Evening star., 1917-11-11

wall and a covered van which stood
there.
could be deemed free in Aix-1a-Chapelle
at that hour, one man among three
army corps. an unarmed Englishman
among a bitterly hostile population
GUM or Russia, but hated England al
ready with an almost maniacal malev-
olence.
And Irene Beresford, that sweet
voiced, sweet-faced English girl. was
a prisoner at the mercy of big blonde
brute" a half-drunken. wholly enraged
Prussian junker. The thought ranked
and stung. 1t was not to be borne
For the first time that night Dalroy
knew what fear was and In a girls
behalf. not in his own.
Could he save her? Heaven had be-
frtended him thus far: would kindly
Providence clear his brain and nerve
his spirit to achieve an almost impos-
sible rescue?
The prayer was formless and un-
spoken, yet 1t was answered. He had
barely gathered his wits after that
long drop of nearly twelve feet into
vague glimpse of a means of delivering
the girl from her Immediate peril.
CHAPTER H.
IN THE VORTEX.
liar vehicles. was backed against the
curb Of a raised path. At the instant
Dalroy quilted the window ledge rail-
way employe appeared from behind an
other van on the left. and was clearly
bewildered by seeing well dressed
man springing from such an unusual and
precarious perch.
The newcomer, a big. burly fellow. who
wore peaked and lettered cap, a blouse,
baggy breeches. and sabots, and carried
a lighted hand lamp, looked what, in
fact. he was-an engine cleaner. In all
likelihood he guessed that any one
choosing such a curious exit from a
waiting room was avoiding official
scrutiny. He hurried forward at once,
holding the lamp above his head, be-
cause 1t was dark behind the row of
vans.
"FIi. there!" he cried. "a word with
you. freihee!" The title. OF course, was a
bit Of German humor Obviously, he was
bent on investigating matters. Dalroy did
not run. In the street without he heard
the tramp of marching troops, the jolt
ing of wagons. the clatter of horses He
knew that a hue and cry could have only
one result-he would be pulled down by
a score OF hands. Moreover, with the
sight of that suspicious Teuton face, its
customary boorish leer now replaced by
surly inquisitiveness, came the first
glimmer of fantastically daring way
of rescuIng Irene Beresford
He advanced. smiling pleasantly ITS
all right. Heinrich" he said. 1--WE ar
rived by train from Berlin, and the sta
ton was crowded. Being an acrobat, 1
took bounce. What?"
The engine cleaner was not a quick
witted person. He scowled, but allowed
Dalroy to come near-too near.
81 believe you're a verdammt Engl-"
he began.
But the popular German description
Of a Briton died on his lips. because Dali
roy put good deal Of science and no
small leaven Of brute force into q straight
punch which reached that cluster OF
nerves known to pugilism as ''the
point" The German fell as though he
had been pole-axed. and his thick skull
ratified on the pavement.
Dalroy grabbed the lamp before the oil
could gush out. placed 1t upright on the
ground. and divested the man Of blouse.
baggy breeches. and sabots. Luckily,
since every second was precious. he
found that he was able to wedge his
boots into tho sabots, which he could
not have kept on his feet otherwise. His
training ~ . soldier had taught him the
exceeding value Of our Fifth Henry's ad-