Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-10-08
TWENTY.FIFTH EPISODE
THE LOST TORPEDO.

From the rocks Of a promontory that
1utted out not far from the wharf
where WI Fang's body was found and
Kennedy had disappeared, opened up
q beautiful panorama of a bay on one
side and the sound on the other.
1t was a deserted bit of coast. But
anyone who had been standing near
the promontory the next day might
have seen a thin line, as IL the wa
ter, sparkling In the sunlight, had
been cut with a huge knife. Gradual
ly thin steel rod seemed to rise from
the water itself, still moving ahead.
though slowly now as it pushed its
way above the surface After it came
a round cylinder of steel, studded with
bolts. It was the hatch of a subma-
rine, and the rod was the periscope.
As the submarine lay there at rest.
the waves almost breaking over it..
the hatch slowly opened and a hand
appeared cropping for a hold. Then
appeared face with tangle Of curly
black hair and keen, forceful eyes.
After It the body Of a man rose out Of
the hatch, a tall, slender. striking per-
son. He reached down into the hold
Of the boat and drew forth a life pre-
server.
"An right" he called down in an
accent slightly foreign. as he buckled
on the belt Il shall communicate with
you Is soon as l have something to
report"
Then he deliberately plunged over
board and struck out for the shore.
Hand over hand. he churned his way
through the water toward the beach
until at last his feet touched bottom,
and he waded out, shaking the water
from himself like huge animal.
The coming of the stranger had not
been entirely unheralded. Along the
shore road by which Kennedy and l
had followed the crooks who We
thought had the torpedo. on that last
chase, was waiting now a powerful
limousine with its motor purring. A
chauffeur was sitting at the wheel and
inside. at the door, sat a man peering
out along the road to the beach. Sud-
denly the man in the machine signaled
to the driver.
He comes!" he cried eagerly. Drive
down the road, closer, and meet him"
As the swimmer strobe shivering up
the roadway the car approached him.
The assistant swung open the door
and ran forward with a thick, warm
coat and hat.
Neither the master nor the servant
spoke as they met, but the man
wrapped the coat about him. hurried
into the car, the driver turned and
quickly they sped toward the city.
Secretly though the entrance Of the
stranger had been planned. however,
1t was not unobserved
Along the beach, on a bowlder, gaz-
ing thoughtfully out to sea and smok-
ing IN old brier pipe. sat bent fish
erman clad In an oilskin hat and
heavy. ungainly boots. About his neck
was Q long wooden muller which con-
csaled the lower part of bis face quite
~ eRectually as his scraggly. grizzled
whiske1.
Suddenly he seemed to discover
something that interested him. slowly
rose, then turned and almost ran up
the shore. Quickly he dropped behind
. large rock and waited. peering out
As the limousine bearing the
stranger. on whom the fisherman had
kept his eyes riveted, turned and
drove away, the old salt rose from be-
hind his rock. gazed after the car as
II to iix every line Of it in his men,
ory, and then he. too. quickly disap-
peared up the road.
The strangers car had scarcely dis
appeared when the fisherman turned
frum the shore road into clump Of
oHunted trees and made his way to a
Int Not far away stood small, un-
ueptentious closed car, also with a
diver.
Fl shall be ready In . minute" the
nsherman nodded, almost running into
tha at rs the driver moved his car
m closer to the door.
n larger motor had disappeared
eur down the bend Of the road when
the nsherman reappeared. In an al
most Incredible time he had changed
hip oilskins and muffler for a dark coat
"A gilk hat. He was no longer
but q rather fussy looking
- gentleman, bewhiskered still. with
No. booking out keenly from q pair
n eold-rimmed glasses.
sFbllow that carat any cost, ne
ordered simply as he let himself into
MAO MAKES MUSICIANS IDLE