The Washington herald., 1916-11-29

btdrtco dBdln ana DrlnB ner hlonS-
side or I'll hurry you up with a .SS
slug Of hot lead. Get busy!"
The cripple looked once at Tam
ner's menacing pistol, then got the
engine into motion and with exas-
boat alongside the rickety old land
ing stage.
Tanner and Morrison lifted Flor
ence aboard bodily and set her down
In the stern.
Keep guard over her. there, you!"
Tanner ordered the cripple. You're
no use at the steering wheel. Nor
rison, take the wheel, will you? You
know where to CO."
Morrison obeyed. Tanner seated
himself in the bow beside the steers
man. The cripple slumped into
seat alongside the fettered and
gr eyed girl. AS he did so his eyes
swept the bank and the road beyond
1t for the tenth time.
But now his bleared glance bright
ened at what he saw. An automobile
was racing down the lane toward
the boathouSe. In it's tonneau, urg-
ing the Montrose chauffeur to greater
speed, sat DR.. Montrose himself and
Robert Clayton.
The cripple looked ahead. Morri-
son and Tanner were talking to-
gether. Neither saw the approaching
car. But Clayton had seen the boat
and its occupants. He also saw that
the car was thirty seconds too late.
For already the motorboat was leav-
ing the landing stage and moving
downstream.
Clayton and Montrose stared, para
lyzed with fear, for an instant. Then
Bob gave the chauffeur a quick or
der and at the same time began to
grope for someting in the toolbox
beneath the automobiles rear seat.
The chauffeur swiftly turned his car
and sped it along the river bank road
toward bridge that spanned the
stream a mile below. The cripple, at
the same time, saw Clayton fish
coil Of strong, light rope out from
the toolbax.
Next moment the car was shut off
from sight by a row Of waterside
trees
The cripple once again looked fur
lively at Tanner and Morrison.
Then stealthily he drew q gold
penknife from one Of his ragged
pockets. Again making certain that
the others were not looking back, he
slashed the cords that bound the
girls ankles and wrists. He also un-
tied the gags knot.
Florence, dumbfounded at the &C
ton of the cripple. nevertheless took
her cue from him. She made no move
ment and forebode to cry out. Yet
she looked at her crippled ally in
wondering inquisitiveness As she
looked she saw him glance intently
at something far in front, and almost
imperceptibly point with one grimy
finger.
She followed with her eyes the d.
rection he indicated. At some little
distance ahead Of them she saw the
span of a bridge. A motor car was
just drawing to halt in the center
of the span.
A man sprang from the car and
hurriedly accosted two policemen
who were crossing the structure Just
ahead Of them.
She recognized the man. even at
ii.
Clayton now was Joined by DR..
Montrose, who got out of the car, and
by the chauffeur. In Bob's hands
Florence could see the coil Of rope.
He began to knot one end Of the
coil around his wrist. Then he hand
ed the rope to the others, explaining
rapidly to them.
After which he swung himself over
the bridge parapet. The other low
cred him, hand over hand, while with
one arm he gripped the taut rope to
steady himself
Florence could endure the suspense
no longer. She leaped to her feet,
shrieking piercingly to her father.
Morrison. whirling about and seeing
her standing there unbound, left the
wheel and ran back to seize her. Tan
ner caught hold of the abandoned
wheel as Morrison reached the girl.
Just then one Of the cripplc's
crutches somehow got between Morri-
sons feet. He staggered. Before
ne could recover his balance Flor
ence struck him in the face with all
her wiry young strength. He reeled
who'll y lost his wavering balance and
splashed overheard.
+ + 4
'Here!" yelled Tanner to the Grip
pie, as he started back toward the
stern. Take the wheel I'll"
The cripple, who lad made as
though to obey, lurched against Flor
ence, lost his own balance as she
repulsed him and fell helpless into
the bottom of the boat.
At the same instant Florence was
caught around the waist by two en-
circling arms. The boat was drift
ing under the bridge. And she had
come within Clayton's reach.
The men above, as they saw Bob
catch her. began to pull up the rope
Tanner, looking upward, saw what
had happened.
That evening Harold Stanley called
at the Montrose house full of apollo
gies for forgetting his engagement
to ride that afternoon with Florence.
The girl, however, had far more i'm
portant things to tell him, and she
broke in on his apologies with the
story Of her own adventures.
Il can't imagine who the cripple
could have been" she ended. He
wasn't the man who rescued us the
other night. never saw him be-
fore"
Stanley made no reply, but an odd
look cano into hio IorG a1,ao