Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-10-23

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utes of grace left In which to reach the
International bridge a he had to go
nine blocks.
Ward sprinted the distance. The car
was a twinkling star at the far end Of
the mile long international bridge when
he glimpsed her tail lights.
And that was the last for, the night
except the "owl" al 2 o'clock, the
bridge tender told him.
Ward was In despair.
A glimmer of white showed far out
on the slender framework which span
ned the mighty river In its mad rush to
Join the cataract twenty miles lower
down. 1t grew and grew, and at last a
railroad velocipede sped across the final
section. the rider stopping within ten
feet of the reporter. whose brain was
pounding away with the phrase:
1.-THE fortune of war-the fortune of
warl"
Ward strobe over to the dismounting
rider.
II want to borrow your machine"
said he.
Sorry, brother, but this here is rail-
road property, and I KANT lend IT,"
was the answer.
Wards brain worked like lightning.
Stepping a little closer. he threw open
his coat and displayed his police badge
in the dim light. The shield was much
like that of the plain clothes man.
"Oh," CALCULATED the fellow. II didn't
know you we're
From headquarters" smoothly sup
plemented Ward. Just went on today.
Every moment is precious to my BUSH
ness"
Already the other man was lifting
the machine around ON the track again.
and he said:
Where are you goingY'
Missed the car to Mouse point" said
the reporter.
Keep to the z switch on your left
a mile this side of Fort Leary. The
new cut off saves you five miles by
keeping straight up the beach When'll
you be backT'
by morning surely. If you are not
here I'll get the bridge tender to put
the car in the house."
With hope high In his heart, despite
the half hour handicap which Thomp-
son had Ward bent to the lever. His
arms seemed tireless. Almost before
he realized 1t he was lifting the car
over the frog at the 7 switch and again
speeding between big pines toward
Mouse point.
At Mouse point the road terminated
Ward pointed down the one broad ave
nue. which the summer resort boosted.
Lights fiickered along the waters
edge. Excited groups Of summer idlers
from the cottages which fringed the
lake and college chaps from the Canoe
clubs casino were rushing along the
beach, while older men from the Yacht
club moved among the crowd with
grave faces.
Every one knew the story. The yacht
Merida, with six Of the most prominent
young men of the city, had started up
the lake in a race of forty miles and re-
turn.
When the gale broke all the boats
ran for shelter behind the blur at
Mouse point The Nerida's crew had
attempted to come ashore in the
yachts dinghy.
1t had capsized. Four were rescued
by crews of other yachts. Two were
somewhere out there In the whirl of
the pitiless waves.
There was no sign of Thompson
along the waterfront. Ward discerned
far in the offing of the harbor a tiny
spot with red and green lights and a
solitary beam of white high up.
whats that?" he queried of a sailor
who was scanning the lake with a ma
rine glass.
Its a tug, but she'll never land
here tonight with the sea on. and she'll
have to be careful In making the turn
to get back to the city among those
waves"
HAS any tug come in tonight?"
asked Ward, his heart t%hrobbing wild
ly.
Nothing has come ashore for two
hours, and that was the surfboat from
the life saving station bringin' in the
boys from the Nerida's dinghy after
b other yachts mad picked them up
1t was now 11:30, and Ward could
not find the local telephone operator.
But he had gone too far to be baked
by merely negative elements Of a pas
sive character. He sought the station
itself, pushed back the window catch
with his knife blade and boldly step.
ped inside.
He turned on the light and expert
mented with the switchboard until he
had the city connection. Just as he
was asking central for the Outpost Of
fee some one gripped his arm and
pushed the barrel OF a pistol against
the small Of his back.
"Ye're under arrest for burglaryr'
announced the strident voice of the vii
lage constable, who held the criminal
destinies Of Mouse point somewhere
about his person between his star and