Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-09-03
Baxngter
sMerlI,in
CHAPTER VII.
A Japanese at Large.

~ enemy? Orme had seen her enter the
house Of her friends in Evanston; had
hidden her goodnight with the I'M
derstanding that she was to make no
further move IN the game before the
coming morning She must have left
the house soon after he walked away.
4 Had she known all the time where
the Japanese was? Had she hunted
him out to make terms with him? If
/ that were the case, her action indf-
Gated a new and unsupported distrust
4 of Orme himself. Her failure to call
NJ for help when Orme and Porter came
ND in their launch seemed to show
that her presence in the other boat
was voluntary. And yet Orme could
not believe that there was not some
simple explanation which she would
welcome the first chance to make. He
could not doubt her.
The immediate thing to do, how
ever, was to find out just what she de-
erred. SURPRISING his excitement,
he called out:
Grit"
At the same time he turned the Ian
J tern so that his own face was H.
Illuminated.
| "Mr. Orme!" she cried, rising from
her seat. You here?"
AT your service"
He smiled. and turned his eyes for
m instant on her companion. The
face OF tn. Japanese was study.
His eyes were narrowed to thin
slits, and his mouth was formed into
q meaningless grin.
Orme spoke to the japanese in
French 'Maku has confessed" he
said. He is under arrest"
The face of the Japanese did not
change.
pDo you understand" asked Orme.
u SIN in French.
There was no answer. and orme
firned to the girl and said, In
Frelch:
\ III don't think he understands this
SantuAgs."
y Apparently not" she replied, In
4 the same tongue.
.ren me-" he went on, "are you
fthefe Of your own willf
y mo"
" HAS he the papersr
Il think 20. don't know"
y .see II you can manage to get
\ mast him, and viii help you into our
boat"
aTu try" She nodded, with brave
act to show reinsurance.
N n Orme frowned at the Japanese.
n f"Wlat are you doing with this young
aady?" he demanded.
40 understand"
.yes. you do understand. You un-
dertood well enough when you
roboed me this evening"
$40 understand" the Japanese re-
pested.
the girl, meantime. had moved
slowly from her position. The two
fIbo;ts were close together. Suddenly,
Mater swift glance from Orme, the
tr.ti stepped to the gunwale and
Bleped across the gap. Orme reached
howard and caught her. drawing her
S1tdr a brief instant close into his arms
before she found her footing in the
cockpit.
"Splendid:" he whispered, and she
,tossed her head with pretty smile
of relief.
Porter had been standing close by,
he boathook in his hands. "Is there
.H.ything more to be done?" he asked
y'of Orme.
Yes, wait moment"
rhe Japanese had made no move
toprevent the girls escape. Indeed,
vile she was leaping to the other
bot. he balanced himself and turned
to his motor, as though to continue
tie work Of repair.
"Now, then" called Orme. you
nust give me those papers"
mo understand" The Japanese
ibid not even look up from his task.
Orme turned to Porter. Give me
the boathook," he said, and, taking it,
he hooked it to the gunwale of the
other boat, drawing the two crafts
together His intention was to use
the boathook to bring the Japanese
TO terms. But the Oriental was too
quick. His apparent Indifference van
dshed, and with cat-like pounce, he
seized the boathook and snatched it
from Orme's grasp.
Tie action was so unexpected that
-Orme was completely taken by sur
prise. He made ready, however, to
leap in unarmed. but the Japanese
4 thrust the blunt end Of the boathook
at him, and the blow, which struck
\ him in the chest, sent him topping
backward. He was saved from tum-
bling into the cockpit by Porter. who
caught him by the shoulders and
helped him to right himself. The two
boats tossed for moment like corks
In the water.
When Orme again leaped to the
gunwale, the japanese was using the
lboathook to push the craft apart A
dnal shove widened the distance to
six or eight feet. The Jump was I'm
possible. Even II the. boats had been
nearer together It would have been
folly to attempt an attack.
Stepping down into the cockpit
! rme bent over the girl. who had
INK down upon q cushion. She