Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-07-31
operations about here. Come on Get

operations about here. Come on. Get
into the boat"
For some reason best known to
himself. the naturalist seemed to have
lost all interest In his specimens and
TO have a sudden curiosity about Del
Mars affairs. AS the motor boat Sped
of. he came slowly and c%uriously out
Of his hiding place and gazed fxedly
At Del Mar.
No Dor Od Del Mars boat got
q little distance out into the harbor
than the naturalist hurried down the
Dodge dock. There was tied Elaines
own fast little runabout. He jumped
into it and started the engine. follow
Ing quickly in Del Mars wake.
Look, called the emissary to Del
Mar. spying the nodge boat with the
naturalist in II, sAimming rapidly aft
er them
Del Mar strained his eyes back
through his glass at the pursuing boat.
But the naturalist. IN spite OF his
smoked glasses. seemed not to have
impaired his eyeei-ht by his studies.
He caught the CLINT Of the sun on the
lens at Del Mars eve and dropped
down into the bottom Of his own boat.
where he was AZ least safe from scru-
tiny, If his boat were not.
Del Mar lowered his glass. That's
the Dodge boat" he said t%houghtfully.
Il don't like the looks of that fellow.
Give her more speed"
Tel Mar had not gone long before
Elaine decided to take a ride herself.
She ordered her horse around from
the stables while she donned her neat
little riding habit. A few minutes
later. as the groom held the horse. she
mounted and rod away, choosing the
road by which ] had gone. expecting
TO meet me on the return from town.
She was galloping along at a good
clip when suddenly her horse SHE'D at
something.
Whoa. Buster" pacifed Elaine.
But it was of no use. Buster still
reared NJ.
Why. what is the NATTER" she
asked. What do you see?"
She looked down at the ground.
There WAS a spot of blood in the dust.
Buster was one OF those horses to
whom the sight of blood Is terrifying.
Elaine pulled up beside the road.
There was a revolver lying in the
grass. She dismounted and picked 1t
mp. No sooner had she looked at II
than she discovered the initials wv.
j." carved on the butt.
Walter Jameson" she exclaimed,
realizing suddenly that il was mine.
Its been fired. too"
Her eye fell again on the blood
spots. Blood and-footprints-into
the brush" she gasped in horror. fol
lowing the trail. What could have
happened u Welter2'
With the revolver. Elaine followed
where the bushes were trampled down
until she came to the place where |
had been bound. There she spied
some pieces of paper lying on the
ground and picked them up.
She put them together. They were
pieces IF the envelope of the letter
which We had decided to send to Wash.
ington.
Which way did they take him.
she asked. looking all about but dis
covering no trail.
She was plainly at a loss what
course TO pursue.
What would Craig DO" she asked
herself.
Finding no answer, she stood think
inc N ann,oD et1-rl.- taarirz thu ON
vel6pe TO pieces. II she were TO do
anything at all. II must he done quick
ly. Suddenly an idea seemed to occur
to her. She threw the pieces of paper
into the air and let them blow away.
II was unscientifc detection, perhaps,
but the wind actually took them and
carried them in the direction in which
the men had forced me 10 walk, after
they had robbed me of the letter.
That's it," cried Elaine to herself.
I'll follow that direction"
Meanwhile. the men had hurried me
of along a trail that led to the foot
Of a cliff. Then the trail wound up the
cliff. We climbed IL until we reached
the top.
There in the rock was a rude stair
way. | drew back. But one man drew
a gun and the other preceded me
down. Along HI steep stone steps
cut in the face of the rock they forced
me.
Below, in a rift in the very wall OF
the cliff. was a ave in which already
were two more of Del Mars men. talk
ing in low tones. in the dim light.
As We made our a down b
~breakneck stairway. the foremost of
my captors stepped on a large fat
rock. As he did so, 1t gave way slight
~ under his foot.
A light in the cave flashed up. Tn
der the rock was a secret electric
connection which operated a lamp.
Someone coming muttered the
two men, on guard instantly.
II was a somewhat precarious foot
ing as We descended and for the mo-
ment | was more concerned for my
safety from a fall han anything else.
Once my foot did slip and a shower OF
pebbles and small pieces of rock start