Show the ei handsome inch 0 MCI man s a a uhl 4 ito edgr we no S CHAPTER IX continued 12 sir george nodded once around 1 1 I point and tell 3 iou ou hut but wh when enthey thy were ere round the point there aas a motor car placed so as to block the road while out on the canal bank look ing up and down the towpath tow path were three men without hesitation hay flay who knew the road well ran up on the bank passed around afe safe ly and went on at full speed they glanced back and saw the men running toward the car ray and sir george looked at each other that lad ind I 1 aw jaw in the canoe has spread the nea new I 1 that I 1 im m beaded headed I 1 up the ilia riser it look healthy here berc to me say osay no more the road roid seemed comparatively safe going and ilay took curves and comers ia in a highly exciting man ner sir geore george did nothing to dis courage him they chught the found sound of a motor boat on the canal there acs as nothing sr sir george told himself frightfully unusual in a motor boat coming lions along the tile canal but when a shot tame came from the motor boat and by the narrowest margin missed their rear rent tire he be judged it to be an unus unusual uril motor boat boot zigzag I 1 he shouted 11 here do your guards blint beg iril round the ilia next curve luck bald heldak al least long enough to allow tl it pro to rock around the next A car was wa waking wafting there with one of the workmen dented in it IL st sir george waved a hand and as they went by the he car followed and hay flay called bont dont start anything lulal but if 11 they do at their tires A cheerful alia alla righta P followed them there should be another man posted here there was lie ile looked and grinned and waved and as lay itay bellowed out his instructions but a motor boat nat has no tt ales ea LWY was not anxious to begin i running battle if it he could get beyond the next landing place there might be hope but seeing bis his reinforce tall sir george looked behind him and ani whistled the car they had seen had their followers without offering battle and was tearing toward them gj by some chance there acre ere no other cars on the road in right ait it Is 19 going t to be a close sneeze simp and keep your head down Sand lson ordered ilay who somehow could not bring himself to say clr 1 george whale lint I 1 the matter with thoe men of 0 ours why they give the tires merry b ha 11 I 1 down mw 11 shouted clr george and lol followed loved bis his own advice that that was one of our tires tirel oh shades of U millam perin but were in a tight place on this peaceful road the tile m iachine wobbled and swayed tie tle other car crept up on them but the men in it did not cot shoot again evidently confident that they had them completely conle tely in their power ray was burping buring along to the accompaniment of a sort gort of 0 chant keep your head bead down if I 1 can only make it to that corner comor oh ob ham bam and onions I 1 how mad I 1 will be it they stop us this side that the oddest sound seemed to fill bis big ears eam ina in a conent nent he realla d what it wn was 9 and u then despite the glie gelty vity of he situation he be laughed aloud thy had turned a comer and bedfor them streamed what seemed a email small army of cars almost all af f that cheap but make will h had made ita its brodur both anious and rich each cz car ar held beld four men and every man except the arl driver ter was armed if you can laugh tough now exclaimed ray pay you have your nerve with you I 1 loo I 1 their punters had rounded the corner counting on their even superior car and rail speed ane motor boat loat was audible a little distance away closely fol following lowlar it dawned on bay ray who had been won deride why they bothered with s motor boat that they bad had planned it as a it way was of escape it things got sot too hot and their tires shot up tp they could escape in the boat to where a car s as waiting wafting further down ahe canal but by the advent of hays RAYs guard the situation had utterly changed the workmen cars iara as they came b hart 1 I opened out their formation and nov noti formed a long alley one on ezeb a side trough through which moved the disabled car lo 10 which sir george find nd his companion eat SAL ae As their car wobbled slowly forward the other car cars 1 cloe closed in behind it three deep deer sir george and bud his hi compan ton went on their way ahr ough this line of can cars comard the camp As they did so their puril pursuer u ere fired and the tile foremost workers returned the I 1 tire am dash IV it sir george yelled to ray flay 1 I cant let the men take I 1 the risk I 1 he lie ell climbed imbed out of 0 the car aitay fol followed loved him blim ibe enem cor turned and to sir a georges orges swerved towards the tb canal without firlle again hay called la in me languages italian and engllish 1 dont shoot I 1 and ran to the front to count the casualties one of the workers had bm been hit lift by a spi later when fit his windshield uns as shattered but h he was not dangerously wounded at least one of the enemy had been nit and two vl of their tires were punctured they theire re done for rny ilay shout cd el steady dyl I 1 ho be oiled called to the workmen nearest him who had begun to edge toward the enemy 1 1 ere only here to keep the money out of their clutches the police will do the chasing sir george gas gaie e a quick tion the motor boat had reached the spot pot where the disabled car waited and at once the men in the car jumped out and ran toward ilia lie canal bank one of them limped and another had a wounded hand the italian and negro workmen gave a roar of disgust and pleaded v ith bay to let them get at the boat kay waa was obstinate lie ile pointed out the men on u the boat armed amed and ready for trouble bit georgo groaned aloud and ran run toward the cars cam 1 I 1 cant let them set get mi a ay lets follow them the birst motor cycle policeman catle filing down the road hay flay shouted and pointed at the motor boat boal the motor boat was sell ell on its way as the policeman passed sir george the locast the policeman called as he dashed past get word to the abe locks they worl wont t pass them hay flay and sir george jumped into one of the smaller cars and sped up to the works panting hay ray flung himself on the telephone and talked rapidly 1 W I hen he looked up his compan ton ion nas divesting himself of the money belt I 1 call them la be suggested pay them now dow and tell them mr mac beth will hear what they have done for or him today oh I 1 say brode if wed only gone after them what a day it would bare have been 11 1 I m content to call it a day as nay a told 0 d him 11 weve eve got the ame mme money i lie ile turned from the ph hone on e they left the boat before the c got to the locks into a car that Is stilt still dodging the police ive told them to relay tiny message that comes through to maybethe Mac Bethe island the cw dew lire tires anre on and anti im all set to go sir george looked at him a little chyll 1 I say browne be said would mould you mind not saying much about this affair to the tb women N B deucedly awkward you know it if my stepmother gets word there was any ray shooting hay burst out laughing I 1 daredevil george georgel he shouted who anted to stage a it running fight along the canal adall afraid ad all of bis his stepmother t true as death I 1 you dont know aggy argy lady sandison well aba climbed into the car but it ray a y did not start at once lie ile leaned back and surveyed bis his corn com parlon 1 I 1 noticed you are not crowing over the success of your lour pl 1 it ns ray told bis his companion sir sit george shook his bead not then he laughed mj my word browne brownn I 1 neer thought it would come off I 1 give Y you my wo word rd I 1 never expected to have so muc much fun furl it was more hie like a wild amer lean can play than life 1 I lie ite s crazier than any play ray told him and looked at him again a little wonderingly what a good scout old Is ind wit bo lucli he trusts you ai why by he gar gave me authority to do anything I 1 hired to help you out pay the men full tim tics whether they worked or watched watched and all one a chance that it might be nothing bat a joke after all he have the police on band hand because be he th thought aught it might end in a false alarm and make us ridiculous if he been so cautious wed have caught then them here 1 be he added regretfully but i then what certainty did be have i that things would break this way no 0 certainty but a conviction that if it he be dian t break these men as JOD ion say over here they would break him sooner or later blell lie 11 not be pleased at their getting away for ho he stopped abruptly ray bay turned to bli his surprise sir george instead of continuing slid down in the scat seat and dd gave an odd little exclamation matlon which sounded like thin thal fool ciril she duani OD on this road today following bis his gaie gaze ray saw the macbeth car with roberta driving 9 coblar toward then them ID in high veed CHAPTER X P OBERTA leaned out and asked alk i a auction of the nearest foreman amao em ao 11 ue a wa wit aa italian and instantly burst out into a stream of w accompanied by 1 U I brokel rn anglish glish pantomime sir george geora and add kny ray from tile 1 ini nea best the could get a mid picture of the recent battle farou trou the gestures es turee alone lone we big st scotchman folchman man ray lay thought did tta th trick end and will get all 11 the credit and Rob roberta ertag i admiration N oh d 4 n 11 J sack luck r raj MY inia aoud oud weary with the tb rapid chac chari of emotion thil this last hour hid had broulet to him snap out of it ilonie dundee Con bonaventura aventura hit his elen glien aca away to the girl irl hei lift inking talking a food good speech too sit op vp like a roan man and let roberta pin via oar our medals on sir george raised himself tp but only to grasp flay III ly by the houlder give me the payroll receipts and this car and you can alie back with ln miss macbeth Ua cBeth good lord I 1 walt a minu tel III hay protested ai as he fumbled tiled jot or the Wila I 1 tell ilo ito berta I 1 tell her ive tone gone that will her tier she in the leist ancer concerned ned about me 0 ray regarded hin him curiously curio baking his bead beai IM hats the th bid big idea dea leaving roe me to loco the music and roberta macbeth ilac Deth clonel 1 I t 10 lo do it old fellow if I 1 dido t know you liked her dont iou sir georges face aco changed lo 10 carious curious way uke berl my dear ear fellow sties the only thing I 1 doal like in all ameilia Ame Amei ilca CL why I 1 thought you were nuts nut about her its been even betting in the office ottlee that that a why jou you time cama over 1 what hat I 1 to TO cop dauster sod her pile ray saw what he bad done then sir sit georges face whitened lilt ened so that be deucedly awkward you know if my stepmother cef word there was any shooting involuntarily ray reached ou out a hand say ills companion failed to see the hand did yoo you think so tool be he asked hoarsely hay ray hesitated well persO personally llady I 1 didn dian t think sou you were afeei uie we Is morlia 1 I ask miss macbet to marry me if were in ruins and nam I 1 badri t a penny to buy bue sw y that point being clear and an understood der stood 1 said roberta who on an noticed had left her car with eona bona ventura and walked up behind ray you stay in that car and go home while hay ilay rides with me fathera Fal hern heard from hew new york the new york car was held op up on th the a jersey meadows there was a ducting rum ing fight one of 06 car crew was hurt on your way ay with u tw sur ly friendly smile sir george booi gooi re wished a thousand thon sand times on the ride home that he lind held bis his tongue while it wai was just a as s well that the girl knew how he felt be would have preferred tha it had bad not been expressed to her quite so crudely and she bad had taken it in a decidedly sporting spirit ret yet tig fact remal remained ned that it as a relief to have hare it clearly understood between them that there rai rag no th thought ought of her or her fortune in his mind curiously enough now mitat he had pu publicly cly relinquished her ro barts e bright head seemed to gleam like lost gold and he it fiand und himself wishing that he were ray care free and fancy free and about to enjoy a ride in the soft dusk with a girl whether she bad milons all or not only he assured him en self that girl would never jo in his barj be roberta macbeth there se verial things roberta bould have to explain diore be he bal bai any at ill all in her f be poverty stricken of the title and lands stretched ur behind the and yawned dawned he ile was tired after all it had been a bt of a day it was jolly lucky fo for r blin hl that things than had bad turned out 28 a they bad A shout from a motor moto r cycle made him bring bis his car to a sud den stop mr Hac Mae Beths secretary yee yes sir george reacting to the excitement of the da day put a it hand on his bl pistol pocket until be he law saw the man ore a uniform tell ur mr macbeth Ua cBeth will yon that the men in ili the motor launch lert left it halfway down the canal find and eol got away in to a fast car but were werd on their trail thank you officer hope HOPI they get the bew s sure well get them then iti ito only a question of 0 time he ile was 1 0 and soon sir george could see ILI tl lights on tho th little bridge of the island glad to w them loo in to hilte silte of the fact that be he would hare have to h face roberta it it petha beths hostile to is tos s across the aln ine ing table bibat ild old the girl want anyhow he lie had dt u lz hia his best for her father aad sad for her 2 aa 4 li if she thought hed told of her friend of the other dolbt she the was olita talita kep though ll ious she be night nave hate to 10 her eonta u ugly egiy tales toles bout about that lad ind non tf V his his idon this afternoon after loon ifould prom that jack navarro was mixed up in the attempt on the pay PRY roll if it m is true it was plain why biardo bi arro never came come to the house lie ile had probably kiren ores taj 91 girl rl some highly hi lily romantic reason drove a girl uke like roberta to a a sly fellow tike like wit sleek hal haired ld when there were mea nien like liay itay and itabac Lia hain it did not riot oc cur to him roberta being hein a girl that it wa was the same hine thing that had brought h ahra am here to MacHet machetes hs isgard hat that avid made nai him risk ml his klo skin today and sad the tile desire d for thrace ahlo ir nd ind strange after dinner he be would EO to down to green bend and sea alice or nell and reel rest his tired brain nice alt not nearly dearly to 0 o disturb lag It robert lie the bridge clattered across it and sad up to the tb terrace roberta and hay wen were already there they had bad passed him alien hen the tile polices hulid d him ilia they told him his hl ob them lodi lod Saud lion came running down the terrace steps and grained him it was tho the first time argy any had hugged him since lie was men seven hut but elio she had loit lost nothing bj by want of practice oh my did they touch TO 14 not a touch sir george bald bala in what hi he thought wa was a truo american manner biow ow hands off I 1 must report to the chief macbeth rat sat in his library telephone near al at hand hanl he lie wae was draw ing oa 01 a piece of paper and trying to look businesslike but tho the hand that held tho the pencil shook a little as be sav saw sir george in tho the door way just by so 0 o little bad thia this shining young head mined death on thie this wonderful day in this peace ful fut countryside and it wit was be he rob ert who it ho bad cat sent him on Ms ma dangerous to live a few miserable thou thousands sunds but that was as not the way sir george |