The Yale expositor., 1916-12-28

ly. "for it is the key to the hiding
place of the Van Horn loot, which Le-
gar must have cached when we had ,
him on the run. 1t gives Wrenneys
Oak as a starting place, and here are
the directions for pacing off the dis
tances to where the plate is con-
cealed"
Captain Bracket, now rehabilitat-
ed in his customary dignity, reached
out an authoritative hand for the
paper and studied it intently for a
moment,
Anyone could see that" he an
swered slightingly, and we've got TO
get out to Wrenney's Oak in hurry
IL we're goin' to beat the Iron Claw
/ and his pirates to that sack Of loot.
With his usual buoyant spirits de-
cidedly crushed David Manley stood
on the broad veranda and watched
the little party embark in a racing
motorboat, which carried them swift
ly over the limpid waters, leaving a
long trail OF foam in its wake. For
brief space Davy stared irresolutely out
over the lake, then a look Of sudden
determination flashed into his face,
and few minutes later he was at the
holm of the speedy ARROW" skim
ming over the surface Of that lake as
lightly as a swallow on the wing.
He landed a short distance below
the deserted craft of his employer and
made his way through the moss-car-
peted woods toward Wrenney's Oak
as silently as in aboriginal. AS he
approached that hoary veteran of the
forest, he saw under it's wide-hung
branches the golden-haired object of
his quest
The giant oak had implanted its
sturdy roots deep in the soil on the
edge Of a precipitous ravine. and as
Davy's eyes Travelled up the steep hill
side which abruptly flanked the mar
row path sltirting this ravine his face
suddenly went white with fearsome ap-
prehension.
Peering out of a tangled thicket
was the deep-seared face of Jules Le-
gar. That face was as repellant in
its beastlike ferocity as must have
been the hideously painted savages
who once roamed these forest glades
bent on murder and destruction. Un
conscious of the presence Of this lurk
ing foe, the stalwart police captain
was solemnly pacing off certain dis
tances, guided by a slip of white pa
per which he held in his hand.
Standing near by and completely
absorbed in these awkward maneuver'
was the graceful figure of Marger!
Golden, her stoop-shouldered fathe
; close beside her.
), A rasping oath from Legar warned
Davy that something had gone amis
. with that worthy's plans.
h THE cops stumbled on the righ
q place by accident" growled the angr.
voice from behind the bushes; "th
q fool thinks the stuff is in the gfoun
\. now he's starting to dig right II
n front of the cave-that sews up Loui
q good and tight-we'll have to do some
q thing and do it quick"
IF you want to put the kibosh o.
h. that bunch buttin' into our business
" know how to do it," said Franz
IA THAT big rock we seen up the hi
" don't need much Of shove to sen
it goin' down like thunder let loose
III an it's headed just about right t
II smash that whole outfit off the ledg
g. into the gully"
Davy saw the two rapidly movin
,e figures climbing up toward a massiv
AZ bowlder which by one of those cd
M whims of nature hung so lightly poise
ia on the hillside that the hand of
child might have set it vibrating o
10 its precarious balance. He saw L
i. gar and Dutch Frank place their shou
va ders against that granite bowlder.
Ie- Davy knew that in a few second
that revolving bulk of solid grant
st would acquire a velocity which wou
-e- send Il tearing past him like shot o'
in OF gun. He raced down the hillsit
and put his last ounce of strengt
ce into a flying leap which landed hi
i'd close to Margery Golden and her sta
lis tied companions.
4 He dived against the wondering-ey,
re girl as a groggy football player mig
q" weakly hurl himself against the O
he posing line, and the sheer impact
MT his weight sent them both sprawlil
es- several yards up the trail which bC
dered the ravine. Even as Emo
ng Golden and Captain Bracket rush
lily to lay hands on Margery's suppos
he assailant the flying mass of rock thu
on dered across the space where they
re- had been standing but the second
Ich fore, and sweeping every obstacle o
he of its path, went crashing and rev
berating into the depths of the yav
a ing chasm far below.
ed. 1t was the hardy police officer