Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-09-29

OAAC[ ac AS AaADCAA ~
treated abruptly into the darkness of
the alley and, as Bob beckoned, Jim
backed his car into the alley.
Lights out" Wendell ordered Jim
switched them off.
whats up?"
you We're just coming down to find
out?r Bob challenged.
mo; l was here at 8 o'clock"
What did you find?"
lust Ingouf and Enloe, working at
their valve.1
Working on their valve! That was
all you saw?"
What else was there to see?'
Those men--Bob motioned toward
the darkened laboratory as If they
were still there-'tell me-, how much
do you know about them?'
Jim had not realized until be tried
to answer how little he knew about
them or about others in his fathers
employ. They had come to Elgin re-
Gently to take machinists' positions.
They were good machinists. !.
your cars good for seventy OF
eighty miles on the road?- Wendell de
manded.
"Eighty-five ON a straightaway. One
like 1t has been driven owe 100 miles
an hour OF track
"And you dare drive 1t like the devil,
If we need tor
"Dare~ Jim rejoined. What for?"
For your friends In there. l was
going to jump them as they came out.
They've motorcycles here. But If we
can let them come out al II they
weren't watched and show us where
they're going and we could then get
them we'd find out more. But, aside
from the pace, it's going to be danger
ous.1
"Dangerous!' Jim calculated, with
scorn.
"Quiet!" Wendell warned. They're
comingr-
Jim gazed with him about the cor
ner Of the building. A door at the far
end of the factory opened, and two
men stepped out into the shadow.
They looked about. and apparently saw
nothing to disturb them. They took
motorcycles which were leaning
against the building, brought them to
the street and started away.
"Now!- Wendell cried He was In
the seat beside Jim as the a started
and swiftly turned into the street and
followed the cycles.
Ingouf and Enloe, looking back, saw
the car; but, as they were riding at
little more than ordinary pace and as
the car yet made no attempt to over
take them, they could not be certain
that they were followed. They went
lowed, and when 1t pursued also about
a second turn the men on the motor
cycles no longer had doubt that the
car was after them. They "opened
up" and speeded faster. Jim's foot
pore down on his ac~celerator, and the
car did not drop behind.
Eighty the speedometer showed, and
Wendell, clinging to the sides OF his
seat, cried Jim on. He gave the car
all he mad, knowing no more than that
Bob must believe that the overtaking
of Ingouf and EnlOe that night was
worth Bob's life and his own, and the
riders of the motorcycles made 1t plain
that their errand was worth any risk
The car had begun to gain upon one
cycle, although the other still kept
ahead. The rider Of the slower ma
chine, Ingouf, realized he was losing.
Look QUIT" Jim and Bob each cried
the warning to the other at the same
moment.
A round object, metallic from its
CLINT in the moonlight as 1t fell and
rolled in the road, dropped or was flung
back from the motorcycle. Jim, swerv-
ing his wheels so that they would not
strike II, dashed over the object while
it was still rolling. And the car was
barely over-it was not ten yards by
when an explosion rocked the air. Jim,
his arms and legs all tense, his eyes
staring ahead, held the car on its
course.
go ont" Bob cried to him, and he
saw without looking around that Wen
dell had a revolver In his hand now
and was aiming It Keep on; I'm 60
ing to fire."
The revolver roared twice, splitting
its smoke before Jim's face. The rush
Of the air cleared the smoke, and Wen
dell fred twice again. The a was
coming up fast upon the motorcycle,
and the rider no longer tried to escape;
instead he slowed, leaped Off his ma
chine and turned, metallic missile In
hand, to fling 1t at the a pursuing
him.
Don't slow! Go by" Bob command
ed, firing again, and one more as the
al rushed by. Ingouf stopped at the
first Of these shots and, having fired
his missile, drew back his arm. The
pistol was fired In front Of Jim and
across him, but he was by Ingouf be-
fore he could see what 1t did. He was
still steering the car at seventy miles