The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-05-05

uone by this time"
"But he may be dead. He may be
lying crushed under those fallen pill
lars. l must go on. Tell father
couldn't wait, that I've gone ahead
on FOOT"
Legar, crouching back in the shaw
ows, heard these hurried words and
as hurriedly acted on them. Sinking
back through the bushes, he swung
about and followed the girl through
the darkness.
Yet it was not until the girl had
passed we'll out of hailing distance
of the headlighted car that Legar
circled even more hurriedly forward
and swung in again to intercept her.
She was trudging, little breath
lessly, up a sandy slope. with her
straining eyes still fixed on the NOV
ing lanterns about the ruined mauso-
leum.
Then, swinging apparently out of
the empty air about her, circle of
steel, suddenly encompassing her arm,
brought her to an abrupt stop.
With one quick movement Legar
tore the motor veil from her head,
twisted it into a coil, and flung it
about her neck. And all the while the
Iron Claw, graphing at her arm, held
her as a steel trap might.
She was already dizzy with pain
when she heard the sharp crack of a
revolver shot close over her shoulder
! This was followed by a quick shout
and a muttered oath. She felt herself
forcibly flung from Legars arms into
the arms of another man painting
breathlessly up the sandy slope. She
could see this man, even as he hello
her from falling. stop to level his gun
at the fleeing figure Of Legar. She
could see him shoot again, and still
again, at the same moment that Train
and the plunging automobile came
throbbing and painting up to the scene
the electric lamps throwing out their
wavering, long columns of white light
as they came. Then the stranger, ar
rested by certain gasping and CUR
Cling sounds from the throat of the
! half-garroted girl in his arms, stopped
| down and tore the constructing vel
away from the slender, white column
of her neck. And Margery, opening
her eyes, saw that it was the Laugh
ing Mask bending above her.
at was Legar," she gasped as
Train, followed by her father, came
painting up to where they stood.
"And there he goes now!" cried the
Laughing Mask, pointing down the
long lane of light columning out from
the cars lamps. Across that narrow
river of light they could catch
glimpse CT a tall figure skulking of
into the darkness.
Follow that man with your car,
the Laughing Mask suddenly cried ou
to the chauffeur.
mo car could travel through coun
try like that" protested Train.
"Then keep your lights on the mair
| road to the west here, so as to picf
| him up if he tried to break through
on that side. I'll swing around by the
foundry yards and head him off in the
east"
And the next moment the man II
/ the yellow mask had disappeared il
| the darkness. Golden and his daugh
ter stood staring after him.
Two minutes later the blacknes'
that had swallowed him up was
stabbed by a series of fame flashes
followed by the repeated bark of
revolver. From the gloom still nearer
the shadowy piles of the Westinghan
foundry came an answering series o.
shots.
THAT means he's making for the
+ foundry, sir!" cried the excited Tralr
as he swung his car about.
"Then, for Gods sake, get us there
as quick as you can,' commanded
Enoch Golden as the car lurched and
pulsed and crawled on between the
broken shrubbery, in perilous search
for some open pathway.
But both Legar and his pursuel
were by this time we'll beyond theil
| line of vision. That minded
master criminal, in fact, realizing
that his enemy was pressing close al
his heels, mounted Stag pile, dropped
fiat, and emptied his revolver into the
darkness, where the Laughing Masl
should have been.
But the wary pursuer, dropping low
beside an empty pitch barrel, held hi:
fire and waited. The moment ht
hoard the crisp sound of footsten'
clong- the slaG. sl0ue he once more