The Washington times., 1913-03-06

THE ANGEL sz lou. 9e ge vance

, with the fleet precision Of an arrow
truly loosed.
With brief exclamation of satisfac-
tion Whitaker went back to the wheel.
shifted the ignition from batteries to
magnetic. and, for the first time since
he had appreciated the magnitude of
the outrage, found himself with time to
think, to take stock Of his position and
thought of what he had already ac-
complished and what he must hence
forward hold himself ready to cope
with.
most biindly. swayed by impulse as a
tree swsys to the wind. guided by un-
questioning instinct in every action.
Now
He has got under way with what
seemed amazing ceIerity, bearing in
mind his unfamiliarity with the equip
ment The other boat had a lead OF
little. If any, more than half a mile:
30 he gauged the distance that sep
arated them, making due allowance for
the Illusion Of the moon-smitten night
whether that gap was to diminish or to
widen would develop before many min
utes passed.
The Trouble was making a fair pace:
roughly reckoned, between fourteen and
sixteen miles an hour. He suspected
that the other boat had greater power.
but this did not necessarily imply that
o"S sooiu dcNciop HiOTe speeu.
At all events, he concluded twenty
minutes at the outside would see the
end Of the chase-however. IL was to
end; the eastern head OF the bay was
rot over five miles away; they could
not long hold to their present course
without running aground.
He hazarded wild guesses, Of which
the least fmplausible was that they
were making for some out-of-the-way
landing, intending there ,to shift to a
motorcar.
At least this would presumably prove
to be the case IL the outrage were what
at first blush II gave every evidence OF
being-a Kidnapping. uncomplicated by
any fouler motive. And what else could
j. be! But wig was he to say; What
tory and her circumstances? Nothing
more than her name, that she had at
tracted him-as any handsome woman
might have-that she had been spied
upon within his personal knowledge.
and had now been set upon and carried
of by force
And, knowing no more than this. he
had without an instant's thought of
consequences elected himself her cham
pion. Oh. headlong and infatuate.
Probably ne more severe critic Of his
self to succor a damsel In distress.
Withal he entertained not the shadow
Of thought of drawing back. As long
as the other boat remained in sight. as
long as gasolene and his strength held
cut. as long as the Trouble stuck to-
gether and he retained wit to guide her.
SO long was Whitaker determined to
stick TO the wake of the kidnapers-
metaphor racy Of the vernacu!ar
tickled his fancy-''like grim death to
a sick nigger's bedside" Not. however.
that he had any reason to apprehend
that this stern chase would be proverb-
tally a long one.
For all that. he soon had reason to-
reject his favored surmise, although at
first he inclined to take as confirmatory
the behavior Of the leading boat.
They were little more than half way
between their starting point and the
head Of the bay when she swung sharp
Iy in toward the shore. then swerved
into the mouth Of a narrow indentation.
Whitaker found that he was catching
up quickly showing that speed had
been slackened for this maneuver. But
the advantage was merely momentary;
soon lost. The boat slipped out OF sight
between high banks. And he, initiating
faithfully its course. was himself COM
PEELED to retard the engine lest he run
aground.
For two or three minutes he could see
nothing Of the other. Then he emerged
through a tortuous and CONSTRUCTED
channel into a deep cut, perhaps fifty
feet in width and spanned by draw
bridge and a railroad trestle.
At the farther end of this tide-gate
canal which led to the Great Peconic
bay. the leading powerboat was visible.