The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-02-12

Her plans we'll laid-and she had felt
they were the only plans to make-she
retired for the night, but not to
sleep.
At three o'clock she rose, and I'M
twisted the bundle that Joe had
filched for her. She sighed with salts
faction as she shook it out of it's
folds. It was a uniform-one of
Meals. She donned it swiftly-hur-
enthusiastically. There was no light
In the cabin, save the moon, sitting in
through port holes. Annette's face
was bathed in light. But Annette was
fast asleep.
She was totally oblivious to the
presence of the prowling figure in
male uniform who stole near and ever
nearer-who now CROPPED about her
neck.
Suddenly, with one quick and final
tug 1nez wrenched at the chamois
bag.
Annette woke with scream upon
her lips. But the hand of Inez was
quicker than Annette's voice. Inez's
hand closed over Annette-her knee
crushed down her breast.
The wildcat in Annette rose. She
was fine fighter. She squirmed with
one twist out of the grasp of this
unseen foe, and grappled with her as
sailant. Inez was no match for her,
and soon found it out.
Annette dragged her to the ray of
moonlight and looked at her.
She gasped and dropped her hold.
"You-Irene Courtier," she cried.
But 1rene-1nez Castro if you please
was no longer there. In that in
stant-and that was the instant for
the last few seconds she had waited
form that instant she had leaped to
her feet and made her getaway.
And Inez knew the Albany-every
part of that huge battleship she had
studied with the care Of an engineer.
She knew just what to do and where
to go, and how to elude pursuit. She
rushed to one spot where safety lay,
reached the rail, leaped over it, and
with the agility of a professional diver
struck the water with scarcely
splash.
"Now," said Hernandez to his helms
man, like mad for that spot of white"
Ines, fresh and supple notwithstand-
ing her struggle-in fact the struggle
had nerved her up-swam toward the
fishing boat and the boat steamed
toward her. Within q short time
almost less time than it takes to tell
it-Ponto was once more kicking the
Brute. And the Brute in turn leaned
over the side of the kicker, and with
the sweep Of one powerful hand and
arm, drew q dripping object from the
water. It was Inez, gasping for
breath.
Nov, like the devil for the Shore"
whispered Hernandez.
/ They obeyed. But If Inez now gasped
for breath, Annette had ceased to gasp
for breath. Her first coherent thought
was to feel for her chamois bag. It
was safe. Her next effort was speech.
She screamed at the top of her lungs.
Her third was action. She darted to
the deck and gave tho alarm.
Within moment q launch was
manned and had put of from the
cru1ser-Neal in command.
Suddenly one Of Meals men point
ed toward the shore. The searchlight
: Of tho cruiser was playing upon a
Matchmaking full speed south.
That's our boat" said Neal, like
the devil now
In five minutes they caught her.
Neal saw at a. glance she showed no
lights. It convinced him. Without
word he swung. his launch alongside
and his men leaped across the gun
vale. Every jack tar either had his
man by the throat, or was tickling
his ribs with knife. =.
We've got EN- ALL" said some
body. =.
where's the woman?" queried Neal.
But there was no woman-no Inez
Castro. What's more there was no
Hernandez, no Ponto, no Brute.
mo use," said Neal, the birds have
flown. No use chasing them" he con-
coded, when those birds fly, they fly.
We've got to give EN- credit"
Annette" he told that young lady
later, II think now we're safe. The
job all along has been an inside job
Irene Courtier has been handing you
yes and me-over to the enemy.
That was the game-and the game
is ended. That's the way 1t looks to
me-"