The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-10-22

080AV Oy lilo 6ontAy VIM 0AsVASu WIN
the submarine suit while Del Mar got
himself together after his remarkable
trip.
The men at the council table rose
and saluted as Del Mar himself en-.
tered. He returned the salute and
quietly made his way to the head of
| the table where he took seat, natu-
rally.
This is the area in which we must
work first of all" he began, drawing
toward him book and opening it.
"And we must strike quickly, for IL
they heed the advice in this book, it
may be too late for us to take advan.
tage of their foolish unpreparedness.
1t was a book entitled 'Defenseless
America written by great Ameri-
can inventor. Hudson Maxim.
| Del Mar turned The pages until he
came to and pointed out a map. The
others gather about him, leaning for
ward eagerly as he talked to them.
| There, on the map, with a radius of
some one hundred and seventy miles,
was drawn big segment of circle,
with PeekskilI, New York, marking the
CENTER
THAT is the heart of America" said
Del Mar, earnestly. "It embraces New
York. Boston, Philadelphia. But that
is not the point. Here are the great
majority of the gun and armor fac
tories, the powder and cartridge works,
| together with the principal coal fields
of Pennsylvania.
He brought his fist down decisive
| ly on the table. IF we hold this Sec
tion," he declared, 1--WE practically hold
America!"
| Eagerly the other emissaries lis
tened as Del Mar laid before them the
| detailed facts which he was collecting,
the greater mission than the mere cap
ture of Kennedy's wireless torpedo
which had brought him into the coun-
try. Detail after detail Of their plans,
they discussed as they worked out
the gigantic scheme.
It was a war council of secret
advance guard of the enemies Of
| America!
| Meanwhile, Del Mars man in his
boat, cutting wide circle and avoid"
ing the Dodge boat carrying the natur
alist, made his way across the harbor
until he came to the shore.
/ There he landed and proceeded up
the beach to the foot of rocky cliff.
where he turned and followed a trail
up it to the top. It was the same path
already travelled by my captors with
me and later followed by Elaine.
AS he came stealthily out from un-
der cover, Del Mars man gazed down
the stairway. He drew back at what he
saw. Slowly he pulled gun from his
pocket, watching down the steps with
| tense interest There he could see
Elaine and myself YEARLY climbing to-
ward the top, our backs toward him,
as we covered the mem i'm the cave.
So surprised was he att what he saw
| that he forgot that his Eoat below had
been followed by the mysterious nat
| uralfst, who, the moment Del Mars
man had landed, put on the last burst
| of speed and ran the Dodge boat close
| to the spot where, the aide had left
| Del Mars.
| A glance into the boat suff1sed to-
| tell the naturalist that the figure In II
| was only dummy. He did not pause,
burt followed the trail up the hill until
he was close after the emissary ahead,
| going more slowly.
/ Only a few feet further along the
| cliff, the naturalist paused, too, keeping
| we'll under cover, fer the man was
| now Just ahead Of him. He looked
| fixeGly at him and saw him gaze down
| the cliff. Then he saw him slowly
| draw gun.
| VINO could be below? Quickly the
naturalist's mind seemed to work. He
crouched down, as If ready to spring.
The emissary slowly raised his re-
vofver and took careful aim at the
backs Of Elaine and myself, as we
| came up the steps.
But before he could pull the trigger,
| the naturalist, more like one of the
wild animals which he studied than
| like a human being, sprang from his
| concealment in the bushes ana
! bounced on the man from behind, selz-
| ing him firmly.
Over and over they rolled, strug-
Cling almost to the brink Of the preci-
pice.
Elaine and had got almost to the
top Of the flight Of steps, when sud
denly we heard shout above us and
sounds Of a terrific struggle. wa
turned and saw two men.
Nearer and nearer the edge OF the
cliff they rolled. We crouched closer
to the rocky wall, gazing up at the
death grapple Of the two. Who they
were we did not know but that @na
was fighting for and the other against
us we could readily see.
The mere vicious of the two SCENE"
to be forcing the naturalist slowly
back, when, with a superhuman effort,
the naturalist braced himself His foot
was actually On a small ledge OF rocK
directly at the edge of the cliff.