: "Well, its working!" At Elaine 's head. Clutching Hand himself was administering just enough ether to keep her under and prevent a struggle that would wreck all. Tho wounded man had not been anesthetized anesthe-tized and seemed feebly conscious of what was being done to save him. All were now bending over the two. Dr. Martin bent closest over Elaine. He looked at her anxiously, felt her pulse, watched her breathing, then pursed up his lips. "This is dangerous," he ventured, gazing askance at tho grim Clutching Hand. 'Can't help it," came back laconically, laconi-cally, aud relentlessly. The doctor shuddered. The man was a veritable vampire. w it Outside the deserted house, Kennedy and I wero looking helplessly about. Suddenly Keunedy dashed back and reappeared a minute later with a couplo of pieces of armor. Ho held them down to Rusty and the dog sniffed at them. But kusty stood still. Kennedy pointed to the ground. Nothing doing. In leading us where he had been before. Rusty had reached the end of his canine ability. Everything we could do to make Rusty understand that we wautcd him to follow a trail was unavailing. Ha simply could not do it. Kennedy coaxed and scolded. Rusty merely eat up on his hind legs and bogged with those irresistible ir-resistible brown eyes. "You can't make a bloodhound out of a collie," despaired Craig, looking about again hopelessly. Then ho reached into his pocket and pulled out a police whistle. He blew three sharp blasts. Would it bring help? While we were thus despairing, tho continued absence of Dr. Martin from home had alarmed his family and had set iu motion another train of events. When he did not return, and could not be located at the placo to which ho was supposed to bavo gone, several policemen po-licemen had been summoned to nisi house, and they had come, finally, with real bloodhounds from a suburban station. sta-tion. There were the tracks of hia car. That the polico themselves could follow, fol-low, while two men cam along holding hold-ing in leash the pack, leaders of which were "Searchlight" and "Bob." It had not been lon before tho party camo across the deserted runabout beside be-side the road. There they had stopped for a moment. It was just then that they heard Kennedy 's call and ouo of them had been detailed to answer it. "Well, what do vou want?" asked the officer, eyeing Kennedy suspiciously suspicious-ly as ho stood there with tho armor. "What's them pieces of tin hey?" Kennedy quieklj- flashed his own special spe-cial badge. "I want to trail a girl," he exclaimed hurriedly. "Can 1 find a bloodhound about hero?" "A hound? Why, wo have a pack over there. ' ' "Bring them quick! " ordered Craig. The policeman, who was an intelligent i fellow, saw at once that, as Kennedy i said, the two trails crossed. He shout- i ed and in a few seconds tho others, with the pack, came. A brief parley resulted in our joining forces. Kennedy held the armor down to tho dogs. "Searchlight" gave a low whine, then, followed by "Hob ' ' and tho others, was off, all with noses closo to tho ground. We followed. The armor was, after nil, the missing link. Through woods aud fields tho dogs led us. Would wo be in time to rescue Elaine? . In the mysterious haunt of tho Clutching Hnud, all wero still standing around Elaine and the wounded " Tilts Slim. ' ' Just then a cry from ouo of tho group startled the rest. Ouo of them, ! i'chs hardened than tho Clutching Hand, hail turned away from the sight, had gone to the window, and had been attracted by sometluug outside "Eookl " he cried. From the absolute stillness of death, there was now wild exeitenitnt anions the crooks. I "Police! Police!" they Mhoutod lo each other as they fled by a doorway to a secret passage. Clutching Hand turned to his Jirfc assistant. " Vou go, too," he ordered. The dogs had led us to a strange-looking strange-looking house, and wero now baying and leaping up against the door. Wo did not stop to knock, but began to breaJi through, for inside we could hear faintly sounds of excitement and cries of 4 'police! police!" Tho door yielded and wc rushed into a Jong hallway. Up the patsa g c w o went until wo came to another door. An instant and we were all against it. It was stout, but it shook before us. The panels began to yield. "i On the other side of that door from us, the master crook stood for a mo- v ment. Dr. Martin hesitated, not knowing know-ing quite what to do. Just then the wounded " Pitts Slim" lifted his hand feebly. He seemed vaguely to underst and that the ga nm was up. Ho touched the Clutciiing Hand. "You did your best, chief." he murmured mur-mured thickly. "Heat, it, if you can. I'm a goner, anyway.'' Chi tehing Hand hesitated bv. the wounded crook. ThiH was the Ioynhv of gangland, worthy a better cause. Uo could lift bring himself to desert his pal. lie was und elided, still. But there was the door bulging and a pruiel bursting. lie moved over to a panel iu the wall and pushed a ppring. It slid open and he stepped through. Then it close-l not a second too soon. (! Hack in his private room hp quickly i "topped to a enrtained iron door. I-'u.-h- :l ing back the curtain he went throuidi ,? it and disappeared, tho curtains fa'liug j back. - M At the end of 1he passageway, h- v stopped, in n sort nf grotto or cave. .As e he came out. he looked hack. All vra , (Continued on Page Seven.) EXPLOITS OF EUlt (Continued from Page One.) still. No one was about. He was safe here, at least' Off came' the mask and he turned down the road, a few rods distant beyond be-yond some bushes, as little concerned about tho wild happenings as any other passer-by might have been. At the very moment when we burst in Dr. Martin, seeing bis chance, stopped the blood transfusion, working frantically frantic-ally to stay the flow- of blood. Kennedy sprang to Elaine's side, horrified hor-rified by the blood that had spattered over everything. With a mighty effort he checked a blow thai he had aimed at Dr. 1 art in, as it flashed over him that the surgeon, sur-geon, now free agajn, was doing his best to save the terribly imperiled life of Elaine. Just then the police burst through the secret panel and rushed on, Jeav- ing us alone with (bo unconscious, ' scarcely breathing Elaine. From the sounds we could tell that they had come to tho private room ot: the CTutchiug Hand. It was empty and they were nonplussed. "Not a window,'' called one. "What are those curtains?'' Thev pulled them bai'k, disclosing an iron door. They tried it, but it was bolted ou the other side. Blown bad no effect. They bad to give it up for the. instant. A policeman now stod beside Elaine, and the wounded burglar, who was muttering mut-tering deliriously to himself. He was pretty far gone, as the policeman po-liceman knelt down and tried 1o get a statement out of him. ''TVbo was that man who left you--last the' Clutching Hand?'? !Not a word came from the crook. 1 The policeman repeated his question. With his last strength he looked dis- . dainfullv at the officer's pad and pencil. pen-cil. "The gangster never squeals," bo snarled, as be fell back. Dr. Martin bad paid no attention whatever to him, but was working desperately, des-perately, now over Elaine, trying to bring her back to life. "Is she going to die" asked Craig, frantically. Every eye was riveted on Dr. Martin. Mar-tin. "She is all right," he muttered, "bub the man is goNitr 1o die." At the sound of Craig's voico Elaino had feebly opened her eyes. "Thank heaven, ' ' breathed Craig, with a hitrh of relief, as bis hand gently stroked Elaine's unnaturally cold fore-bead. fore-bead. To bo Continued Next Sunday.