The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-01-05
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A Novel
A Week


Then shortly came the thinnmnn.
| fell into his wake. and We issued
thru a side door into an alley-way.
Here touring-car was waiting
with dim blur OF figure sitting
motionloHs az the wheel The old
man climbed IN beside tho chauf.
feur. | opened the tonneau door
and stepped In.
Was II taking me 10 Lois?
Not n word had any OF us ut
tered. So when my guide broke
the long silence by addressing the
shapeless driver. and the latter
grunted an lnarticulate reply, I
started 20 listen. Nothing more
was said; but | knew that the
driver. anyhow. was not Chinese.
and this. for some cause, afforded
me n grain OF comfort.
Next tho machine stopped.
suddenly tho Chlnaman leaped
60 his feet and peercd backward.
the way we had come. know
what had startled him. too had
been sensible OF the cessation Of
faint sound. Somewhere. back
on the road. another automobile
had halted. even as ours had.
Then right ahead of us. perhaps
I n hundred yards. I caught "A tiny
spark OF light II cleaned a sec
ond. like a FREELY. then vanished.
Tho chauffeur nudged the China
man. who was still standing and
looking with fixed attention toward
tho rear.
Hey. John" he growled. the
light flashed agnin-if that's what
you were trying 10 soc
The Chinnman now opened the
door and climbed out upon the
road lie went ahead At a trot aud
presently was swallowed by the
gloom whore the iirht had shone
All at once the chauffeur
twisted round toward me and
hiHpcred terre command.
Not word-not sound from
you--if you want TO get out OF this
allyei"
Now he Was kneeling upon his
seat while sat staring At him in
silent stupefaction
Got a gat7--a gum" tho fellow
now flung al me. You may need
H."
assured him ! had
Again. and quito irrcloyantly. he
sWore under his breath.
The dirty ChinkH' They've
found out In some way that we're
being trailed
While events were pillng up
with such wildsring rapidly in
the automobile. something mani.
testify had gone wrong of there in
the darkness whore tho Chlnaman
had disappeared could hear
voices Cabling crcitedly In the
high.pliched singsonE OF the Chi.
nose. altho they ala seem to be
trying 10 repress their agitation.
How do you know they've found
out something? ! asked DO you
mean TO Say you understand what
they're talking aboutG"
Yep; that's why I'm hero"--an
answer that only decpcned my mys-
tificaiion. Quiet Hero they
COME"
| saw perhaps n halfscore shad.
ows rushing toward Us. Next In
slant the old ivory carver was
standing upon the runningboard
and the others crowded around the
car.
simultaneously. the motor started
with a splutter. the car lcapcd for
ward. and was struggling with
four yellow fiends who had
swarmed into tho tonneau.
But had my pistol out. and
tho quarters were too close for me
TO shoot. II proved to be a handy
weapon when welded with the CT
uberance with which laid about
me.
In tho same second ! heard the
chauffeur's revolver crack three
times. Then quite as abruptly "a
Il began my own struggle ended
The car had turned or the road
and was making Wild detour
across the rough. broken. stony
ground with complete and reckless
disregard for any and all obstacles