The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-04-29

- NAhA WV ~
Inc. in alarm, Where will this thing
end?"
Well" blaine laughed. n little nery.
ously, o that It was all over IL
want you all to go to bed and stop
worrying about me. Don't YOU see
I'm perfectly able to take care Of my.
self? Besides. there isn't a chance
nov OF the burglar coming back. Why,
I shot him"
YES" put in Aunt Josephine, but
-"
Elaine laughingly interrupted her
and playfully made as though she
were driving them out OF her room.
Rusty" she called. Down. there"
The intelligent collie seemed TO un.
derstand. He lay down by the door.
way, his nose close to the bottom Of
the door, and his ears alert.
Finally Elaine, too. retired again.
Meanwhile the wounded man was
being hurried TO one OF the hangouts OF
the mysterious Clutching Hand.
The car containing the wounded
Pitts Slim drew up, and the other
two men leaped out of Il. With a hur.
ried glance about they unlocked the
front door with a pass key and en-.
tered, carrying the man.
Indoors was another emissary OF the
Clutching Hand. n rather studious.
looking chap.
why, what's the NATTER" he en-.
claimed as the crooks entered his room
supporting their h~alf.fainting, wounded
pal.
slim got a couple Of pills. they
painted as they laid him on a couch.
How ?" demanded the other.
Trying TO get into the Dodge house.
Elaine did It,"
slim was, quite evidently. badly
wounded and was bleeding profusely.
4 glance al him was enough for the
misunderstanding chap. He went TO a
secret panel and, pressing It down.
took out what was apparently a secret
house telephone.
In another part OF this mysterious
house was The secret ROOF of the
Clutching Hand himself, where he hid
his identity from even his most trust.
ed followers.
His telephone rang and he took
down the receiver.
Pitts Sims been wounded. badly,
chief vas all he waited 20 hear.
With scarcely a word he hung IN
the receiver. then opened n table
drawer and took out a full face mask.
Next he went 10 n nearby bookcase,
pressed another secret spring. and a
panel opened. He passed through the
mask adjusted.
Across, In the larger outside study.
another panel opened, and the Clutch.
ing Hand. all c]rouchcd up, trans.
formed, appeared. without a word he
advanced TO the couch on which the
wounded crook lay, and examined him.
How did II happen" ne asked at
length.
Miss Dodge shot him answered
the others, with an automatic"
That Craig Kennedy must have
given II 20 her. ne exclaimed with
suppressed fury.
For a moment the Clutching Hand
stopped 10 consider. Then he seized
thu regular telephone.
Doctor Martin" he asked. as he got
the number he called.
Late as IL was. the doctor. who was
n well known surgeon In that part Of
the country, answered from an ex.
tension OF his telephone near his bed.
The call was urgent, and apparently
from a family which he did not feel
that he could neglect.
Doctor Martin was a middle.aged
man, one OF those medical men on
whose judgment one instinctiyely re.
lies.
II was only a matter Of minutes be-
fore m" doctor was speeding over the
now deserted suburban roads appar.
emily on an crrand o. mercy.
A. the address that had been
given him he drew up TO the side OF
the road, got PAT and rau up the steps
70 the door. \ ring At the bell
brought a sleepy man 10 the door in
his trousers ana nightshirt.
"How's the PATIENT asked Doctor
Martin, eagerly.
Patient repeated the man, rub.
hing his eyes. There's no one sick
here
Slowly II dawued on the doctor that
II was n false alarm. and that he
must be the victim of some practical
joke.
We'll, that's n great note he
growled, as the maa shut the door.
He descended the steps, munering
harsh language AT some unknown
trickster, As he climbed back into
his machine and made ready to start
two men seemed TO rise before him
as II from nowhere.
As a matter OF fact they had been
sent there by the Clutching Hand, and
were hiding In a nearby cellarway un.
I'll their chance came.
One man stood on the running
board, on either side OF him, and two
guns yawned menacingly at him.
Drive ahead that way" muttered
one man, seating himself In the run.