The Elbert County tribune., 1915-06-11
SEVENTEENTH EPISODE
The WATCHING EYE,

mol cue nnu Deen lett Dy the KID
napers when they had SO mysterious
ly spirited Elaine away from the
apartment of WI Fang. She had dis
appeared as completely as II she had
vanished into thin air.
Kennedy was frantic Wu and Long
Sin themselves seemed to have van
ished. too Where they held her. what
had happened to her. was a sealed
book. And yet no move of ours was
made. no matter how secret. that 1t
did not seem to be known to them. II
was as though a weird. uncanny eye
slared 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 1t 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 II 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, II had occurred
to him that II the ring were so valu-
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 1t. 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 l understand
shese 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"
Lets see II Aunt Josephine has re
ceivet any word" he remarked alb
ruptly. putting on his hat and coat
and nedding to me to follow.
Kennedy and were not the only
visitors to the subterranean chamber
where it had seemed that the clue
to the Clutching Hands million.
might be found.
1t was as though that hidden, watch
ing eye followed US. The night aftel
our own unsuccessful search. WI
Fang, accompanied by Long Sin. mad,
his way into the cavern.
WI examined the safe which hat
been broken into.
Long Sin was now going over tn,
walls Of the cavern minutely. his close
set, beady black eyes examining ever,
square inch OF it.
A sudden low cultural exclamation
caused WI to turn to him quickly
Long Sin had discovered. back OF tn,
debris. a long oblong slot. cut into tn,
rock. Above II were some peculia
marks
WI hurried over to his henchman
and together they tried to deciphe
what had been scratched on the rock
As Long Sins slender and siniste
forefnger traced over the inscription
WI suddenly caught him by the e.
bow
THE ringi" he cried. as at last he In
terpreted the meaning OF the crypt
characters.
But what about the ring. For me
ment Wu looked at the slot in dee
thought, Then he reached down an,
withdrew ring from his own finge
and dropped IL through the slot
They listened a moment They coul
hear the ring tinkle as though 1t wer
running down some sort of tracklik
declivity inside the rock Then. faint
ly. they could hear il drop. 1t ha
fallen into little cup of q compsr'
ment below Mt their feet
Nothing happened. WI recovere
his ring But he had hit at last upol
the Clutching Hands secret,
Bennett had devised a ring locl
which would open the treasure vault
No other ring except the one whicl
he had SO carefully hidden was OF tn
size or weight that would move tn
lever which would set the mschiner
working TO open the treasure house.
Again WI tried another of his owl
rings. and q third time. Long Sll