Omaha daily bee., 1915-06-13

tire tracks were the footprints of two
men going up the right road toward the
sound.
You follow the car and the driver. "
decided Craig, hastily indicating the road
by which 1t had gone. I'm follow the
footprints"
The secret service men jumped back
into the car and Kennedy and / went
along the shore road following the two
crooks
Already the wounded crook. supported
by his pal. had made his way down 20
the water and had come to long wharf
There, near the land end, they had a
secret hiding place. into which they
went. The other crook drew forth a
smoke signal and began to prepare IT,
Kennedy and were able now TO move
faster than they. AS we came in sight
% he wharf Kennedy paused.
There they are. two of them" he
indicated.
could just make them out In their
hiding place. The fellow who hal stolen
the torpedo was by this time so weak
from loss Of blood that he could hardly
hold his head up. while the other hur-
u I'm the SIllOht Hlkndl. ne nap
pened to glance up. and saw us.
Come. Red. brace up" he mattered,
they're on our trail"
The wounded man was almost too weak
to answer. IL can't" he gasped
weakly. "You-go." Then, with great
effort. remembering the mission on
which he had been sent, he whispered
hoarsely II hid the second torpedo
model in the Dodge house in the bottom
Of" He tried hard 10 finish, but he was
too weak He fell back. dead.
His pal had waited as long as ne dared
to learn the secret. lie Jumped up and
ran just as we burst into the hiding place
Kennedy dropped down by the dead
man and searched him. while l dashed
after the other fellow.
When l returned. found Kennedy
writing a hasty note.
II couldn't follow him, Craig" I con-
fessed.
Too bad" frowned Craig. evidently
greatly worried by what had happened,
as he folded the note. ''Walter." he
said seriously IT want you to go and
find the fellow" He handed me the note
And IL anything separates us today,
give this note to Elaine"
Meanwhile, as nearly as can now
make out, Kennedy searched the dead
man again. There was certainly no clue
to his identity on him. nor had he the
torpedo model Craig looked about Sud
denly, he fell flat on his stomach.
There was WI Fang himself, coming to
the wharf. carrying the model of the
torpedo which had been stolen in Wash
ington and brought up TO him by his
emissary.
Kennedy. crouching down and taking
advantage Of every object that sheltered
him. crawled cautiously into an angle.
Unsuspecting, WI came 20 the land end
Of the wharf.
There he say his lieutenant, dead-and
the smoke signal still beside him, I'M
lighted. He bent over in amazement and
examined the man.
From his hiding place Kennedy crept
stealthily. He had scarcely got within
reach of WI when the alert Chinaman
seemed to sense his presence. Tie rose
quickly and swung around.
The two arch enemies gazed at each
other a moment silently. Each knew it
was the final, fatal encounter.
Slowly WI drew long Knife ana
leaped at Kennedy who grappled with
him. They struggled mercilessly.
In the struggle Craig MANAGED to tear
the torpedo out of Wu's hands just as
they rolled over. It fell on a rock. In
stantly an explosion tore hole In the
sand. scattering the gravel all about.
Relentlessly the combat ragged. Out on
the wharf itself they went, right up to
the edge.
Then both went over into tho water,
locked IN each others vice-like grip
Even in the water. they struggled, fran
tically.
We reached the shore. where we saw
marks of the explosion and of fight.
Out on the pier 1 ran breathlessly i
rushed to the very edge and gazed over,
then climbed down the slippery piling
and peered into the black water beneath,
few bubbles seemed to ooze up from
below. Was that all?
No. as / gazed down I saw that some
dark object was there, Slowly WI
Fang's body floated to the surface and
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