Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-20

Hand began search of tho body OF
the man on tho ground.
No Packet to he Found.
"Confound him." he muttered. Kick
ing tho body as he discovered that there
was no packet in the pockets. We've
got to get away from here"
| BY this time the agent had reached
his boat. leaped into it and was away.
us the Hidden Hand plunged back into
the bushes. crashing his way to the
aen whittier Doris had been borne.
The emissarics dragged Doris rough
| ly into the den and threw her on "A
chair near the table. AS she trcmbled
ready on guard. closed and barred the
door, while the two had carried her
stood over her. tauntingly.
Here comes the chief now eS-
claimed tho guard.
Doris had been looking wildly about.
seeking some means OF escape. but mono
presented itself AS she turned her
head suddenly she caught sight of tho
! steel door of the air lock-. She did not
know what il was. but anything that
offered refuge appealed TO her just
! now.
Before the cmissaries knew what she
! was about. she had overturned lamp
, on the table. and II exploded she
| turned and ran through the steel door
into the air lock. banging the door
| shut.
| Where is she?" demanded tho Hid
den Hand as he slouched into tho den.
TO find his cmissarics putting out tho
fire. Whats all this?"
! The ganSstcrs were terrified. and
could only humble and point at the
air lock.
You fools" ground out tho Hidden
! Hand, In tho emergency forgetting to
| beat any of them.
To ,cI nd fra rf Lea
at tho door. But the automatic device
had already begun to work, pumping
| in the air pressure. and the door was
barred as effectively by tho pressure
as If It had been loc:-cd. lie looked
at tho gauge mounting-ten, twenty
twenty thirty pounds 10 tho
| square inch--two NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
! three.
The pressure Is too great" he cried
Well have to get her at the other
end
lie turned toward tho ten entrance
! showing before linn his most trusted
man.
Her Screams in Vain.
Inside the air lock Doris crcuchcd,
| more frightened than ever as the air
pressure rose. singing In her cars. She
felt horrible throbbing in her head.
/ She pressed her hands to her ears for
! fear they would burst, blowing through
! her nose to cquaiizs tho pressure on
| the cardrurns. The heat rose, too. as
| the air was compressed. Pcrspratio7
seemed to ooze from every pore. She
screamed for help, but there was no
one 10 answer.
! Through tho cavern door tho Hidden
| Hand cropped his way and along the
! beach until hc came to rowboat,
! which lie kept concealed. With his
cmisaary he jumped into It. and they
n n res C1 ntf tn
a spot in tho water which was already
bubbl!ng and scethinE, as if there were
Il young Eeyscr suddenly sprung to life.
Below Doris. under tho terrible pres
sure Of air, EaZed about helplcssly.
Water was coming down through the
roof Of the air lock by this time, 4 tho
upper walls began to cave under the
terrific etrain. She Sazed about in
terror al tho water rose higher and
higher, TO her waist. then up TO her
shoulders. She tore at the door. but
she could no more open it now from
the inside than tho Hidden Hand could
have done from the outside. She beat
with her fists against tho sides OF the
air lock; she clutched the dial But
ii was OF no use. Incxorabiy the pros
Sura rose.
Finally ihc air pressure was too great
t" be eoumterba lanceh by the weight
OF tho liarbor bed, and the column of
water Of the harbor above her The
Who'll" roof gave way, and, as it did SO
the air and water sweeping in took her
bodily and carried her with terrific,
force upward. as though it were q
blowout in 4 tunnel in front of the
shield that picrces it's way under a
river bed.
Saved ia n Wntcrspout
Up through the muck end silt Of the
harbor bed she wi.- carried. trvinl as
bes; she could to hold her breath and
protect herself UP through the water
Itself. almost unconscious, and out into
the air in vcritable watcrspout
Ferda, in the new speedster, had
taken tho hint of the Hidden Hand,
and was tearing wildly back 10 the
house when she caught sight of Ram
say. 1t was with him most Of all that
! she wanted TO stand WELL
oh. Jack" she cried. "quick-some-
| thing terrible has happened TO Doris"
With well-fcigned terror she told how
a man had suddenly attacked them
and the Hidden Hand had carried off
Doris.
Take nc 10 the spot" demanded
Ramsay waiting TO hear no more, but
f! jumping into the gar. where was IT,"
Nerda whisked him down tho shore
/ drive in moment. about here" she
cried.
Where is she now"
! Norda shook her mead. But Ramsay's
! attention was attracted by something
| he saw in the harbor. far below him
| from tho cliff on which the drive
! wound it's way.
| He could see the water some dis
lance from tho shore scething as if
| there were something boiling under it.
! Suddenly he saw the Hidden hand and
an emsssary rowing out in Il bont. near
| ing the boiling geyscr Then, in tho
seething waters, he saw Doris herself
| shot out of the water in Il waterspout
/ OF air and foam. hurled upward into
| the air aud dropped back again. almost
Unconscious. The Hidden Hand was
! already there, and as she roatcd and
, tried to swim, he and, his emissary
! seized and dragged her into their boat.
| They lost no time in putting back
| for shore. protected by tho ovcrhang
OF the bluff around a point of land
Ramsay began crawling and jump
| ing down the bluff 10 the shore OF the
harhor below, gaining the shore just
as tho boats nose grated OH the beach.