The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-10-14
EIGHTH INSTALLMENT

Owing to a delay in obtaining the
gasoline. darkness had fallen before
Morissey and Hook again reached the
island where Hope and Cleo were
awaiting them. Just as they beached
their skiff on the shore of the little
cove, they were startled to hear, from
somewhere on the cliff above them, the
roar of an explosion. Thoroughly
alarmed, they raced up the steep and
winding path which led to the plateau.
Morissey, reaching the top ahead of
his ponderous companion. dashed to-
ward the shack in which they had left
Hope and Cleo. Suddenly he stopped.
An exclamation of horror, amazement,
utter incredulity, escaped him. The
shack was gonei Save for few splin-
tered timbers, the rock on which it
had stood was absolutely bare.
''Mr. Hope!" hailed Morissey, with
sinking heart. "Mr. Hope! Where are
you?"
THAT you, Morissey?" came Hopes
voice from the darkness.
AYE, aye, SIR in tone of profound
relief. Whats happened, sir?
Where's the shack?"
81 hardly know myself what has hap
pened." said Hope, appearing out of
the darkness with Cleo, but strongly
suspect that someone has tried to muir
der u.s.
1--WE were sitting in the shack exam
lining the books" explained Hope. I'VE
were wondering what had delayed you.
All at once Miss Burke said that she
~
stepped to the door to see what it was
and moment later 1 heard her
scream. l ran out to see what the
trouble was, but l had scarcely set
foot outside the door when there was
an explosion that threw US both to the
ground and the shack toppled over the
Cliff into the sea-
But what was it you heard under
the house Miss Cleo?" asked Hook, his
eyes bullying with excitement.
at sounded as though someone was
moving about just underneath US"
she replied. AT first 1 thought it was
an animal. but, as 1 opened the door,
heard someone running away. 1 step
ped down so that 1 could look under
meath the house and I saw spark run
ming along the ground in the darkness.
I called to Jarvis-Mr. Hope, l mean
to come quickly, for 1 felt sure that
there was danger threatening US, and,
just as he reached me, came the explo-
sion. When 1 looked for the shack it
had disappeared"
Have you any idea who did it, sir?'
asked Morissey. do you think it
could have been the Jap?"
Yes, said Hope, thoughtfully, cit
may have been Satsuma- He's the only
one who could have any object in do
ing such q thing. We know that he
and the man who was with him are
after the books, and they're the kind
that would stick at nothing in order to
get them"
by the way, Morissey," he added,
did you remember to send that tele-
gram from Middle island?"
81 did, sir" was the answer
What was the telegram, Jarvis?'
asked Cleo.
you remember that Fitzmaurice
told US that he had bought three of
your fathers books at the auction, but
that he had lent one of them to a
friend, a Doctor Owen, who lives at
Sandstone? 1t struck me that it was
just as well not to take any chances
of someone else getting there ahead OF
us, 1 had Morissey send wire from
Middle island to the doctor that we
were leaving for Sandstone and asking
him not to let the book out of his pos
session until we arrived. . Now, Nor
issey, if you have gasoline, we haC
halter get down to the launch and pc
started
He turned to Cleo ct is SO late tina