Semi-weekly herald., 1911-10-02
CHAPTER xi.
A wild Rldo.

WHu FiuC.
Once he realized the futility OF re
sistance, Britt busted himself with ef
forts to get line on his direction. lie
was In an ordinary brougham, drawn
by pair of housekeeping horses. He
was lying on the floor, but on a pile
of rugs. The silk scarf with which
he had been fastened had been loosed
from his neck. only to be drawn tight.
ly about his mouth. A smaller strip
OF silk, rolled into n ball. had been
thrust between his teeth, gagging him
beyond his power to utter cry. His
wrists and ankles were bound with
similar scarves. He was as helpless
as II In the electric chair, His life,
II might be. depended on his self-con,
troll and resourcefulness.
In the faint light that flashed from
time to time through the windows OF
the brougham as It whirled past park
lamps, Britz saw that all three of his
captors were dark of feature and 1.-THE
OF form. One moment he was con.
vinced there was something foreign
In the appearance of the men. The
next. he was less certain they were
not American. A hawklike sharpness
OF profile, however, inclined him more
strongly to the former belief. He had
seen recently, he thought, face that
in such light would resemble those
bending above him. AS he was striv-
ing to recall 1t, and the circumstance
surrounding 1t. a fourth scarf was
passed about his eyes and knotted
behind his head. The silken strip was
light in texture, but folded SO many
times that he could not see the dim
NEST glimmer of light.
Britt focused his forces on the task
OF ascertaining his whereabouts and
direction. One. two, three blocks the
brougham sped westward. Britt knew
he was headed for the Hudson Had
not his bllndfolding convinced him his
life WAS not In peril. he might have
thought his captors were hurrying
him to the river to make an end OF
him. He continued counting the
blocks until. wheeling sharply to the
right. the horses headed north and
betrayed that they had left the as
phalt and were on the macadam
again.
THE Drive," Britt told himself
with slight glow of satisfaction The
distance Travelled from the park, the
change of direction, and the altered
pounding of the highsteppers' hoofs
could mean but one thing; the vehicle
was bowling along the beautiful Riv-
~.
come to appreciate only in recent
years.
II was at that point Britt made his
first mistake of the trip The latch
OF the left door was Jared loose by
an uneven crossing. and the detective
felt the door give slightly against his
shoulder. He sensed In an eyefash
the door had not swung open Prob
ably an end of the rug had caught
under 1t sufficiently to hold It shut.
But It undoubtedly was unfastened,
and that evidently without the knowl-
edge OF his captors. Had any OF the
three noticed the unlatching OF the
door. he would have drawn 1t close I'm
mediately. There was momentary
langer OF that There was not me
ment to spare. Britt had little timC
or thought. with powerful contor
lon Of his wiry frame be threw OF
the men above him long enough to
fling himself against tho door
Britz reckoned on the likelihood
that his fall from the carriage would
be seen by patroiman-at any rate.
that his attempt at escape wo,ild
cause a commotion sure to result IN
police interference. He did not ex
pect to get away unaided; he war
bound too securely for that. II was
more than possible bad bruises. II not
broken bones. would be among the
consequences. He WAS willing TO take
that chance rather than TO hazard in
definite captivity with the great Mis-
sioner diamond mystery unsolved In
the very moment of hurting himself
against the door. nothing was strong
or In his mind than yearning to see
the Swami. He felt he positively
must chat with that mysterious per
sonage about diamonds and steel
safes, and other things. Until he
made the Oriental's acquaintance. his
social development would be stunted.
The detective omitted from his reck-
oning the astuteness and readiness OF
his captors. He thought the surprise
Continued next week.