Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-03-10

IE
Burton Finds a Discrepancy in the Ac-
counts.
knew Jim Wade did not hesitate to
believe that the presence of Marjorie
would hardly deter him from accom-
plishing a grim and tragic mission.
Therefore, hastily securing a rifle or
two, they manned couple of the fast
est boats in the fishing fleet and set
out after the Mary R.
That tiny craft was now only a dim
speck on the horizon, and could not
be diScerned at all from sea level.
The fishermen knew that Rogers
would head straight for a bank which
at that period of the year was alive
with fish, so wasted no time in
fruitless search, but took a precise
line. They We're rewarded within half
an hour by seeing the Mary r. at a
distance of about two miles. -
The little vessel was laid to and
looked placid enough, but the trained
eyes of experts noted that her gear
was not out and deducted some I'M
usual event from that simple fact, so
they strained every nerve to get the
last ounce of power from the engines,
and raced along at a rare speed.
1t was well, indeed, that they did so.
Jim Wade, whom Marjorie had seen
taking furtive drinks from a bottle
when the skipper was not looking, had
evidently screwed up his courage to
act as soon as Rogers decided to an
| Choir. The unfortunate skipper was
| busying himself with some hooks and
lines when the wretched murderer
hi tod 70
| tween his shoulder blades.
For some reason known only to him
self, Wade wasted a precious couple
of seconds in tumbling the body into
the sea-possibly he wished to avoid
bloodstains on the deck. At any rate,
Marjorie's piercing scream gave John
| just sufficient time to turn and meet
| his would-be slayer's attack. The two
| grappled and John contrived to seize
| Waide'S right wrist and thus stay the
hand which held that dripping knife.
To and fro they swayed in mortal
struggle. Marjorie did not interfere,
but had the presence of mind to stop
the engine. AT last, making a supreme
effort, Burton bent Waide's arm back
and forced him to let go the weapon,
which fell into the sea.
| Thinking he had mastered his adj
| versary, Burton relaxed his efforts
for a moment, and the outcome was
nearly disastrous, since Wade, agile
| as a cat, sprang away from him.
seized boathook and dealt him a ter
rible blow on the head, which momen-
tarily deprived him of his senses. The
great brute laughed at the success of
| what he regarded a clever stratagem
and was about to pick up Burton's
body and heave it into the sea after
that of the hapless skipper when Mar
jorie closed with him. Despite her
puny strength, the plucky girl man
aged to defeat his purpose and COM
PEELED him to defend himself against
her really courageous attack.
The fight between the two had lasted
for i've long minutes, and it was
sheer fmpossibility that either they or
Marjorie should notice the rescue
boats drawing near When Wade had
beaten down the girls hands, however
and was actually tauntfng her with
the fate he meant inf1icting after he
had dealt with Burton, his staring eyes
fell on the pursuers.
Then he knew what was coming to
him. Inspired by the final madness
of a cornered tiger, he seized Mar
jorie, meaning to leap overheard hold
ing her in his arms so that they
might drown together. But she, too.
had seen the boats, and she fought
now for dear life. The odds were
hopelessly against her, of course, and
she was on the very lip of death when
one of the men in the leading boat
took a chance and fired. The bullet
struck Waide's spine He lurched back
ward, stumbled and dropped into the
, sea.
| So John Burton, on recovering his
senses. came back into a world which
still shuddered in the Grip of EVIL.
II (END OF TENTH EPISODE.)