Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-02-16
Il Story @Hme,7ca
First" Unmasking
Amenca'S Secret Foes
NoUchE<I From tie MoHos Rctsrs
STIaI of tie SANK Name
Released BY Psfhe
e~& M w. S1--s

l sneak back, Adams gone. Note gone.
That's why l no trust Adams, mebbe."
He paused to see the effect of his
words on Miss Dare. She was too
confused to speak.
Il hunt all day." continued Toxic.
"See Adams tonight and follow to rail-
road station. Demand note. He say
not got 1t and call me fool. l not
know 1t Adams till l pull black muf-
fler off his face. We fall in river in
another fight. He get away once
more. Seer
Another muffler? A note to me?
So you were the man fighting with
Adams! Why, Toxic, l was the per-
son who fired that shot - Pearl final
ly blurted out when she could find her
voice.
Light now dawned on Pearl! "Oh!
That note-the note Of warning
against Adamsl" she cried rapidly.
IAN army scout found and brought
the note to my father"
ARMY scout2" quizzed Toxic, who
appeared to be n%onplussed.
Pearl explained, then. how a scout
in the army's employ went In search
of trace of her, Adams, himself and
Miss Bonn; how he found the note
somewhere not distant from the scene
Of Toko's scrap with Adams; how 1t
was at first misunderstood by both
her father and herself, for its word
ing seemed to apply to Major Brent
and not to Adams; how she dlscOv-
cred Adams to possess the canal de-
tense plans secreted in Captain
Payne's military belt all the time how
Major Brent captured the document
from Adams and delivered it to her
father, after she escaped by airplane
and told them where she thought Ad-
ans might be found.
To all of which Toxic lent a listen
ing and dumfounded ear, for he knew
that 1t was of Major Brent the warn
ing had been sent, and that the mes
sage was justified, for 1t told the
truth.
He did not tell Miss Dare this, how
ever.
IL can't understand why the major
had his face covered with this muf-
fer" ruminated Pearl.
Toxic muttered something unintelli-
gible. II say no more about Major
Brent till l know more" he said aloud
"Toko make sure next time" And
both fell silent.
Meanwhile Pearl glanced around to
get their bearings. They were miles
distant from the American line, to.
ward which the car was headed. The
hour was well advanced into the night
Pearl sighed In a pathetic way. Al
though she felt secure with Toxic as
her guide and guard, never before was
she SO utterly depressed.
But presently Miss Dare's unhappy
thoughts fled before dangers new and
imminent; for out Of the night there
doomed across the trail the figure Of
a man on horseback. 1t was BolerO.
Jump" cried Toxic, smotherine
an oath and clamping on the brakes
In another moment they were dOdg
ing around bush and dune.
"Sacre!" cried the bandit chief
"The colonel's daughter-she has thu
military document"
"ShOOt him, TokOl" Pearl urged ir
their dash toward neighb0ring hills.
II no got gun !" he groaned.
They ran faster, hearing BOlero'i
knocking laugh. Then came the wilt
yells Of followers lurking in the shad
ows.
BOlero was not altogether sure thai
Pearl and her chauffeur were un
armed, and he kept a cautious dis
lance while from various directions
horsemen galloped up. One more i'm
petuous than the rest plunged straight
at Pearl, caught her by the waist ant
pitched her across the pommel Of hi
saddle and veered with bold challeng'
TO mis- rapacl0us comrades.
Now ensued a quarrel for the prize
Shielding Pearl as best he could, he
captor fred his revolver twice, ant
two opponents toppled on the sand.
BOlerO, who had looked on in amuse
ment, put al end to the fight. "Th'
girl is yours" he gustoed Justify. "Tl
take the Jap, who'll not get away sooI
again"
Toxic "a thrown on a pony, Bolert
assumed the lead and the whole part!
cantered away.
Miss Dare exposed her pale features
to the rufian behind her, observing a
the same time that his clothes wer'
damp as from a recent wetting. Theil
eyes met. Her fears doubled. He
captor was T. o. Adams.
Don't bulge and k-keep quiet
g-girl," he whispered commandingly
yet his smile was pleasant. "Not
hair on your heads goin' to b,
harmed"
She sat erect, alert, scornful.
:" can't git you-all back ito safe
ty, jes' yit," he continued, in a kind!
way. "That canal document amt SAT,
on you. Let me have it till l can de
liver you and 1t b-both to the colonel
"T. o. Adams, or whoever you are
7 the document belongs neither to 20,
t nor to me. Its owner Is the Unitet