Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-04-08

Gatford was out as they touched.
To his STOPPING eyes the moonlight
showed the fresh marks of feet in
the sand. They turned inland a few
feet from the spot where he stood.
Bent low above the trail, he began
to follow it back from the shore
until it was lost. With sickening
confession he realized that again he
was a few minutes tardy. But the
small prints of woman's shod feet
told him that the girl of the Nippon
had gone that way. Abandoning the
vanished track, he plunged straight
ahead at sharp dog trot.
1t was only tiny bit of volcanic
upheaval raised above the waters of
the bay, after all. The pace at which
he was charging forward rapidly
carried him to it's very center with
out his having heard anything or
found trace of those he sought. He
paused and looked uncertainty
around in the moonlight, and in the
same minute he heard a sound. 1t
was sharp, incisive, not to be mis-
takcn-the cough of a motorboat's
exhaust. 1t came from ahead to-
ward the opposite side of the island.
GatTord caught his breath as its
meaning grasped him, clenched his
fists against his body, and broke into
run. AS he ran he dragged out
his revolver and carried it in his
hand.
And while he strained forward,
painting from the unaccustomed ex-
ertion, the rattle of the gas explo-
sions grew on the night and settled
down to steady roar.
He came in sight of the beach and
of trim launch, into which several
men seemed lifting an impassive fig
ure With a yell he leaped forward
and charged down upon the group
One of them, standing a little apart,
turned toward him. A dart of flame
leaped out, and Gafford heard the
whine of the bullet as it sped past.
He lifted his own weapon and fired
as he ran. His painting breath and
his motion caused his shot to go
wild. In the few instants since he
had seen them, they had placed the
burden they carried in the launch.
Now the man who had fired at his
appearance leaped aboard. The
launch moved forward, gained head
way, and swept from the shore.
Gafford reached the waters edge
and paused breathless before the
strip Of widening water. By just
that much he was again too late.
Oshitu had made good his escape.
From impulse rather than purpose,
the man on the beach lifted his re-
,volver and fired again after the
speeding launch. In way it was a
defiance, declaration of war to the
last.
A moment later he began to re-
trace his steps. He had but one
thought now-to get back to Kate
and report his pitiful failure, and
plan how he might still continue the
pursuit. "God help her! God helr
her!" he painted as he ran across the
island to where he had left the sam.
pan. Surely the woman who hac
gone an unwilling captive on the
launch of Oshitu had need of help
He found his man waiting. For 6
moment he had feared that even he
might have deserted. But no doubt
he, too, had heard the pant of the
launch's escape, and decided to wal
loE iiio pdooelBcl anu COlleCI Iis
pay. Gafford boarded the sampar
in silence, and courtly ordered tn,
man back to the waterfront.
A man of lesser fiber would
have been totally cast down. Gaf
ford, on the other hand, seemed t,
himself to be turning to ice. Th'
continued success which attended hi
enemy's efforts was rousing a deadl,
cold purpose of combat within hin
which nothing else could have done
The fight, aside from all question
of nations, was narrowing to a per
sonal issue. This man had begun b.
wrecking his life prospects, soilinl
his name, driving him into exile, an
to the very brink Of the oblivion o
the lost. Now once more he wa
Haunting his every effort. Tonigh
he had won by the narrow margi
of strip of waterAbut he had wor
Deep in his soul, Gafford swQre tina
the next time he would not win.
From now on he would take u
the trail, and not pause until he ha
run him down. He had triple pun
pose TO urge him; the life of a na
ton, the honor of pure woman
and his personal score. Each foo
that the sampan crept back acros
the moon-silyered water seemed
put some of the steely reflection {
the glinting rays nto his soul. ii
fuce took on new lines Of firmnes