The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-08

aversec. out the men ali turned ana
stared at him with a fxedness that
surprised Tom considerably and made
him not little curious. So ne re-
turned the scrutiny with an interest
which normally he would not have
felt
His own regard sharpened. And
then his jaw dropped, and his pipe
clattered upon the grating at his
| feet
He recognized one OF the men-the
aged, white-haired servant whom he
had seen once or twice emerge from
Number 1913. Quickly he darted
glance at each OF the others in turn;
but he had never seen them before.
| In fash they were gone, and i.
was not until a vagrant puff heelec
| him perilously astarboard that he
recovered his wits and brought his
( boat round again into the wind. By
/ then the motor-boat had been all but
swallowed in the gloom.
: However, Tom reflected, they were
heading straight for Rocky Cove; if
/ TIC III SSLC ucIu nave his
own craft tied up at his friends pier
within the half-hour; then a quick
change of attire in the boathouse. and
! he could put in the evening reconnoi-
| tering. 1t would be queer if he failed
to turn up something in a little place
! like Rocky Cove.
But after he had dined at the one
/ hotel where he felt free to go at this
! season without evening clothes. he
was put out to observe that storm
was brewing. The sky was already
thickly overcast, the night suffocat
| ingly close, and off to the west light
ming was Pickering and approaching
with a rapidity that promised squall
| While he stood undecided as to
what course to pursue, the matter was
taken Unexpectedly out of his hands.
| A man, walking rapidly, came alb
ruptly out of the darkness and en-
tered the glare of light from the hos
| telry's open door and windows He it
was who had been controlling the
motor-boat
Tom now had an opportunity to OBJ
serve several particulars about him
that he had previously missed, or
failed to note-that he was a tall,
| loose-jointed, muscular, youngisb
man, of a sandy complexion and a Sc
rious, not to say sullen, cast of coun-
/ tenance. Moreover, his lean, sharp
| featured face bore a number of marks
and abrasions, as if he had quite re-
! Gently met with an accident Toms
own good-humored psysiognomy
more than once had acquired similar
| high lights and shadows, resultant on
tumbles from sundry polo-ponies.
The man proceeded upon his way.
| looking neither to the left nor the
| right. He carried a large laden bas-
ket-which he bore lightly-and in
second or two had passed into the
darkness again.
The night, though, was now so pune
tuated by lightning flashes, that Tom
found no difficulty in marking his
| progress along the road that led in
land. He chuckled to think how luck
was showing him her cards; Rudy
doubtless, was still racking his
brains and sitting in town.
Without an instant's hesitation, or
a thought of the storm which was
about to break, he set out after the
fellow. He neglected to observe even
the ordinary precaution of a glance
around. If he had, the nights adven-
ture might have terminated differ
emily.
He would have beheld, for one
thing, two other of the motor-boat's
occupants, farther in the rear, walk
ing in the same direction-two ath.
letic young men laden with bundles
of various sizes and shapes. AS 1t
was, they on their part instantly de-
tected Toms interest in the first man,
and also the obvious fact that he had
started out to follow him.
They at once ceased their low.
voiced conversation, and devoted all
their attention to Tom Phfnney.
Thus the little procession advanced
in silence, on through the town and
into the open country.
As soon as the last of the fringe
Of houses was passed, the twain in
the rear quickened their pace, NOV
ing closer to Tom. The loose sand
underfoot, and the now almost con-
tinual crash and rumble of thunder
overhead, effectively drowned out all
other sounds.
The sole warning Tom had that
matters were not progressing as sat
isfactorily as he had fancied, came
with the first gust of hot, dust-IaCen
wind. A sudden shout directly in his
rear startled him from his absorb
ton
Mr.. CaT;s!" exploded a voice.
"HereI Quick!"