The Columbus journal., 1911-02-15

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BANNICTER nfRWN
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RAY WALTER -

You'd better go In through the
gate," said the girl. land follow the
west fence northward for 100 PAGES.
Then turn east, at right angles and 60
20 paces-I suppose 1t must be PAGES.
not feet"
Yes, said Orme. THAT would be
the natural way for q burglar in .
hurry to measure"
Il will move the car north on Sheri-
dan road a little way" she went on.
so as not to be in the glare Of this
street light"
This was the first evidence she had
shown Of nervousness, and Orme sud-
denly realized that enemies might be
lurking among the trees.
1T might be well for you to take
the electric hand-lamp." she added.
'.It's in the ki:-box. l think"
He looked in the kit-box. but the
lamp was not there. He told
her SO.
"Maku may have stolen it." she
said.
Orme slipped a heavy wrench into
his pocket and closed the kit-box.
With the girl. he avoided any refer
ence to the possible presence of the
Japanese among the trees, but know
ing that he was no match for them
unarmed. with their skill in jiu-jitsu.
he resolved to be in some measure
prepared.
He walked through the gate and
began to pace northward, keeping
close to the fence and counting his
steps. Meantime the car followed
his course. moving along the side Of
the road Just west of the fence. Orme
counted his hundred PAGES north. then
turned east.
He saw that the 210 PAGES which he
now had to take would carry him
well over toward the lake. The girl
evidently had not realized how great
the distance would be. She would be
nearer him, II she turned back to the
corner and followed the Sheridan
road eastward toward the life-saving
station, but Orme did not suggest this
to her. though the car was within
twenty feet of him, the other side Of
the fence. If there should be a strug-
gle, It would please him just as well
that she should be out of hearing.
for her anxiety. he knew, was al
ready great. though she kept 1t close
ly under control.
Eastward he went through the
trees. When he had covered about
half the distance he found himself
approaching the side Of large build
ing. There must be some mistake.
Had he deviated so widely from the
course? In leaving the fence he had
taken sights as carefully as he could.
Then the explanation struck him.
Walsh. the burglar. had probably
paced In eastward from the fence and
come to the building Just as he had.
There was no good hiding-place ap-
parent near at hand. and Walsh would
hardly have retraced his steps.
What, then. would he have done?
Orme asked himself. Why. he would
have turned north or south.
Orme lOo::cd in both directions.
North and south of the building were
open driveways. Walsh must have
gone around tie building. then con-
tinued eastward. This is what Orme
now proceeded to do.
Remembering the number Of PAGES
to the side OF the building. he chose
the northwa,d course. because there
was less light north of the building.
He Rugged tie side of the building.
counting his steps. and, after reaching
the corner. turned eastward. He now
counted his PAGES along the northern
side Of the building.
eastern side of the building. he
paced as far southwark on the east
ern side as he had gone northward on
the western side, and on reaching a
point due east of the place at which
he had origin ally come to the build
ing, he added the number Of PAGES
from the fence to the building to the
number of PAGES he had taken along
the northern side of the building. and
continued eastward toward the lake.
At the two hundredth pace he
stopped to reconnoiter. Not more
than two hundred feet ahead Of him
he could see dimly. through the tree
trunks. the expanse Of the lake.
There was no sound. no evidence that
any other person was near.
He proceeded cautiously for ten
PAGES. Many trees we're near him.
them. for it was hardly possible that
he had followed Walsh's course with
unerring exactness. II the tree was
within twenty feet of him north or
south. that was as much as he could
expect
One thing was clear to him.
Walsh had probably chosen a tree
that could easily be distinguished from
the others. either by its size or by
some popularity of form. Also. the
tree must have a hollow place In
which the envelope could be con-
cealed. Orme now decided that
Walsh must have found his tree first
and then paced westward to the fence.
The even number. 100 PAGES north
from the gate. could be only a coinci-
dence.
A little to his left Orme discovered
a trunk much larger than its neigh
bors. It ran up smoothly about eight
feet to the first limb. An agile man
could easily get up to this limb and
pull himself into the branches. A