The Dickinson press., 1915-06-26

had no place in which Bennett conla
be concealed with any degree Of safety
For a moment Bennett glared saws
agely at Long Sin.
II possess hidden pldnder worth
seven million doflaTsg,p be pleaded
quickly, land If byyyour ala ! can make
a getaway; a,seventh is yours" 4
The Chinaman's cnpidity was clear
ly excited. BY Bennett's oher. while the
bare mention Of the amount at stake
was SUFFICIENT to overcome all his
scruples. .
After exchanging a few words he
finally agreed to aid the Ciutching
Hand. Opening q trap door In the
floor of the room in which they we're
standing, he led Bennett down q STEP
ladder into the subterranean chamber
in which Tong Wah had so recently
been preparing his mysterious potion.
AS Bennett sank into a chair and
passed his hands over his brow i'm
utter WEAKNESS, Long Sin poured into
a cup some of the liquor of death
which Tong Wah had mixed. He hand.
ed it to Bennett, who drank 1t eagerly.
"How do you propose to help me to
escape?" asked Bennett huskily.
Without a word Long Sin went to
the wall, and, grasping one Of the
stones, pressed It back, opening a
large receptacle, in which there were
two glass collins apparently c~ontain1
ing two dead Cinnamon. Pulling out
the collins, he pushed them before
Bennett, who rose to his feet and
gazed upon them with wonder. I!
Long Sin broke the silence: "These
men," he said, ARE not dead; but they
have'been in this condition for many
months. It is what is called in our
language suspended animation"
"Is that what you intend to do with
me?" asked Bennett, shrinking back in
terror.
The Chinaman nodded In affirmation
as he pushed back the collins.
Overcome by the horror Of the idea
Bennett, with a groan, sank back into.
the chair, shaking his head as If to in
dictate that the plan was far too ter
rible to carry out.
With a sinister smile and q shrug Of
his shoulders Long Sin pointed to the
cup from which Bennett had drank.
But, dear MASTER" he remarked
suavely, you have already drank a.
full dose of the potion which causes
insensibility, and it is overcoming you.
Even now" he added, you are too
weak to RISE"
With a malicious chuckle Long Sin,
moved closer to his victim and spoke
again. .
"Divulge where your seven million
dollars are hidden" he suggested
craftily, "and / will give you an anti.
dote."
By this time Bennett, who was be-
coming more rigid each moment, was,
unable to speak.
Slowly, and after a desperate strug-
gle, he managed to raise one hand
and pointed to his breast pocket;
The Chinaman instantly thrust In his,
hand and drew out a map.
For some moments Long Sin exam.
lned the map intently, and, with a grin
Of satisfaction, he placed 1t in his own.
pocket. Then he mixed what he de-
clared was a sure a%ntidote, and, pour,
Ing some Of the liquor into a cup, he:
held it to Benefits lips.
AS Bennett opened his mouth to-!
drink 1t, Long Sin with a laugh slowly
pulled the cup away and. poured it's
contents on the floor.
BY this time l was slowly recovering
my senses in the s~ecretary's Office,
where Bennett had left me in the dis.
guise Of the Clutching Hand. Elaine,
the secretary and the clerks were"
gathered around me, doing all they
could to revive me.
Meanwhile Kennedy had enlisted
the aid OF two detectives and was
securing the city for a trace Of Ben.
nett or the taxicab in which he had
fed.
Somehow, Kennedy suspected, in.
stinctively, that Long Sin might give
a clue to Benefits whereabouts, and
a few moments later we were all on
u way in a a to Long SINS house.
Though we did not know it, Long
Sin, at the moment when Kennedy
knocked at his door, was feeling in his
inside pocket to see that the map he
had taken from Bennett was perfectly
safe. Finding that he had it, he smiled
with his peculiar oriental guile. Them
he opened the door and stood for 81
moment, silent.
where is Bennett? p demanded Ken.
nedy.
Long Sin eyed us all, then, with a
placid smile, said, Follow me. I will
show you"
There was Bennett, seated rigidly in
the chair beside the table, from which.
the Walls and cups, about which we
knew nothing, had been removed.
"How did it happen?" asked Ken.
needy.
"He came here" replied Long Sin,,
with a wave of his hand, land before 7:
could stop him he did away with him.
SELF"
"Well, we've got him." unused Ken