The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-04-11
CHAPTER XVI.
War.

/
ing, and being in the neighborhood of
the Madeleine, sought the cab-rank
there and moodily took his place at
| it's end, silencing the motor and re-
| lapsing into morose reflection so pro-
found that nothing about him claimed
place in his consciousness.
Thus it was that brace of furtive
| thugs were able to SLOUGH down the
rank, scrutinizing it covertly, but in
! detail, pause opposite Lanyard's car
under pretext of lighting cigarettes,
| identify him to their satisfaction, and
take themselves hastily off-all with
out his knowledge.
And not until they had quite disap-
! peared did the driver of the cab ahead
dare warn him.
| Lounging back carelessly, the latter
looked the adventurer over inquis-
itively.
at is. then" he inquired civilly,
! when Lanyard at length glanced
around, annoyed By subconsciousness
of the others stare, that you are in
the bad books of that good General
/ Popinot, my friend?"
| "Eh-whats that you say?" Lam
yard exclaimed, showing a counte-
nance of blank misrepresentation.
The man nodded wisely.
| HE who is at odds with Popinot,'
| he observed, does well not to sleep
| in public. You did not see those two
who passed just now and took your
number-rats of Montmartre, if /
know my Paris. You were dreaming,
my friend, and it is my impression
| that only the presence of those two
| flies over the way prevented your i'm
mediate assassination If | we're you,
| l should go away very quickly, and
| never stop till l had put stout walls
between myself and Popinot."
A chill of apprehension sent SILVER
stealing down Lanyard's spine
You're sure?"
| But of a certainty, my old one."
| "A thousand thanks"
| Jumping down, the adventurer
cranked the motor, sprang back to his
seat, and was off like hunted hare
And when, more than an hour later,
he brought his painting car to a pause
in quiet and empty back street of
| the Auteuil quarter, after course that
| had involved the better part of Paris,
| it was with the conviction that he had
| beyond question shaken off pursuit.
| had there, in fact, been any attempt
made to follow him.
He took advantage of that secluded
| spot to substitute false numbers for
| those he was licensed to display;
then, at more sedate pace, followed
the line of the Notifications northward
as far as La Muette, where. branch
| ing off, he sought and made circuit
of two sides of the private park en-
closing the home of Nine. Omber.
| But the mansion showed no lights
and there was nothing in the aspect
| of the lodge and carriage entrance to
lead him to believe that the chate-
laine had as yet returned to Paris.
Now the night was still young, but
| Lanyard had his cab to dispose of and
not a few other essential details to
| arrange before he could take definite
steps toward the reincarnation of the
| Lone Wolf
! Picking a most circumspect route
| across the river-via the Pont Mira
| beau-to the all-night Geographic bu-
| reau in the Rue de Grenelle, he dis
patched a cryptic message to the min
| lister of war, then with the same pains
to avoid notice made back toward the
Rue des Acacias. But it wasn't pos
| sible to recross the Seine covertly-
| in effect, at least-without returning
| the way he had come-a long detour
that irked his impatient spirit to con-
template.
Unwisely he elected to cross by
way of the Pont des Invalides-how
| unwisely was borne in upon him al
most as soon as he turned from the
brilliant Quai de la Conference into
the darkling Rue Francois Premier;
he had won scarcely twenty yards
from the corner when, with rush. it's
motor purring like some great tiger
cat, a powerful touring car swept up
from behind, drew abreast, but instead
of passing, checked speed until it's
pace was even with his own.