The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-10-18


Leontine was forced to acknowledge
that. The personality of the man
thawed the ice of her reserve, and the
little point of doubt sank deeper and
deeper down in the recesses of her
soul.
Who was this man Ravengar? Three
times he had interposed to aid her in
her perplexity and distress. She had
come to expect him to appear in such
times. II Jerry had never entered
Suddenly she became aware that a
stranger had entered the roadhouse
garden. He was standing beside Sc
bastian, who looked up at him impa-
tiently.
Excuse me, but are you not Mr..
Sebastian Navarre?" he asked.
"Well. sir7" demanded Sebastian, an
noyed at the interruption.
''There is a man of this name wait
ing outside to speak to you"
He handed him dirty piece Of pa
per. Sebastian glanced at it and
turned white. Then, with an energetic
gesture, he tore the paper into pieces
and flung them down upon the floor.
Without word to Leontine he clapped
on his hat and followed the stranger.
Leontine stared after her husband in
wonder Then, moved by sudden i'm
pulse, she stopped and picked up the
scraps of paper. She pieced them to-
gether upon the table and made oul
the name, "One-Lamp Louie"
What Leontine saw vividly was the
face of the little crook who had torn
the confession from her hands and
destroyed 1t outside the gaming mousse.
At once her suspicious leaped into life.
She ran out Of the garden.
Sebastian was nowhere to be seen,
BUT she heard faint cry for help COM
ing from a lonely spot some distance
beIJw the summit Of the hill, among
she dense bushes.
Hurrying forward along little
trail, she saw presently the automo-
bile, standing beside u gypsy wag-
on. Beside this her husband was
wrestling with three men. 1t was a
distant picture; she could discern Sc
of anger. and again his cry came to
her, sounding faint and far away.
Instantly Leontine dashed through
the trees, tripping over roots, forcing
her path through brambles, her mind
intent on loyalty to the man she called
her husband.
The kidnapers had whisked Sebas-
tian into the auto and pushed it down
the mountain path before he was well
aware of what was happening to him.
The trail connected, some distance
down the hill with n disused road,
which, in turn. ran into the main road
two miles further away. This road
led into the mountains, and it was
there that the crooks meant to extort
Sebastians confession.
An unexpected interruption in the
shape of fallen tree compelled the
car to slow down. Instantly Sebastian
seized his opportunity to leap to the
ground. 1t was then that Leontine
heard his cry for aid.
"Shut up" yelled Romanorf. dash
ing his fist into Sebastian's face.
But Sebastian, whose fears were
stronger than his cowardice, broke
away from his pursuers, again crying
for help. And it was at this juncture
that Leontine, breathless and dishev-
eled, appeared upon the scene.
At the sight of her the men hesitat-
ed. Then Romanofr had an inspiration.
Behind Leontine stood the empty
gypsy van, whose owners were doubt
less picking blueberries upon the
mountains. He caught the girl in his
nI kad
the door on her.
"Now we've got 'em, I guess" he
said, barring his teeth in a grin.
And he started as his own words
left his mouth, for out of the bushes
broke-Ravengar. who had been left
securely locked in Bianca's cellar.
With blows right and left, Ravengar
felled two of the crooks companions.
While Romanoff lodged the third
swing of his right arm, Ravengar un-
locked the door of the van.
He dashed inside. 'Leontinew he
called.
Romanoff's inspiration did not desert
him. Before Ravengar had caught
Leontine from the interior of the van
he had turned the key on him. He
drew back, painting, while his compan-
ions. who had picked themselves up
from the ground, stared dazedly about
Then. turning round, he realized
that Sebastian had made good his es-
cape in the confusion. Far up the
hillside he saw Sebastian running.
He ground his teeth in rage.
II guess we'd better beat it home and
think out what we are going to say"
said one Of the gang.
And leave him in there with herr"
grinned Romanoff, jerking his thumb
toward the van, from within which
came the sound of Ravengars fruit
less blows. mot If know it. Look"
He pointed down the hill. Some fifty