The Monticellonian., 1915-07-15
SEVENTEENTH EPISODE
THE WATCHING EYE.

Not a clue had been left by the kid. napers when they had so mysterious ly spirited Elaine away from the apartment of Wu Fang. She had dis appeared as completely as if 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 sealed book. And yet no move of ours was made. no matter how secret, that it did not seem to be known to them. It was as though weird, uncanny eye glared at us, watching everything.
 Craig neglected no possibility in his eager search. He even visited the little house ill the country which Elaine had given to Aunt Tabby, and spent several hours examining the collapsed subterranean chamber in the vain hope that it might yield a clue. But it had not
 Unescapably, he was forced to the conclusion that not only Elaines amazing disappearance, but the tragic succession of events which had pre- ceded 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. it had occurred to him that if the ring were so valu- aDla nth2r atfnrnntc doubt, be made to get possession of it.
 came into the laboratory, one aft ernoon, to find Kennedy surrounded by jewellers tools, hard at work mak- ing an exact copy of the ring.
 What do you think of it, 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 if I understand these Chinese criminals at all, l know that the only way we can ever track them is through some trick. Perhaps the replica will suggest something to us later.''
 Let's see if Aunt Josephine has re- ceived any word" he remarked ab- 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 it had seemed that the clue to the Clutching Hands millions might be found.
 It was as though that hidden, watch ing eye followed us. The night after our own unsuccessful search, Wu Fang, accompanied by Long Sin, made his way into the cavern.
 Wu examined the safe which had been broken into,
 Long Sin was now going over the walls of the cavern minutely, his close set. beady black eyes examining every square inch of it.
 sudden low guttural exclamation caused Wu to turn to him quickly. Long Sin had discovered. back of the debris. long oblong slot. cut into the rock. Above it were some peculiar marks.
 Wu 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 Wu suddenly caught him by the el- bow.
 "The ring," he cried, as at last he in- terpreted the meaning of the cryptic characters.
 But what about the ring? For mo- ment Wu looked at the slot in deep thought. Then he reached down and withdrew a ring from his own finger and dropped it through the slot.
 They listened moment They could hear the ring tinkle as though it were running down some sort of tracklike deelivity inside the rock. Then, faint iy, they could hear it drop. It had fallen into little cup of a compart- ment below at their feet.
 Nothing happened. Wu recovered his ring But he had hit at last upon the Clutching Hands secret.
 Bennett had devised a ring lock which would open the treasure vault No other ring except the one which he had so carefully hidden was of the size 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 rings, and third time: Long Sin