The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-04-06


pected. And though his anger was
almost binding, he cooled, during
those few short strides, to his usual
caution.
Within two PAGES of Arima, he
stopped short.
For one tense moment Orme opened
his senses to all impressions. He
could hear, with almost painful dis
tinctness, the means of the two men
he had stunned and the rustling
sounds made by their writings.
He caught glimpse of the girl. The
searchlight Of one Of the cars struck
full on the side of her face, and drew
there a distinct shadow Of the net
work Of her disarranged hair. He saw
the strained, excited look in her eyes.
Her captor still held her arm. He
was watching Orme and Arima indif-
ferently, as though quite confident OF
Japanese skill.
All this Orme observed in an in
slant Then his eyes were again on
Arima.
He knew that he would have to at
tack. To await the trick holds Of the
Japanse would be to invite defeat. But
If he attacked, he must use an un-
expected method.
Suddenly he raised his left arm
above his head and clenched his fist
His right arm remained by his side.
A step forward. The upraised arm
descended. Swiftly Arima reached up
ward to seize 1t. But even as the one
arm descended, Orme swung his 9TH
er, with terrific force, up from the
waist, and caught Arima on the mouth.
The blow missed the chin, but it
was hard enough to fell any man of
ordinary strength. Arima staggered
back, past the girl, and brought up
against the side Of one of the cars.
But with hardly an instant for re-
covery, he leaped forward again and
the man who was holding the girl al
so sprang at Orme.
1t would be folly to meet the two.
Orme turned and ran quickly in
among the trees Of the little grove.
The darkness was his friend, for the
pursuers halted In their quick run
and separated, proceeding more eau
tiously.
AS for Orme, once in shelter, he
stopped for breath.
He could see the two men coming
toward him. They were outlined
cars. Cautiously he stepped toward
the south, hoping that they would pass
him in the darkness, but he dared not
move rapidly, lest stumble or the
breaking of a twig betray him.
All this time the engines of the two
cars had continued to work, and their
mufled chug-chug-chug helped to coy
er the noise of footsteps.
What pleased him most was to see,
out of the corner of his eye, that the
girl had taken advantage of her re-
lease TO climb to the chauffeurs seat
Of the car in which Maku had brought
them from Chicago. That meant that,
If he could reach the car, they might
BY this time Orme was between his
pursuers and the road. He stopped
and groped about till he found a fair
sized stone, then worked toward the
edge of the grove. The moment was
at hand to make dash.
Ten steps would take him to the
car; then leap into the tonneau, and
off to the northward he and the girl
would speed. Pursuit would be de-
layed for few precious moments, for
the Japanese would have to turn the
other car around. Those few mo-
ments would determine the margin OF
success or failure.
But tnere were the papers. At all
cost they must be secured. The plan
that flashed into Orme's mind was
to draw the Japanese from the spot
and then, jumping from the car let the
girl lead the pur uers on while he
returned.
Just as he was about to rush for the
car he heard a sound among the trees.
He wheeled and saw the dim outline
of one of his enemies coming toward
| him. In his excitement he had for
gotten that just as they could be seen
by him when they were between him
and the road, SO he could now be seen
by them. Undoubtedly he was out
lined, as they had been, against the
! background Of the light.
Thn
away. Orme threw the stone; by
good luck it struck the man in the
stomach, and he dropped to the ground
and rolled in silent agony.
But at the same moment Orme was
seized from behind, and held in
grip he could not break. Indeed,
when he tried to break it, there was
a sudden, killing strain on his spine.
Then Arima's voice said, close to his
ear:
Where the papers?"
The papers!
Japanese character thus brought its
fresh surprise to Orme. Even after
this hard fight. when three of his
friends lay groaning on the ground
when he had in his power the man
who had injured them, who had tenn
! porarily bested himself-Arima's chief
thought was StsN of the papers!
He seemed to hSVe none of the semi
barbarian vengefulness that might
have been expected. He merely wished
the papers-wished them the more des-
perately with every passing moment
The lives of his companions counted
for nothing besides the papers!
"Where?" repeated Arima.
Il haven't them" said Orme. "You
ought to know that by this time"
The answer was a torturing pres
sure on Orme's spine. "Yeu tell"
| higsed Arima