The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1915-07-29
SEVENTEENTH EPISODE
THE WATCHING EYE.

napers when they had so mysterious
ly spirited Elaine away from the
apartment OF WI Fang. She had dis
appeared as completely as il she had
vanished into thin air.
Kennedy was frantic. WI and Long
Sin themselves seemed to have van
ished. too Where they held her. what
had happened to her. was sealed
book And yet no move OF ours was
made. no matter how secret, that 1t
did not seem to be known to them. 1t
was as though a weird. uncanny eye
giared 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
the vain hope that it might yield 4
clue. But 1t had not.
Unescapably. he was forced to the
conclusion that not only Elaines
amazing disappearance. but the tragic
succession OF events which had pre-
coded 1t 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, IL 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
erneon. 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.
needy. 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"
Lets see II Aunt Josephine has re-
ceived any word" he remarked alb
ruptly. putting on his hat and coat,
and nodding to me to follow.
Kennedy and l were not the only
visitors to the subterranean chamber
where 1T had seemed that the clue
TO the Clutching Hands millions
might be found
1t was as though that hidden. watch.
ing eye followed us. The night after
our own 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 IT.
A sudden low cultural exclamation
caused WI 10 turn to him quickly
Long Sin had discovered. back OF the
debris. long oblong slot, cut into the
rock Above 1t were some peculiar
marks.
WI hurried over to his henchman,
and together they tried to decipher
what had been scratched on the rock
AS Long Sins slender and sinister
forefinger traced over the inscription
WI suddenly caught him by tho ell
bow.
1.-The ring" he cried. as at last he in.
terpreted the meaning OF the cryptic
characters.
But what about the ring? For mo-
ment WI looked at the slot in deep
thought. Then he reached down and
withdrew n ring from his own finger
and dropped II through the slot.
They listened n moment They could
hear the ring tinkle as though II were
running down some sort OF tracklike
decliyity inside the rock. Then. faint
ly. they could hear ii drop 1t had
fallen into little cup OF a compart-
ment below at their feet.
Nothing happened WI recovered
his ring But he had hit at last upon
the Clutching Hands secret,
Bennett had devised ring lock
which would open the treasure vault!
No other ring except the one which
he had so carefully hidden was OF the
sire or weight that would move the
lever which would set the machinery
working to open the treasure house,
Again wu tried another OF his own
gtAU. and . third time: Long Sin