The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-01

guys never thought of taking my gun
from me. IL l roll over to you, j
guess 1 can fix things so that you'll
be at liberty in a few minutes
For heavens sake, don't wait"
said Manning at once. Surely the
three of us. especially IL we take
them unawares, will be able to put up
q decent fight.
So it came to pass that others than
the champions of law and order COM
mitted foolish mistakes that day.
Manning and his stalwart aids were
soon free of their bonds. Best OF
all, each was armed with a loaded re-
yolyer. After a hurried consultation
they decided to attack rather than
await the coming of Ali Singh and
his myrmidons. The door was locked.
but one of the policemen. who had
taken lessons from an expert now
languishing in Sing Sing. produced a
bit of wire from a pocket, twisted II,
and quickly had the bolt turned on it's
springs. Then they crept out. Man
ming halted at the foot of the stairs.
which he felt himself in honor bound
to ascend first.
Remember he muttered deter
minedly, I'VE are going through with
this business, no matter who bars the
way. Don't spare that woman. Ali
Singh must be taken, dead or alivei"
The men grunted their approval.
These stocky New York policemen
were sore because of their mishap,
and they would be hard to stop now.
At the top of the creaking gangway
they gathered on small landing be-
yond which lay a door. Hating there.
Manning put an ear to a chink and
fancied he could detect the movement
of some person or persons within.
Then he heard Ali Singh's voice.
speaking in a sonorous foreign lam
guage.
He hesitated no longer. Turning
the handle of the door, he applied his
shoulder at the same instant. There
was a lock, but the ancient wood
work yielded, and he burst into
saloon, a fairly we'll lighted place
equipped as laboratory, because a
number of bottles and chemical re-
torts Uttered a spacious table in the
center, while shelves on either side
were similarly occupied.
Katisha, a handsome odalisaue,
stood to the right. On the further
side of the table was seated Ali
Singh, and the eyes of the startled
pair met the vengeful looks of Man.
ming and the police.
Hands up, both OF you" shouted
Manning.
Ali Singh rose, but did not obey the
order, so Manning fired at him point
blank. The Higher One, however, had
anticipated that his enemy would
shoot without further parley. He
sprang aside just as the hammer fell.
and at the same moment smashed
one of the retorts on the table.
There was a sharp explosion, almost
riyaling the noise of the revolver
shot, and the saloon was filled with
binding smoke.
make for the deck!" shouted Man
ming. He can't get away from us
now. Once we're in the open air we
must shoot anyone we see lowering
boat or crossing the shoreward gang
way"
But another surprise awaited the
three when they reached the upper
structure Kemp and his men were
crossing from the mainland, and none
Of the Households numerous deni-
zens was in sight! I. 1t was pro-
found relief, Of course, to meet with
such welcome e-enforcements. Man
ming and Kemp, with whom had come
the valiant souled Bronson, were ac-
tually planning a systematic search
of the craft from stem to stern when
a fire, obviously caused by some
chemical agency, broke out on board
in three different sections.
WED better beat it to the bank
advised Kemp. IF that devil in
tends. to blow himself up, there's no
reason why we should go with him,
and it would be quite impossible for
anyone to get away without our
knowledge"
Manning agreed. In all probability
they would incur great and needless
danger by remaining. So all hands
made toward the shore and took up
a position in which they were not
only reasonably safe but could watch
developments. Kemp's surmise was
correct. After few seconds of a
rapidly spreading fire the houseboat
was shivered by a mighty explosion.
which blew a column of smoke and
steam 200 feet in air and scattered
debris far and wide.
As the turmoil subsidized and the
waters of the creek grew placid once
more Kemp eyed thewessel's sunken
remains with much satisfaction.
We'll. that's an end of an awkward
bunch." he said cheerfully. I'm get
a boat and some graphing irons now.
and maybe well be able to attend
Ali Singh's funeral
Suddenly Manning's clean-cut fea-
lures showed some measure of anx-
iety. He drew apart from the others
and listened with much intentness.
Then he ran to a neighboring blur
from which the wide expanse OF the
sound could be viewed. He came
back after a few minutes.
"A motor boat is speeding north"
he said thoughtfully. 81 suppose it
would be absolutely impossible that
Ali Singh should have escaped and
be on board of herr"
ut simply couldn't have happened"
vowed Kemp. why, man, we saw
the whole thing blown to smithereens
before our very eyes!'
But nothing was impossible to Ali
Singh. who. even when his best laid
schemes were defeated, seemed to
rely on an almost diabolical luck.
AS a matter of cold fact, he was hud-
died up in the boat seen by Manning.
When Hong Kong Harry escaped from
Kemp and his men the half-caste
hurried to Long Island Sound to ap-
prise ais master of Najla's capture"
(To BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK,