The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-07-15
SEVENTEENTH EPISODE
THE III

THE WATCHING EYE.
Not n clue had been left by the kid.
napors when they had so mysterious.
ly spirited Elaine away from the
apartment OF WI Fang. She had dis.
appeared as completely rs II she had
vanished into thin air.
Kennedy was frantic. WI and Long
Sin themselves seemed to have van.
isbed. too. Where they held her. what
had happened 10 her. was a sealed
book. And yet no move OF ours was
made. no matter how secret. that II
did not seem TO be known to them. II
was as though a weird. uncanny eye
glared at us. watching everything.
Craig neglected no possibility in
his eager search. He even visited the
little house in the country which
Elaine had given to Aunt Tabby. and
spent several hours examining the
collapsed subterranean chamber in
the vain hope that 1t might yield a
clue. But II had not.
~Unescapably, he was forced TO the
conclusion that not only Elaine's
amazing disappearance, but the tragic
succession OF events which had pre-
ceded Il had been caused. in some
way. by the %curiously engraved ring
which Aunt Josephine had taken from
her.
Craig had taken possession OF the
mystic ring himself. and now, forced
back on this sole clue, 1t had occurred
IN him that ~ the ria. ,.... -.
able. other attempts would. without
doubt. be made to get possession OF it.
came into the laboratory. one aft.
ernoon. to find Kennedy surrounded
by jewelers. tools. hard at work max.
Ing an exact copy OF the ring.
What do you think OF II. walter?"
he asked. holding up the replica.
Perfect" replied, admiringly.
What are you going to do with it,"
Il can't say-yet." answered Ken.
nedy. forlornly. but II understand
these Chinese criminals at all, | know
that the only way We can ever track
them is through some trick. Perhaps
the replica will suggest something TO
US later"
Let's see II Aunt Josephine has re.
ceived any word" he remarked abb.
ruptly, putting oil his hat and coat.
n nodding to me to follow.
Kennedy and I were not the ONLY
visitors TO the subterranean chamber
where II had seemed that the clue
to the Clutching Hands millions
might be found.
IL was as though that hidden, watch.
ing eye followed us. The night after
our " unsuccessful search. WI
Fang, accompanied by Long Sin, made
His way into the cavern.
WI examined the safe which had
been broken into,
Long Sin was now going over the
walls OF the cavern infinitely. his close.
set, beady black eyes examining every
square inch OF Il.
A sudden low cultural exclamation
caused WI TO turn 10 him quickly.
Long Sin had discovered. back Of the
debris. a long oblong slot. cut into the
rock. Above II were some peculiar
marks.
WI hurried over 10 his henchman
and together they tried 10 decipher
what had been scratched on the rock.
Az Long Sins slender and sinister
foreinger traced over the inscription
WI suddenly caught him by the ell.
bow.
The ring" he cried. as at last he IN.
terpreted the meaning Of the crvntic
characters.
But what about the ring? For a mo.
ment Wa looked at the slot in deer
thought. Then he reached down and
withdrew a ring from his own finger
and dropped Il through the slot.
They listened a moment. They could
hear he ring tinkle as though IL were
running down some sort OF tracklike
deciivtty inside the rock. Theu. faint.
y. they could hear II drop. II had
fallen into a little cup OF a compart
ment below nc their feet.
Nothing happened. WI recovered
his ring. But he had hit at last upon
the clutching Hands secret
Bennett had devised n ring lock
which would open the treasure vault
No other ring except the one which
he had no carefully hidden was OF the
sire or weight that would move the
lever which would set the machinery
working TO open thu treasure house.
Again Wa tried another of his owr
rings. and q third time; Long Sir