OCR Text |
Show I j The Exploits of Elaine I H A Detective Nooet and a Motion Picture Drama js I By ARTHUR B. REEVE H ThcWcH-Known Novclut and the Creator of lIie"CraigKcnncdy"Stoncj p? H Presented in Collaboration With the Pthe Players and aj m tho Eclectic Film Company S H Corrrirbl, 1914. br U tar Coaftnj All Pofctrn ftubu RtttitM H Jj BBBBH uuu....MtMAt..A)AWWAVAW.WJAMtf,W.WWWWJWMVJIMW.WM. H 8YN0P8I8. Tho Kew Tork police nrc mystified by BjBJ rler murders and other crime. The BjBj principal due to the criminal Is tho warn BJBJ Ing letter which Is aent to the victims, aJB. aliened with a "clutching hand," The BJ latest victim of the myatcrloua ossnssln BBJ In Taylor DoiIko, the Insurance president. H Ills daughtor. Rlalne, employs Craig BJBJ Kennedy, tho fnmous scientific dotpctlve, BJBJ to try to unravel tho mystery. What Ken- BJBJ nedy accomplishes Is told by his friend, BJBJ Jameson, a nowspaprr man. BJBJ After mnny frultlcsn attempts to put BJBJ Rlalne and Craig Kennedy out of tho BJBJ Way, the Clutching Hand la nt lost found BJBJ to bo nono other than Perry Dennett, BJBJ Rlalne's lawyer and the man she la en- BJBJ pift4 to marry. Dennett flees to the BJB den t one of his Chinese crlmlnnts. The BJB ChlniUaan forces from Ilennett the secret BJB of tho whoroabouts of $7,000,000. Then he Bm gives the lawyer a potion which will bus BJBJ ptnd animation for months. Kennedy BJBJ reachas Dennett's side Just after he has BJB lost consciousness and supposes him dead. H SEVENTEENTH EPISODE M ' THE WATCHING EYE. H Not a cluo had boon loft by tho kid- H napors when thoy had so mysterious- H ly Bplrltcd Elalno away from tho H aparttnont of Wu Fang. She had dls- H appeared as completely as if sho had H vanished into thin air. H Kennedy was frantic. Wu and Long H Hln themsolvca noomod to havo van H ishod, too. Whoro thoy held hor, what H had bapponod to hor, was a scaled H book. And yot no movo of ours was H mado, no mattor how Bccrot, that It H. did not seem to be known to thorn. It H was as though a weird, uncanny oyo H glared at us, watching everything. H Craig negloctcd no possibility in H his oager search. Ho oven vlBltod tho H little houso in tho country which H Elalno had given to Aunt Tabby, and H spent sovoral hours examining tho H collapsed subterranean chamber in m tho vain hopo that it might yield a B clue. But it had not. H Unescapably, ho was forced to the H conclusion that not only Elaino's H amazing disappearance, but tho tragic H BUcccBsion of events which had pre- H ceded it had been caused, in soma H way, by tho curiously engraved ring H which Aunt Josephine had taken from H Craig bad taken possession of tho H mystic ring himself, and now, forced B back on tblB solo clue, it had occurred H' to him that if tho ring woro so values valu-es nblo, other attempts would, without B9 doubt, be mado to get possession of it. I came into tho laboratory, ono aft-H aft-H ernoon, to And Kennedy surrounded m by Jeweler's tools, hard nt work mak-B mak-B ing nn oxnet copy of tho ring. B "What do you think of It, Wnltor?" B ho askod, holding up tho replica. "Perfect," I roplled, admiringly. "What aro you going to do with it?" M "I can't Bay- yet," answorcd Ken-I Ken-I nedy, forlornly, "but if I understand theso Chinese criminals at all, I know H tr. tho only way wo can over track j then la through somo trick. Perhaps B (ho replica will suggest something to m us lator." fl "Let's boo if Aunt Josoplilno has re- eclvod any word," ho remarked ab-M ab-M ruptly, putting on his hat and coat, B and nodding to mo to follow. B H Kennedy and I were not tho only 1 visitors to the subterranean chamber B where it had seemed that the cluo to the Clutching Hand's millions might bo found. It was as though that hidden, watch-m watch-m Ing eyo followed us. Tho night after B our own unsuccessful search, Wu H Fang, accompanied by Long Sin, mado M bis way into the cavern. Wu examined tho safe which had H been broken into, B Long Sin wns now going over tho H walls of tho cavern minutely, his close- B Bet, beady black eyes examining every square inch of it. B A sudden low guttural exclamation H caused Wu to turn to him quickly. 1 Long Bin had discovered, back of tho Hj debris, a long oblong slot, cut into tho H rock. Abovo It wcro some peculiar B narks. H Wu hurried ovor to his henchman, and together they tried to decipher P2 what had been scratched on the rock. As Long Sin's slender and sinister B forcflngor traced over tho inscription j Wu suddenly caught him by the el- H bow. H. "The rlngl " ho cried, as at last ho in- Jj terpreted tho meaning of tho cryptic B characters. H But what about tho ring? For a moll mo-ll ment Wu looked at the slot In deep H thought. Then he reached down and j , withdrew a ring from his own finger PJJ and dropped it through tho slot. AV They listened a moment. Thoy could H: hear tho ring tinkle as though it were jrS running down somo sort of trackllko H declivity inside tho rock. Then, faint-i faint-i ly. they could hear it drop. It had K' fallen into a. llttlo cup of a compart-g, compart-g, ment below at their feet. Wk' Nothing happened. Wu recovered )M: hls rlnB. But he had hit at last upon 5' too Clutching Hand's secret! mm Bennett had devised a ring lock nm which would open the treasure vault! jB. No other ring except the ono which JB- he ha(- so carefully hidden was of tho tv. elze or weight that would move the H' lever which would set the machinery working to open the treasure house. H; Again Wu tried another of his own B iisga, and a third time; l-ooc Bin JHJ B ' Hi m dropped in a ring from his finger. Still there was no result. "Tho ring which we lost is tho key to tho puzzle the only key!" exclaimed ex-claimed Wu Fang finally. "We must recover it at all hazards." To his subtlo mind n plan of action seemed to unfold almost instantly. "Thcro Is no good remaining here," he ndded. "Aud wo have gained nothing by tho capture of the girl, unlcsB we can uso hor to recover tho ring." Long Sin followed his master with a sort of intuition. "If wo have to steal it," ho BUggostod deferentially, "it can bo accomplished bost by making use of tho Chong Wah Tong." Tho tong was tho criminal band which thoy had offended, which had in fact stolon tho ring from Long Sin and sold it to Elalno. Yet In a game Buch as this enmity could not last when it was mutually disadvantageous. Wu took tho suggestion. Ho decided inBtantly to mako penco with his enemies ene-mies and uso them. Lator that night, In his car, Wu stopped noar tho little curio shop-kept by tho new tong loader. Wu, followed by his slavo In crime, entered tho curio shop and passed through with .great dignity into tho room in tho rear. As tho two entered, tho tong men bowed with great respect "Let us bo onemles no more, ' began Wu briefly. "Lot us rather help each othor as brothers." Ho oxtonded his right hand, palm down, as ho spoko. For a moment tho tong leader parleyod with tho others, then stepped forward and laid his own hand, palm down, ovor that of Wu. Ono of tho others did tho Bamo, including Long Sin, tho aggrieved. ag-grieved. Penco wbb restored. Wu had arisen to go, and tho tong men woro bowing a respectful faro-well. faro-well. Ho turned and saw a largo vaso. For a moment ho paused before it It was an enormous affair and was apparently composed of a mosaio of raro Chinese enamels, cunningly put together by tho doft and patient fingers fin-gers of tho Oriental craftsmen. Extending Ex-tending from tho wldoly curving bowl bolow wns an extremely long, narrow, tapering nock. Wu looked at it intently; then an idea seemed to striko him. Ho called tho tong lender and the others about him. Quickly ho outlined the details of a plan. "Havo you received any word yot?" asked Aunt Josoplilno, anxiously, when Jennings , had ushered us Into the Dodgo library. Kennedy shook his head sadly. A fow minutes later Jennings en-tored en-tored tho room softly ngaln. "Tho expressmen aro outside, ma'am, with a largo package," ho Bald. Aunt Josephine followed him out Into In-to tho hall. Thoro, already, tho dollvory men had set down a hugo Oriental vase with a remarkably long and narrow neck. It was, bb befitted Buch a really beautiful object of art, most carefully crated. But to Aunt Josoplilno it camp as a complete surprise. "I can't Imagino who could havo sent it," sho tomporized. "Aro you qulto suro tt is for mo?" The expressman, with a book, looked up from the list of names, down which ho was running his finger. fin-ger. "This is Mrs. Dodgo, tAn i it?" he asked, pointing with his pencil to tho entry with tho address following it There seemed to bo no namo of a shipper. "Yes," she replied, dubiously, "but I don't understand it. Walt just a moment" Sho wont to tho library door. "Mr. Kennedy," sho said, "may I trouble you and Mr. Jameson a moment?" We followed her into tho hall, and there stood gazing at tho mysterious gift, while she related Its recent history. his-tory. "Why not sot it up in tho library?" I suggested, seeing that the express-men express-men were getting restive nt the delay. "If there is any mistake they will send for it soon. No ono ever gets anything for nothing." Aunt Josoplilno turned to Mie expressmen ex-pressmen and nodded. With tho nid of Jennings thoy carried tho vase into tho library, and thero it was uncrated, Craig walked around tho voac, looking look-ing at It critically. I had a feeling of being watched, ono of theso sensations which psychologists tell us aro utterly baseless nnd unfounded. I was glad I had not said anything about it when he tapped the vaso with his enne, then stuck tho cane down the long, narrow neck, working It around as well as he could. Tho neck was so long and so narrow, however, that his stick could not fully explore tho inside of the vaso, but it seemed to mo to bo qulto empty. "Well, there's nothing in it, any-how," any-how," I ventured. I had spoken too soon. Kennedy withdrew hla cane, and on the ferrulo, adhering as' though by somo sticky Bubstanco, was a note. " Wo read; - Dear Aunt Josephine This ft a token that f am unharmed. Havo Mr. Kennedy give the ring to the man at the corner of Williams and Brownlee avenues at midnight tonight and they will surrender me to him. ELAINE. P. 8. -Have him come alone or my life will be In danger. "I thought something like this would happen," remarked Craig at longtb. "Oh," cried Aunt Josephine, "It's too good to bo truo." "We'll do it," exclaimed Kennedy quickly, "only this is tho ring that wo'll givo them." Ho drow from his pocket the replica of the ring which 4ie had mado and showed it to Aunt Josephine. Then Jio drew from another pocket tho real ring, replacing tho replica. "Hero's the real one," ho said in a low tono. "Guard it as you would your life." Aunt Josephino .was worn out with tho sleepless nights of worry slnco Elaino's disappearance. After wo had gone, sho tried to eat dinner, but found that sho had no appetite. Although sho had intended to sit up until sho received somo word from Kennedy that night, tho long strain had told on her, and in spite of her worry about Elalno, Bho decided, at length, to retire Aunt Josephine, clasping tho Jewel case tightly, mounted tho stairs and entered her room. Sho locked the door carofully nnd put tho jewelry case under un-der hor pillow. Then Bho switched off tho light. A moment later a small plcco of the vaso Boomed to broak away from tho rest of tho mosaic, as though it were knocked out from tho inside. Then a largo pleco fell out, and nnothor. At last from tho strange hiding place a Utho figure, as shiny as though bathed in oil, naked excopt for a loincloth, loin-cloth, Boomed to squirm forth like a serpent It was Wu Fang the watchful watch-ful eyo which, literally as well as figuratively, figu-ratively, had been leveled at us in one form or another ovor since tho kidnaping of Elalno. Silently ho tiptoed to the doorway and listened. Thero was not a sound. Just as noiselessly then he went back to the library table and, muffling tho tolephono bell, took down tho rccolver. Ho whisperod a number, waited, then whispered somo directions. A moment later ho wormed his way out of tho library and into the drawing-room. drawing-room. On ho wont cautiously, qnako-Ilko, qnako-Ilko, up tho stairs, until ho came to the door of Aunt Josephine's room. Ho bont down and listened. Thero was no sound except Aunt Josephine's Chinaman mads Ills way to an old barn. In tho dim light of a lantern hanging hang-ing from a rafter could be seen several sev-eral barrels in a corner. Without a moment's hesitation Long Bin seized a bucket and placed It under the spigot spig-ot of ono of tho barrels. Tho liquid poured forth into tho bucket, and ho emptied tho contents on the floor, filling fill-ing tho bucket again and again and swinging it right and left in every direction, until tho barrel had finally run dry. Then ho moved over to tho window, which ho examined carefully. Satisfied with what he had dono, he drew a slip of paper from his pocket and hastily wroto a note, resting tho paper on an old box. Whon ho had finished writing writ-ing he folded up tho noto and thrust It into a llttlo hollow-carved Chinese figure, which he took also from his pocket. With a final hasty glanco about he extinguished tho lantern, letting the moonlight stream fitfully through the nlnglo window. Then ho left the barn, with both front and rear doors open. Taking advantage of every bit of shelter, ho made his way across tho field in the direction of the crossroads, finally dropping down behind a hugo rock somo yards from the finger post that pointed each way to Williams and Brownleo avenues. Late that night Kennedy left his apartment prepared to follow the instructions in-structions In tho noto which had been so strangely delivered in tho vaso. As ho climbed Into a roadster he tucked tho robe most carefully into a corner under the lcathor seat. "For heaven's sake, Craig," I gasped from under tho robe, "lot mo havo a little air." I had taken my place under tho robe beforo tho car was driven up in front of tho apartment lest some emissary of Wu Fnng might bo watching to see that thero was such a trick. "You'll get air enough whon we get started, Walter," he laughed back under un-der his breath, apparently addressing the engine. Wo had reached a point in the suburbs sub-urbs which was deserted, and I did not recognize a thing when ho pulled up by tho sldo of the road with a Jerk. A momont later ho pulled tho robo partly off mo, and bent down as though examining tho batteries on tho sldo of tho car. "Cot out on tho othor sldo In tho shadow of tho car, Walter," he whispered whis-pered hoarsely. "Go down tho road a bit only cut in and keep under cov- 'Let Us Be Enemies No More," Says Wu. breaming. Silently ho drow from a fold in the loin-cloth a screwdriver and romoved tho screws from tho hinges of tho door. Quietly ho pushed tho bedroom bed-room door open, pivoting it on tho lock, just far enough open so that ho could slip through. Creeping along tho floor, liko tho reptilo whose sign ho had assumed, he came nearer and nearer Aunt Josephine's Jo-sephine's bed. As ho paused for a moment his quick eyo seemed to catch sight of tho bulging lump under her pillow. His long, thin hand reached out and qulotly removed tho Jewel case from under hor pillow. In a country rondhouso Long Sin was waiting patiently. Tho telophone rang, nnd the proprietor answered. Long Sin was nt his sldo almost before ho could hand over tho receiver. It was Long Sin's master, Wu. "Beware'' camo tho whispered meB-sngo meB-sngo over tho wire. "Kennedy has mado a false ring. I'll get tho real one. By tho great Devil of (Job!, you must cut him off," "It Is dono," returned Long Sin, hanging up tho receiver In great ox-citemont. ox-citemont. Ho hurried out of tho room and left tho roadhouse. Down tho road In nn automobile, bound botw.cen two Chinamen, China-men, ono at hor head and tho other at her feet, was Elalno, wrapped around In blankets, not even hor fuco visible. vis-ible. Tho guards looked up startled as Long Sin streaked out of the shadow to tho car. "Quick!" ho ordered. "Tho master will got tho ring himself. I will tako caro of Konnody." An instant and thoy woro kolM, while Long Sin slunk back into tho shadows from which he bad como. ( Through the underbrush tho wily er. This Io Williams avenue. You'll seo a big rock. Hldo behind It. ' Ahead you'll seo Brownleo avenue. Be prepared for anything. I shall havo to trust tho rest to you. I don't know my8olf what'B going to happen." I slid out and went along the edge of tho road, as Craig had directed, and finally crouched behind a huge rock. After a moment to give me a chance, Craig himself left tho car pulled up close by tho eldo of the road and went ahead on foot. At last ho camo to the crossroads just around tho bend, where, In the moonlight, ho could read tho Blgns: "WIlIlaniB ave-nuo" ave-nuo" and "Brownleo avenue." fie stood there a moment Suddenly, at his feot In tho dust of tho road something heavy teemed to drop. Ho looked uuout quickly. No ono wns In sight lis reached down nnd picked up a llttlo Chinese figure. Tupping it with his knuckles ho examined it curiously. It v as hollow. Fom tho Inside he drew out a piece of ;aper. Ho strained his eyes in tho inronllght nnd managed to muko out: "The Serpent Is all-wise and his fanj Is'fatal. You have signed the whlto girl's death warrant." Meanwhile I had mado my way stealthily, peering Into tho bushes and careful not oven to stop on an) Ihing that would make a noise and was now, as I have said, crouched behind tho big rock to which Craig bad dlrectod mo. I had begun to wonder whether Kennedy Ken-nedy might not havo mado a mistake when, suddenly, from behind tho shadow of another rock ahead of mo, but toward Brownlee avenue, I saw a tall, gaunt figure of a man stealthily rlso up into the raoonMght My heart gave a leap as he quickly raised his right arm and hurled something some-thing as far as ho could in the direction direc-tion that Kennedy had taken. I stole out from my own hiding placo in tho shadow of my rock and darted quickly to tho shelter of a bush, nearer the figure. It turned to steal away. I leaped at him and ho went down, rolling over and over In tho underbrush under-brush and stubblo. He was powerful and stronger than I and after a tough tUBslo he broke looso. But I had succeeded, nevertheless. never-theless. I had delayed him Just long enough. Kennedy hoard tho sound of tho Btrugglo and was now crashing through tho hedge at tho crossroads In our direction. I managed to pick mysolf up, just as Kennedy reached my side, and, together, to-gether, wo followed tho retreating flguro ns it mado Its way among tho shadows. Across tho open space before be-fore us wo followed him nnd at last saw him dlvo into an old barn. A momont later wo followed hotfoot hot-foot into tho barn. Ab wo entered, wo could henr a peculiar grating nolso, as though a door was swung open. Evidently tho man had gono through and closed tho back door. Wo throw ourselves' against tho back door. But it did not yield. There was no tlmo to wasto and we turned to rush out again by the way wo came, Just as tho front door was Slammed shut Tho man had trapped us. Wo could hear his feet crunching tho dry leaves and twigs as ho went around tho side of tho barn again. Suddenly tho palo sliver of tho moonlight on tho floor reddened. Tho man had struck a match and thrown it into a mass of oil-soaked straw and gunpowdor which protruded through ono of tho weather-beaten boards, near tho floor. For a second I looked dismayed at tho rapidly mounting flames. "A very pretty situation," I forced with a laugh. "But I hopo he doesn't think we'll stay hero and burn, with a perfectly good window In full view.'' I took a step toward tho window, but boforo I could tako another, Kennedy yanked mo back. "Don't think for a moment thnt he overlooked that,' ne shouted. Craig looked around hastily. In a corner, lust back of us, was a long pole Ho snatched it up and moved cautiously toward the window "Keep back, Walter," he muttered, "Just as far as you can." Ho had scarcely raised tho window a fraction of nn inch when an old, rusty, neavy anvil and a bent, worn piowsharo crashed down to tho floor directly over tho spot where f Bhould havo been if he had not dragged mo away. "I think you may try it safely now, all right," smiled Kennedy coolly. Wo climbed out of tho window, not an instant too soon. Having gained tho clump of wobds, the gaunt flguro had paused long enough to gloat ovor his clover scheme. Instead, ho saw us making good our escape. With a gesture of lntenso fury ho turned. Thero was nothing more for him to do but to zigzag his way to safety across country. coun-try. Kennedy did not pause an instant longer, but in tho light of the burning burn-ing barn, ns best ho could, started to follow tho trail in a desperate endeavor en-deavor either to overtako Long Sin, or at least to find tho final direction In which ho would go. At tho cntranco of tho passageway which led to tho llttlo underground chambor In which wo bad sought tho treasuro hidden by tho Clutching Hand, Wu Fang was seated on a rock waiting impatiently though now and then indulging in a sinister smllo nt tho subtlo trick by which ho had recovered re-covered tho ring. Tho sound of approaching footsteps foot-steps disturbed him. Ho. was, far top clever to leavo anything to chanco and like a serpent, he wriggled behind another rock and waited. It was only a glnnco, howevor, that ho needed to allay his suspicions. It, was Long Sin, breathless. Wu stepped out beside him bo quietly quiet-ly that even the acuto Long Sin did not hear. "Well?" ho said in a guttural gut-tural tono. Long Sin drew back in fear. "I have failed, oh, master." he replied (ln un imploring tono. "Even now they are following my trackB." Wu frowned. "We muBt work quickly, quick-ly, then," ho muttered. Ho picked up a dark lantern near by, indicating another to Long Sin. Thoy entered the cave, flashing the lights ahead of them. "Bo careful," ordered Wu, proceeding proceed-ing gingerly from one stepping stono to another. "We shall bo follbwod no further than this." Ho paused a moment and pointed his finger nt the enrth. Everywhere, except ex-cept hero nnd there where c. stono projected, was a sticky, sflmy bud-Btnnco. bud-Btnnco. It was an old trick of primitive primi-tive races. Thoy passed on from stono to stoHo until they camo to tho subterranean chamber Itself. Long Sin watched his master in silent si-lent ndrnlrntlon as, nt last, .ho drow forth tho mystic ring for which they had dared all. Without n word Wu dropped li in tho slot, a protuberance lilt a trigger and pushed It a hair's breadth. ' On tho other sldo of tho chamber, a great rock in tho ground plowly turned, ns though on a pivot They watched, fascinated. Even then Wu, did not forgot tho precious ring, but as tho rock turned, reached down quickly and recovered it from the cup at the floor. ' U ' ' Inch by inch the pivoted rock mots . oh Us axis. They flashed their kua- -torns full on it and, as it moved, tbey could boo disclosed huge pile of gold and silver coins and bars and orna-mente, orna-mente, a chest literally filled with brilliants, set nnd unset, rubtos, cm-cralds, cm-cralds, precious stones of every conceivable con-ceivable variety, a cavo that would havo staggered oven Aladdin. For a moment thoy could merely stand In avaricious exultation. ; Pninfully and slowly wo managed tc trail Long Sin's footprints, until we camo to a road whoro they were lost In tho hard macadam. Kennedy choso tho most likely direction, direc-tion, for tho trail had boen at an anglo-to anglo-to tho road and Long Sin was not likely like-ly to double back. Wo had not gono mnny rods boforo Kennedy paused a mlnuto and looked about in tho moonlight moon-light "It's right, Walter," ho cried. "Do you recognize It?" I looked about Then U flashed over mo. This was the back road that led past tho ontrnnco to tho treasure vault at Aunt Tabby's. We wont on now moro quickly, listening lis-tening carefully to catch any sounds, but heard nothing. At last Konnody stopped, then plunged among the ' rocks and bushes beside tho road. Wo were at tho cavo 'You go this way, Walter," no directed. di-rected. "I'll go around and down , where it caved in." I had gono only a yard or two wnen It seemed as though something had granped my foot With a great wrench I mnnaged to pull it looso. But tho weight on my-other my-other foot had Imbedded It deeper In something. I struggled to free thlfr foot and got tho othor caught My revolver re-volver which I had drawn, was Jarred from my hand, nnd In tho effort to re- t covor it, I lost my balance. Unable to movo a foot In time to catch myself" I fell forward. My hands woro now- , covered by the slimy, sticky stuff, and ' the moro I struggled, the worse I i seemed to get entangled Wu and Long Sin paused only a. 1 mlnuto In astonishment Then thoy J literally fell upon the wealth that lay before them. , Suddenly thoy paused. There was. -f tho Blight tinklo or a Chinese bell Kennedy had reached Aunt Tabby'a ' garden, outside the roof of the subterranean subter-ranean chamber where It had given M way, hnd gono down carofully over the ' earth and rock, iftd in doing so had f broken a string stretched across the- '4L passageway. Tho tinkle of a boll at- f tached to It aroused his attention and ho stopped short, a second, to look. I about Wu Fang had arranged a. I primitive alarm. j! Quickly, Wu nnd Long Sin blow out i j thoir lantorno whllo Wu gave tho rockr - 'm a push. Slowly, as It had oponcd, tt fig now closed nnd thoy stood thero listen- JR I was still struggling In tho bird JHJ lime, getting mysolf moro and moro I1J covered with, it, when tho reverbora- JK tlon of revolver shots reached me. '$' Wu nnd Long Sin had opened flro on. ' wm Kennedy, .and Kennedy was replying: - t In kind. In tho cavern it sounded like - fw a veritablo bombnrdment As they ro- s treated, they came nearer and nearer- 'M ' to mo nnd I could seo tho revolvers ' ";f ( spitting flro in tho darkness. Mkt I watched them fenrfully aa they 111 hopped deftly from ono stono to an- ' ,Oi other to avoid tho lime and ssr& f gono. ";I i "Craig! Craig!" I managed to cry . feebly. "Bo careful. Keep to the- TtN stones. ' jJ,J Stepping from stono to stone, he fol- jL' .' lowed tho retreating Chinamen. But "ffi ' - they had already reached tho mouth 1W-- - of tho cave and were making their 'ML? way rapidly down the road to a :4V' bend, in tho opposite direction from r- lg which wo had como. Thero Wu's auto- 'tffiBg mobile wns waiting. " agl " A moment lator Kennedy appeared,. 3? but thoy had mado their getaway. ' .,? Baffled, ho turned and retracod his ' 3 steps to tho cavo. '&' "They got away, Walter," ho said, $$ lighting a lantern they hnd dropped. )M "By George." he added, I think a lit- vl tlo vexed that I had not been ablo to tJmr intercept them, "you are a sight!" JM Ho was about to laugh, when f faint- - Mz4t ed. I .can remember nothing until t ":a woke up ovor by tho wall of the cham- ij ber whoro ho dragged mo, 1 Kennedy had been working hard to -J&J revive mo, and, as I opened my eyes, $jPl ho straightened up. Ills oyo suddenly fk caught something on the rock beside i ' him. There was a llttlo slot carved 2 In It, nnd above tho slot was a peculiar fl f inscription. ,1 For Bovcrnl minutes Kennedy puz- ' ' Jm ' zled over It, ns Wu had dono. Then , ! J he discovered the llttlo cup near th 7 ground. ''The ring!" ho suddenly cried out. I wns too muddled to appreclato at onco what ho meant, but I saw him qu reach into Mb fob pocket and draw fr forlh tho trinket which had caused so , much disaster, as if it had been cursed by tho Clutching Hand himself. He dropped It Into tho slot Struggling, to my feet, I saw across from mj tho very rock itself moving. t "Look, Craig!" I cried, Involuntar- ,i . Ily pointing1. ? y Ho turned. No, It was not a vision. "'"''af ' It, actually amoved. Together wo ' y$- watched. Slqwly tho rock turned on vm .a, pivot. There woro disclosed to our ' a Jf as.tonlBhqd.oC8 tho hidden millions or 'MS Wo Clutching Hand. ' , e , I looked from tho gold and Jowols to ..'-fr Kennedy in speechless amazement. ', M '"Wo have beaten them anyhow," I y .'erfedy f Slowly, Craig Bliook hln head sadly. u'W.''ho murmured, "wo hare founi , . thq Clutching Hand's millions, but w ; havo lost Elaine." . -'V ,m (TO BE CONTINUED. t |