Semi-weekly herald., 1912-02-12
CHAPTER XIV.
The Attack on the Yacht.
IV/4L NGRu f1l (NlZl241[


first uptown Van cortlandt express
OF the morning. and they made good
time to Two Hundred and Twenty
fifth Street. There they left the
train. and walked quickly along the
edge of a grassy bluff overlooking
the government cut that now con
meets the Harlem and Hudson rivers
by more direct route than the old
Spuyten Duyvil creek. few hun
dred yards beyond the low fence that
separates the meadow from the street
they came upon man standing close
behind a large tree. He was screened
from the little street and from the
bridge that spans 1t by thick under
brush. When he sighted Britt he
lifted his hand warningly and heck
oned. The three men went within
the shelter of the bush
Anything new. Gordon" inquired
Britz.
Yes" said the other detective
"They have gone aboard"
Where's Hicks?"
Down there near the water. piping
them on
Are they on deck?"
NO in the cabin they seem pret,
ty busy. too
Gordon looked at the sky. 1t was
growing brighter every minute.
Stepping with most solicitous ten
derness on the grass, and avoiding
every leaf and twig that might give
forth slight craclsle. the four men
made their way slowly among the
h,,s m he lei,
at full length with his head only a
little way above the ground, was
waiting and. at the same time. watch
ing naphtha yacht of more than
ordinary size.
After whispered conference with
Hicks, Britt slipped his hand into
side pocket of his coat, and took o.,
something that glittered in the sun
shine Al single word from Britt,
Gordon and Hicks wormed their way
along the bank until they were at the
bow OF the yacht. Britt, Fitch and
Manning stayed near the stern. Sud
denly the lieutenant fired shot over
the yaenj tnat echoed metallically
from the clisfs, and at the signal, all
ave of the attacking party leaped
aboard the yacht. their feet striking
the polished deck with a concerted
thud that must have made those with
In the cabin think they were feeling
the first shock of landslide.
The five men on the deck gave
those below little time for analysis OF
their sensations. Gordon and Hicks
raced around the wheelhouse to the
starLoard side OF the craft, and
dashed down the companionway from
that direction, while Britt Manning
and Fitch hurled themselves into the
port entrance to the cabin alighting
on a richly carpeted floor dozen feet
below the deck. Two shots followed
before the police party could seize
Prince Kananda and All, who, facing
in opposite directions, stood at bay in
the center of the cabin. Britt and
Gordon struck upward the revolvers
of the indians as the triggers We're
pulled. The bullets few high. harm
ing no one Behind Kananda and All
using a table as a breastwork. stood
two more Hindoos, both of them
strangers to Britz. They were un-
armed save for wicked-looking Malay
hTlScs luey sllppCu hclNousig dS lnCg
crouched In waiting for an attack
Britt and Manning jammed their pis-
tolls into the faces of the men with
the krises; but the Indians, undis-
mayed, made savage slsshes at them
with their razor-edged long knives
Gordon and Fitch sprang upon the
kris-bearers, Hicks with a pistol in
each hand standing off Kananda and
Ali. Again and again the Hindoos
slashed at their assailants, and that
they did not split at least one head
was due to the wary agility of the
-four who attacked them. Shots from
the detectives revolvers would have
brought them down at such short
range of course; but the policemen
seemed bent on capturing them alive,
and Fitch was not a man to have re-
course to bloodshed until he could be
certain II was inevitable. Britt and
Manning waited their chance. After
futile swings at the lnsians, they
closed with them, clubbing their re-
volvers and bringing them down with
crashing force on the gaudy turbans
of the Orientals. A few seconds OF
that vicious pounding stunned the
Hindoos, and It was then but the
work of a moment to slip handouts
on them. Kananda and All. in the
meanwhile, had made no further at
tempts to use their postols. They
read death In Hicks eyes as he con-
fronted them with his long, blue
cleaning barrels aimed straight at
them. Their hesitation was fatal TO
their hope of escape, For even as
All. doubtless at whisper or signal
from the Prince, swung himself about
to interpose himself between Hicks
and the petty potentate's son, while
Kananda turned for dash to the
deck, Britt, Fitch and Manning leav-
ing Gordon in charge OF the captured
Indians, surrounded the other two
and disarmed them. Breathing heav-
lily from the short but sharp struggle.
the captors marched their prisoners
to the far end OF the cabin and seated
themselves between the Hindoos and
the doors. They were still on the
alert to prevent an attempt to es-
cape on the part OF Kananda or AL
The other two Indians being hand
cuffed, 1t was less likely they would
make a squirt for liberty, but the po-
: liceman took no chances.
II n.lt. -