The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-10
(Coinued from Last Wednesday,
CHAPTER Xxx.

HelI.Fire.
1t by this etage in his history Mr..
.k had arrived at . state Of mind
. inlune to surprise at the discovery
TIT he had once more failed to elude
II vigilance and pertinacity Of the
man who sought his life.
He viewed the schooner with no
pre display of emotion than resided
narrowing eyelids and tightening
the muscles about his mouth.
Much farther to go?" he inquired
-esently, in a colorless voice.
"At our present pace-say, two
OURS"
"And will that enable us to hold
bur own?"
Just about" Barcus allowed, squint-
Ing critically at the chase; shes
4 Ecme footer, that schooner; and this
is just the wind she likes best"
How much lead have we got?"
"a mile or sc-none too much"
Anything to be done to mend mat
ters?"
"Nothing-but pray, if you remem-
Der how"
In the end they made it by narrow
margin. The face Of Judith Urine was
distinctly revealed by the chill gray
1 light Of early dawn to those aboard
4 the power cruiser as she swept up
through the reaches of New Bedford
harbor and aimed fer the first wharf
that promised a fair landing on the
main waterfront of the city.
| There was neither a policeman nor
Waterman of any sort in sight.
Nor was there, for all his hopes and
prayers, based on the telegram to
Digby, sin Of motor car.
Still. not much of the street was
revealed. The docks on either hand
were walled and rooted, cutting off the
view.
II they ran for it. they must surely
be overhauled. Something must be
done to hinder the crew Of the
schooner from landing.
"Here!" he cried sharply to Barcus
"You take Rose and hurry to the
street and find that motor-car.
know she's there. Digby never failet
me yeti"
"Rut you"
"Don't waste time worrying abou
me. I'll be with you in three shakes
I'm only going to put a spoke in Ju
dith's wheel. I've got scheme!"
AS for his scheme-he had non
other than to give them battle, to sac
rifice himself II need be, to make sur
< the escape of Rose.
Sheer luck smiled on him to thi
extent, that in turning his eye lighte
on a four-foot length of stout, three
inch scantling, an !excellently fol
midable club.
But soon, disarmed, his case we
desperate-and there were two a
ready safe upon the dock and other
madly scrambling up to reinforc
= them.
>. Wildly he cast about for some SUI
= stitute weapon, he leaped toward
: small pyramid of little but heavy key
= and Selling one, swung it overhea
I. and cast 1t full force into the midri
+ of his nearest enemy; so that this or
+ doubled up convulsively. with sic
: ish grunt, and vanished In turn ov'
e the end of the wharf.
: His fellow followed with less injur
Z But Alan had no time to wondt
+ whether the man had tripped al
E thrown himself in his effort to escaI
+ q second hurting keg, or had turn;
Z coward and fed. 1t WIS enough TIL
+ he had returned, precipitately al
< heavily, to the schooner.
Z! The keg. meeting With TO resistanC
= pursued him even to the deck, whe
& the force Of it's impact split its sean
i None of the combatants, howev,
Z Alan least of all, noticed that the po
+ der that filtered out was black Al
Z coarse. Alan. indeed. had only I
4 haziest notion that they were powd,
z kegs he used as ammunition. TIL
: they were heavy and hurt when tn
& collided with human flesh and DO
: was all that interested him.
Z In the same breath he heard
friendly voice shout warning far
x the dock, and knew that Barcus W
T coming to his aid.
& A glance over-shoulder. too, disc,
Z cred the cause Of the warning; Z
! men who had thus far escaped
z attentions were maneuvering to I
j upon him from behind. The bou
Z required to evade them brought h
! face to face with Judith as she land
z on the dock.
: oh" she cried. 81 hate you, h;
Z you"
! so you've said, my dear, but
z His final words were not audi
even to himself. In his confider
Z (now that Barcus was taking care
the others) and his impotence W
< the woman, and in his perhaps
4 worthy wish to demonstrate cont
Z sively how cheap he held her, A
had tossed the pistol over the end
the wharf.
1t was an old-fashioned weapon, 4
'H$ the force with which it struck
deck released the hammer.
Instantly the "A cartridge bla
t>n into the open head Of broken pow
Z key.
! And With rear Ike the trump