Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-11

far outside Barnet, a voice called t.
| him.
Scarlet Runner" it shouted; ant
Race, astonished. answered before HI
| had stopped to think: YES"
Next instant a black figure was sill
houetted strangely in the pale haze Of
| the car lamps. and three short SHARP
| reports barked dryly in the night
Someone had fired revolver at hi.
driving wheel tires, and two shots hat
taken effect. for he could feel the cal
settling down on the Debated innei
| tubes. Hot with fury at the outrage
Race leaped from his seat to the road.
way, peering into the darkness, ting.
ling to inflict punishment, and rockies.
of all danger for himself. There was
no sound of running footsteps. The
scroundrel must be lurking. But the
thought was cut short abruptly as the
breaking of thread, AS he touched
ground, something thick and soft was
thrown over his head from behind
and twisted tightly round his neck.
Taken by surprise in the heat OF
his rage, for an instant Christopher
lost his breath. He stumbled under
the onslaught Hands deftly, swiftly
tore open the buttons of his overcoat
and he knew instantly with returning
presence of mind that he had two
men to deal with.
A fierce upward swing of his right
arm was just in time to prevent the
man at his back from, twisting the
hood too tightly round his throat
Stepping back heavily on the feet OF
this fellow he shot out left arm like
battering ram and caught the would
hn tab H,1y nt IL,
There was grunt of pain, and the
prying hands fell away from Christie
piers coat
To attempt pursuit in the fog
would be useless. Besides, he had
seen the face of neither man. Painting
from the struggle he assured himself
with some sense of triumph that the
cigaret case was still safe in his
waistcoat pocket
BY the time the car was ready to
go on again, he had made up his
mind not to pay the call alone, but
to take for companion member of
the local police.
Most policemen within motoring
radius of London had heard the name
of Christopher Race, and he was re-
ceived favorably at the police station
in Burnet. Without telling the story
Of the cigaret case, he ~confided to
the inspector in charge, of the fact
that a piece of jewelry in his possess
sion was apparently coveted by an
INSCRIPTIONS stranger. He showed
the letter with the address of 'The
Laurels, which was written not en-
bossed, and gave an account of what
had occurred to him on his way to
keep the appointment
Whoever this man is" said the po-
liceman, "he thinks more of hts repu-
tation than he does of getting what
he wants from you, though he's evil
IDENTIFY keen on that. You can count
on The Laurels' being watched; but
my opinion is that the hunt won't
come back that way. You'll find the
wind blowing from some other quar-
ter, an unexpected one, maybe, and
my word to you is consult Scotland
Yard"
With this advice still echoing in his
ears, Christopher at last drove Scarlet
Runner rapidly back to London, the
fog having lifted with hint of breeze.
He was, tired and hungry and know
ing that he would get nothing to eat
at his lodgings, when he had put up
the car, be went to his club, where
refreshment, liquid or solid, was to
be had at any hour.
Two men sat at a table in a corner,
talking earnestly, and hearing him
enter, they locked up, as If not too
pleased to have the room invaded.
Both were young. and strangers to
Christopher, yet the face Of one
seemed curiously familiar to him.
NOW, where have l seen that good