Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-10-29

| nimseif tOgetner AFTER MS remarkaDle
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 q seat, natu-
rally.
This is the area in which We must
work first of ALL" he began, drawing
toward him a book and opening It.
And We must strike quickly, for IL
they heed the advice in this book, 1t
may be too late for US to take advan-
tage of their foolish unpreparedness. ="
1t was a book entitled "Defenseless
America" written by a great Ameri-
can inventor. Hudson Maxim.
| Del Mar turned the pages until he
came to and pointed out q map. The
others gather about him, leaning for
ward eagerly as he talked to them.
There. on the map, with q radius of
some one hundred and seventy miles.
was drawn a big segment Of a circle,
with Peekskill. New York. marking the
center.
That is the heart of America" said
Del Mar, earnestly. 1T 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. I'VE 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 q war council Of q secret
advance guard of the enemies Of
America!
Meanwhile. Del Mars man In his
boat, cutting a 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 a rocky cliff.
where he turned and followed a trail
up it to the top. 1t 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 q 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 men in the cave.
So surprised was he at what he saw
that he forgot that his boat below had
been followed by the mysterious nat.
uralist, 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 sufficed to
tell the naturalist that the figure in It
was only dummy. He did not pause.
but 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
well under cover, for the man was
now just ahead Of him. He looked
fixedly at him and saw him gaze down
the cliff. Then he saw him slowly
draw q gun.
Who could be below? Quickly the
naturalist's mind seemed to work. He
crouched down, as II ready to spring.
The emissary slowly raised his re-
volver 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 and
bounced on the man from behind, seiz-
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
of the flight of steps, when sud-
ly We heard a shout above US and
nds Of a terrific struggle. We
he'd and saw two men.
carer and nearer the edge Of the
they rolled. We crouched closer
the rocky wall. gazing up at the
tn grapple of the two. Who they
10 we did not know but that one
fighting for and the other against
We could readily see.
he more vicious Of the two seemed
be forcing the naturalist slowly
(, when, with q superhuman effort,
naturalist braced himself. His foot
actually on q small ledge of rock
city at the edge of the cliff.
q swung around quickly and struck
other man. The vicious looking
b pitched headlong over the cliff.
Te shrank back closer to the rock
the man hurled through the air
= q few feet from us. Down below.
could hear him land with q sicken-
thud.
ar over the edge Elaine leaned in q
of fascination at the awful sight.
q moment thought the very imp