Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-01

! garded the mans threat as sheer
! bluff, but Bill Reilly knew better, and
realized that II the young millionaire's
life was to be saved he must act fear 1
lessly, and at once Rushing at Two
| Gun Jake, he spun the man off his
| feet with a very effective upper-cut.
This assault com ng from such an
unexpected quarter, momentarily
stupefied the He!l-cats, and the men
| holding Burton relaxed their grip. AS
result, John regalned his feet, and
was thus able to help Reilly In the
furious struggle which now broke out,
because Jake was the first to under
stand Reilly's strategy, and pron4ptly
called on his associates to put the
traitor "out of business"
Hes only playin' for time" he
yelled. go to It, boys, an get both
OF emf
The marvel was that revolvers were
not used; possibly some sense Of real
and instant danger withheld the gang
/ from creating more noise than was
absolutely necessary. They put forth
every effort, however, to overcome the
| two men, and Burton could only see
.out. OF the tail OF his eye that his un-
known rescuer was making a gallant
/, fight against overwhelming odds.
/ He, too. was about to collapse again
,'dndsr the united attack Of four 3'Gor
Ave men, when the door was burst
open. and number Of police in uni
! form appeared.
The fight stopped then and there. of
course. The sole intent of every ras-
cal among the Hell-cats now was to
save his own skin, SO the room emp
tied as though by magic except those
who had been gripped by the officers
Of the law at the first onset,
Burton noted in dazed sort of way
that the man who had taken such risk
In order to help him had disappeared
/ with the rest. This fact puzzled him.
He could not understand 1t at all He
yet had to learn that II Reilly were
police his life would undoubtedly be
forfeited. since the Hell-cats would
strain every nerve to punish him.
Reilly's only chance Of safety In the
future day in convincing. his former
criminal associates that he had really
meant we'll by them in bringing a
warning Of police Intervention, and
, that he had attacked Two-Gun Jake
merely to put an end to a foolish and
, untimely argument. In order to de-
/ ceive the Hell-cats he must also evade
| the police. In addition to this he did
, not wish the police to think he had
, fallen from grace.
So he deliberately headed off the
latter in their pursuit of the major
| portion of the gang, and drew them
, to trap-door opening onto fiat roof,
means Of escape which he had often
? used in his unregenerate days.
1t Is not to be denied that some
thing of the fearful Joy which attaches
/ itself to daring crime pulsed once
: more in Reiliy's veins as he fed with
the hounds Of the law yelping on his
] heels, He followed familiar path,
At the end of a sloping roof he knew
/ he would find a raised balustrade
: which would check an otherwise in
epitable descent into the street far
beneath. From the fiat top of the
4 cornice 1t was possible to spring across
an alley to the roof of the nearest
house. and thence climb, cat-like,
among forest Of chimneys to q we'll
remembered fire escape.
a Reilly was slightly out of condition,
D but his nerve was steady as ever. and
= he took that spectacular leap through
4 midair with all his old confidence.
h He hung back purposely until the
4 hand of the nearest policeman was
e actually outstretched to clutch him
!. He counted altogether on the fact that
J. the men would balk at that unnerving
1 jump, because, such is the force Of
imagination, the average individual
win falter at spring high up above
q the ground which would not demand
Q any display Of courage or resolution II
d taken on terra-frma.
In one respect however, Reilly,
d calculations erred. He had not read.
o ICED how thoroughly the patrolmar
It called on by the valet had organized
q his forces to surround the building
e Not only were policemen in over,
Is whelming numbers stationed at ever,
4 exit from the Hell-cats' headquarters
y but vedettes> occupied strategic point
s. on every possible line of retr at. 81
IS Reilly's daring leap was noted, and tn,
n pursuit was developed by others VIII,
e had not been called on TO negotiat
that ugly-looking chasm.
d The fugitive contrived to get dowI
1t his favorite fire escape only to fin,
F. the pack in full cry behind him. HI
J. ran. the policemen ran, gatherin,
ID crowd tailed in behind, and so
g. veritable mob swarmed around tn
v. Settlement when Reilly dashe,
ID through its hospitasle portal.
se II was now hopelessly out Of tn
l. question that he should stop and ex
n plain. He must carry through the pre-
tense to the bitter end because hun
ID dred pairs of eyes would eagerly de
YOUR every phase Of the capture whei
c. he was grabbed by the police, and
re hundred tongues retail the astoundin
At | tact that this master criminal ha
Do gone off on the best Of terms with tn
cops"