Show 1 L SYNOPSIS at the expense 0 of f a soiled hat fiat flobert ornic drine saves from agriest an cat a girl in I 1 n f ft L black t curing car who tins hns caused a braf traffic I 1 IC jim an tin state street lie ile buys it a new hat an I 1 U given in change a ive five dollar bill with Kp le member the person yo you u puy y this to written on oil it A second hlll time cepl tie e helps the lady in the mark var far and learns that in boin and bessie they have lave mutual friends but pains gains no further hint t her identity ile he discovers another in crip tion on tile the marked bill which in a utile attempt to decipher it he cc copies pies nd p arts the copy in a drawer in tits hla apartment Part ment senor benor Por itol south american calls and claims the tha marked bill orme oril refuses and a light ensues in which 1 IB a overcome lie ile calls in senor minister from his him country to vouch for him film orme onne still refuses to give alvo up the bill urmo orme goes aea for a walk and sec seca s two jails attack attach ile he rescuer him returning nans to his rooms orme Js A attacked by two japs who effect a forcible exchange of the marked hill bill tor for another orme finds the girl of the black pir waiting waltin ff for him she n w 0 o wants the bill orme tells ilia hla story she recognizes one of tile the japs jails as ag tier her fathers mier butler makii maki the second inscription on the bill Is the key to the hiding place of important papers stolen froni from tier her fattier father both japs und south Arric americans ricans want tile the th tia a pern orme find and the girl start out in ahe e black cur car in quest of tho the papers in the university grounos in evanston Kv anston the eidl hiding ng place mace Is located and another jap are there orme tells fells makit makii and tile the other jap jai escapes orme finds in 3 makus pocket a folded slip of paper lie he takes the girl whose raime lame Is still unknown to him film to the home of it a friend in kranston Kv anston returning to the university grounds brounda orme gets bets in conversation with a auard at tile the lifesaving life saving station they beor lear a motor boat in trouble in the darkness on IN lake CHAPTER VI Continued 1 I 1 know why he went out so far remarked porter ile he Is running without lights that in itself Is suspicious it orine onne asked why yes I 1 suppose so though people arent always as careful ns as they might be our own lights arent lighter lighted you see have you any clue at all as to where she is only from the direction tile the hounds bounds came from just before the explosions plo lons stopped sho she had headway enough to slide some distance after that and im allowing for it and tor for the currents with the lake as it Is aibe would be carried in a little for nearly halt half an hour they continued straight out toward mid lake orme noticed that there was a slight swell the lights of evanston were now more mere twinkling distant points far away over the dark void of the waters porter shut ott off tho the power we must be pretty near her he said they listened intently Per perhaps hars I 1 steered too far south said porter at last lie he threw on the power and sent the I 1 he boat northward in slow wide circles the distant steamship had bad made progress toward the northeast bound perhaps for muskegon or some come other port on the michigan shore she was a passenger steamer for lines of portholes port holes and dock deck windows were marked by dots of light there was no other sign of human presence to be seen been on the lake and ormes glance expectantly wandered to tier her lights now and then at last while he was looking at it after a fruitless search of the darkness tie was startled by a strange phenomenon the lights of the steamer suddenly disappeared an instant later they shone out again with an exclamation orme seized the ste steering ering wheel and swung it over to the right there she Is he cried and then excuse me tor for taking the wheel that way but I 1 was afraid id lose losa her 1 I dont see her said porter no but something dark cut off tho the lights of that steamer hold her so ile he let go the wheel and peered ahead presently they both saw a spot of blacker blackness in the night porter forter set the motor at halt half speed alave ilave you got a bullseye bulls eye lantern asked orrne orme in an undertone yes in that locker orme stooped and lighted tile the lantern in the shelter ot of the locker now run up alongside he said and ask if they need help the outline of the disabled boat now grew more distinct porter swung around toward it and called need help after a moments moment I 1 q wait a voice replied yes yea you tow me to chicago I 1 pay you it was a voice which orme lecog inked as that of the japanese who had been with make in the attack it at the pere marquette cant do that answered porter ill take you ou in to evanston no the tone was 1 I go to chicago I 1 fix engine pretty soon at this moment ornie orme raised his lantern and directed its light into tile the other boat it shone into the blinking blink ing eyes of the japanese standing by the motor it shone great dent If heaven eaven was wag he dreaming orme onne could not believe his eyes the light revealed the face of the one person he least expected to see for seated on oil a cushion at the forward end of the cockpit was the girl CHAPTER VII A japanese at large what was waa the girl doing out there in mid lake in the company of her enemy orme had seen her enter the house of her friends in evanston had bidden her goodnight good night with the understanding der standing that she was to make no further move in the game before the coming coining morning she must have left the house soon after he walked away had she abe known all the time where the japanese wits was had she hunted him out to make terms with him it if that were the case her action indicated a new and unsuspected distrust of orme himself her failure to call for help when orme and porter came up tip in their launch seemed to show that her presence in the other boat was voluntary and yet orme could not believe that there ther ewas was not some simple explanation which she would welcome the first chance to make ile he could not doubt tier her the immediate thing to do however was to find out just what she desired suppressing his excitement he called out girl at the same time he turned the lantern so that his own face was illuminated lumina ted mr orme she cried rising from tier her seat you here DI ai mcf i 1 3 I 1 pta enri too far at your service I 1 ile ho smiled and turned his eyes for an instant on her companion the face of the japanese was a study ills eyes were narrowed to thin slits silts and his mouth was formed into a menn meaningless ingless grin orme orma spoke to the japanese a in french has confessed h tu said ile he Is under arrest the face of the japanese did not change do you understand asked askea orme still in french there was no answer and ormo orme turned to the girl and said in french I 1 dont think he understands this language apparently riot not she replied in the same tongue tell tile me lie he went on are you there of your own will no 1 ilas has lie the papers 1 I 1 think so I 1 dont know see it if you can manage to get past him and I 1 will help you into our boat ill try she nodded with a brave effort to show reassurance orme frowned at the japanese what are you doing with this young lady ladya lie he demanded no understand yes you ou do understand you understood der stood well enough when you robbed blobbed me this evening no understand the japanese repeated the girl meantime lad had moved slowly from tier her position the two boats were close together suddenly after a swift glanco glance from orme the girl stepped to the gunwale and leaped across the gap orme reached forward and caught tier her drawing tier her for a brief instant close into his arms before she found tier her footing in the cockpit a j splendid lie he whispered and she tossed her head with a pretty smile of relief porter had been standing close by the boat hook in tits hla hands bands 1 I ii there anything more to be done donea he asked of orme yes yea wait a moment the japanese had made no move to prevent the girls escape indeed while she was leaping to the other lother boat faa bp balanced himself and turned to his motor as though to continue the work of repair now then called orme you must give ghe me those papers no understand the japanese did not even look up from his task orme turned to porter give mo me the boat hook he be said and taking it lie he hooked it to the gunwale of the other boat drawing the two crafts together ilia his intention was to use tile the boat hook to bring the japanese to terms but the oriental was too quick ills his apparent indifference vanished and with a catlike cat eat like pounce he seized the boat book hook and snatched snatched it from ormes ormea grasp the action was so unexpected that orme was completely tal n by surprise lie he made ready however to leap in unarmed but the japanese thrust the blunt end of the boat hook at him and the blow which struck him in the chest sent him toppling backward lie he was saved from timi blong into tile the cockpit by porter who caught him by the shoulders and helped him to right himself the two boats tossed for a moment like corks in the water when orme again leaped to the gunwale the japanese was using the boat hook to push the craft apart A final shove widened the distance to six or eight fet feet the jump was impossible even if tho the boats had been nearer together it would have bee been folly to attempt an attack stepping down into the cockpit orme bent over the girl who had sunk down upon a cushion sh she e seemed to be content that lie he should play the game for tier what Is wrong with ills his motor he be said do you know she answered inan in an undertone 1 shut off the gasoline supply he looking ile he see good for you girl gill lie he exclaimed where did you do it at the tank no unfortunately the valve la Is at the carburetor carb oh she continued we must get the papers orme orine turned to porter are you willing to take a risk lie he asked anything in reason the lifesaver grinned of course I 1 dont understand der stand going on but ill back you this is a good stout tub we are in orme hesitated 1 I want you to 10 ram tier her nose into that other boat porter shook tits his lead head going pretty far he said 1 I dont know that there Is warrant for it it wont need to be a hard bard bump orme explained 1 I dont want to hurt the fellow then why to frighten him into giving up some gome papers porter looked straight into ormes eyes do the papers belong to you le demanded no orme orate spoke quietly they belong to this young lady or rather to her father tula this japanese and aad the other one there on tho the shore hhorn stole them what Is the ladys name I 1 cant tell you that but the police it isn t a matter for tile he police please trust me mr air porter the lifesaver life saver stood irresolute it if this bont boat Is damaged ill ninko make it rood good live five times over continued orme oh it hurt the boit boat A few scratches perhaps its the other boat im thinking think ing of its pretty grim business I 1 know remarked orme orine the ahe younger min again studied ormes orme s face can you give me your word that the circumstances would justify us in ramming that bont boat it flashed over orme that lie ho had no idea what those circumstances were lie ile knew only what little the girl had told him yet silo she had as him again and again that the papers were of the greatest importance true irue throughout the affair thus tar far with the exception of the blow ho he hall had gaven the persons concerned had offered no dangerous violence the mysterious lous papers papera might contain information about south american mines as little pori tol had suggested they might hold bold the th secrets of tin an syn decato whatever they wore were it was really re illy doubtful whether the necessity of their recovery would justify the possibility of slaying another man perhaps the girl had unconsciously exaggerated their value women who took a bandin hand in business often lost the sense of rIa relative tive importance and yet let she had been so sure she bhe had herself gone to such lengths then too loo the south americans Ameil cans had hired a burglar to break into tier her fathers house and now this Jn japanese had abducted tier her yes it was a serious girne game orme answered porter 1 I 1 give you my word lie he said nodded and tightened his lips at the very least that fellow ha has tried to abduct this younk young lady added orme all right said porter let her go the other boat had drifted about 68 50 feet away ormo orme called out hello there japanese will you give up tile tho papers no answer came if you yon wont cried orme we are going to ram you oil oh no exclaimed the girl suddenly we drown him we shant said orme but wo we will give him a scare then in a louder voice do you yon hear the tha only reply was the tapping of metal on metal the japanese it seemed was still trying to find out what was wrong with hla his motor well then orme said to porter we well I 1 have to try it hut use low speed and be ready to veer oft off at the last minute hell try to fend with the boat hook book said porter it if lie he does ill get him how i V alasso orme picked up tip it a spare painter that was stored under the r peat cat and began to tie a slip noose the girl now spoke 1 I suppose we shall have to do it she said aalde but I 1 wish there were a less dangerous a less tragic way hardly knowing what lie ho did orme laid inid his bis hand gently on tier her shoulder it t will be all right dear deal lie ho wills it if the word embarrassed tier her the darkness dai kness covered tier her contusion confusion porter had started the motor setting it at a low speed and now ho fie was steering the boat in a circle to gain distance for the charge ive lost tho the other boat exclaimed orme peering into the darkness ashes oft off there said porter you cant see tier her but I 1 know the diree tion tie lie swung the launch around and headed straight through the night hold on tight ornic ormo cautioned the girl and roiling colling tits hla lassche lass ohe went to the bow tho the launch steadily forward orme straining life ilia eyes in ill the en art deavor to distinguish the other boat saw it at last it lay a few points to starboard and porter altered tile the course of the launch ne cordingly make for the stern called orme orine and cripple tier her propeller if you can 1 another slight change in the ourse course showed that porter understood AS A the of the distance between the two boats made it possible to distinguish tho the disabled speeder more clearly parly cl orme orine saw that the japanese was still tinkering with ahn motor ile he was busying himself as though lie be realized that he be hid bid no hope of escape escalo unless lie could start tits liis beat narrower narrower grew blew the inter gap of dark water orme braced himself for tile the shock fit n hla lert eft hand was the colled coiled painter in lila right the end of the ready noose which trailed behind him on art the deck ing it was long hinr e he be had thrown a lariat in a vivid gleam of memory lie he saw at that moment tho the hot dusty new mexico corral the low adobe buildings the lumbering cattle ard and tin the galloping callop lne horses ot tile the ranch V V esy RAY J cople suoT 1909 ar y y col irardy y there he had spent one summer vaca tion of ilia his college life it was ten years past but tills pose the rope in his hand hashed flashed it back to him now they were almost on the japa neso nese for the moment ho he seemed to waver ile iio glanced ut at tho the approaching launch anit and reached uncertainty uncertainly for or the boat |