Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-03-28

| fears. The power boat was paSSably
distinct, her white side showing plainly
through the tempered darkness. Mid
way down the dock he made out strug-
| Cling figures-twO of them, he judged !:
a man at close grips with a frantic
woman. And where the structure
| joined the land, q second pair again a
man and woman, strOve and swayed.
For all his haste, he was too slow !;
he was still fair thirty yards away
when the struggle on the dock ended
| abruptly with the collapse of the wom-
| an; 1t was as If, he thought, her
strength had failed all in an instant
| as If she had tainted. He saw the man
catch her up in his arms, where she lay
limp and unresisting, and with this
burden step from the stage to the boat
and disappear from sight beneath the
coaming. An instant later he reap
peared, standing at full height In the
cockpit. Without warning his arm
Strengthened out and tongue of flame
Jetted from his hand; there was q re-
port; in the same breath bullet buried
itself in the low earth bank on Whit
aker's right. Needless, he pelted on.
The shot seemed to signal the end of
the other struggle at the landing stage.
Scarcely had 1t rung out ere Whitaker
saw the man lift a fist and dash it
brutally into the womans face. With
out a sound audible at that distance
she reeled and fell away; while the
70
of the dock, cast off the headwarp and
jumped aboard the boat.
She began to sheer off as Whitaker
set foot upon the stage. She was twen-
ty feet distant when he found himself
both at its end and at the end Of his
resource. Frantic with despair, he
thrashed the air with impotent arms;
a fair mark. his white garments shining
bright against the dark background of
the land. Aboard the moving boat an
automatic fluttered, splitting ten shots
in as many seconds. The thud and
splash Of bullets all round him brought
him to his senses. Choking with rage
he stumbled back to the land.
On the narrow beach, near the dock,
a small fiat-bottomed rowboat lay, its
stern afloat, its bows aground-as it
had been left by the women surprised
in the act of launching 1t. Jumping
down, Whitaker put his shoulder to the
stem.s
AS he did so, the other woman
reused, got unsteadily to her feet,
screamed, then catching sight of him
staggered to his side. 1t was-as he had
aSSumed-the maid, Elise.
Missouri" she shrieked, thrusting a
tragic face with bruised and blood
stained mouth close to his. "Ah,
Observation-Disclosures canailles-la-"
eyes, know" he said brusquely.
"Get out of the way-don't hinder
me!
The boat was now all afloat. He
jumped in, dropped upon the middle
thwart, and fitted the oars in the row.
locks.
''But, m'sieur. what mean you to
doY
Don't know yet" he panted-'fol-
low-keep them in sight"
The blades dipped; he bent his back |
to them; the rowboat shot away.
A glance over his shoulder showed |
him the boat Of the marauders already
well away. She now wore running
lights; the red lamp swung into view
as he glanced, like an obscene and sar-
donic eye. They were, then, making
eastwards. He wrought only the more
Justify with the oars.
Happily the Fiske motor boat swung
at moOring not great distance from
the shore. Surprisingly soon he had
the small boat alongside. Hastily he
1isengaged the mooring hook, located
he switch and started the motor. Half
4 mile away the red light was slipping
swiftly eastward over Silvered waters.
The Trouble leaped out like live
hing, settling to its course with the
leet precision Of an arrow truly lOOsed.
Probably no more severe critic of his
,wn chivalric foolishness ever set him
self to succor a damSel in distress.
Vithal he entertained not the shadow
If thought of drawing back. AS long
is JUc OluCI DOdt TclHulucu Ill SlSuI DIS
ong as the gasoline and his strength
leld out; as long as the Trouble held
ogether and ne retained the wit to
,uide her-so long Whitaker deter
mined to stick to the wake Of the kid
lapers.
A little more than halfway between
heir starting point and fhe head of the
ey, the leading boat swung sharply IN