Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-31

~ N''S 1hS filuuu selheu
her and dragged her to tho cage. sho
was nung In and he closed the door.
locked IL and rctreated q bit.
The tiger leaped at her. She
crouched In the straw at the furthest
end.
say and his Secret Service men dashed
ur before tho temple" They jumped
out and hurried In.
Already. waiting for the acid to act.
ltahnee and her Hindu had returned tC
the seance room. She heard the
rescuers and quickly slipped Into her
throne. while the Hindu threw open
the double doors as Ramsay and his
men rushed In.
Where is Miss Whitney," nc de-
manded.
she left n fcw moments ago."
Ramsay glared. Search the place"
lsahnee shrugged, and the men made
hurried examination while he pulled
the curtains of the cabinet, disclosing
the paraphernalIa, white sheets. wires,
clay hands. all such stuff which was
thrown in heap.
None could find thing. and Rahnce
smiled. Are you satished?"
Ramsay was helpless. as the Hindu
accompanied them from the wrecked
room out into the hall again.
Down in tho tiger room. as the de-
voices iatoned. tho tiger leaped again
and again at Doris. Every Instant the
acid was ealing at the ring bolt.
II was now matter OF seconds whom
the craving fury OF the brute. his jaws
foani!Hg. would break the weakened
holt.
Doris screamed in the agony Of de-
s?air
Crouching as far away against the
cold. unyielding bars Of the cage as
she could. Doris screamed in fright At
1fh 10 f,,r
her
Drop BY drop the acid fell on the
rinG bolt by which his chain was held.
IT was weakening fact now. and would
not withstand the powerful pull OF the
beast much longer.
Before the cage the Hidden Hand
g!oatcd as he saw the agony Of the
girl. In the e1cess of his brutality
he seemed TO have taken leave of all
reason. lie was nercless. as brutal
now as the tiger Itself All human
feeling was lost.
Behind him bowed low the turbancd
devotces OF the tiger worship All
seemed 10 have been raised TO an ex-
cess OF blood lust. They chan,ed
wildly.
Above stairs. in the wreck Of her
seancc room. Rahnee. the high prizes
tess OF the Tiger Cult. waited impa-
ticntly while her trusted Hindoo slave
ushered Ramsay and his Secret Ser
vice men from tho Temple OF the Oc-
cult, after their unsuccessful raid and
search.
The sacrifice must be almost ready.
She must be present. She hurried to-
ward the clock and began 70 swing
the false front of 1t open TO enter the
passage 10 the tiger room below
Co ordered the Hindoo 20 Ram
say as he hestated. she is not here
YOU saw"
why was the Hinhoo 50 inss,en,
thought Ramsay? She must he here
after all.
seize this fellow" no ruo,!onea to
his men. Well search this place
again"
The Score; Service men lcaped on the
H!ndoo and bore him down. choking
him az they did SO. while he struggled
in their arms. Ramsay nunE open the
double door TO the seance room There
was Rahncc-go!ng into what appeared
TO be dark passage behind the clock,
stop" he cried. drawing his gun.
Instead she duCEed in ana he fred
just ms she swung shu, the clock door
lie dashed forward and in u moment
kicked the door into spl!ntc-s. lie
dived into the passage as others OF
his men piled in after him.
Fun" cried Rahnee as She ncd
Wildly down the passage toward her
worshpNrs and tho Hidden Hand
In an instant all was confusion. Tho
Hidden Hand. Rahnec and the Hindoos
all struggled toward secret exit,
amid the fuaillade OF bullets and the
cleaning knives which the devotces
drew from their loose. flowing robes
Jack" cried Doris in terror. cling
Ing to the cage door The ring bolt"
In an Instant Ramsay took in tho
sitnation-the tiger leaplnE at his
leash. the ring bolt beginning TO be-
come distorted Another leap ana ii
would break.
Get back from the door,"
IT took Nerve Ia retreat even those
inches. but she did. as Ramsay with
his gun shot away the lock. flung omen
the door and reached In to grasp her
In her arms.
At that moment the bolt parted. He
hanged the door shut OIL the tiger and
showed pin through where the bolt
had been. just az the infuriated beast
threw his powerful weight against the
door, dragging after him the clankins
length OF free chain and almost bend
ing the bars with his weight
BY that time the liindoos had AL
either ned or been overcome. while
outside tho Hidden Hand and Rahnee
were running swiftly away.
The tiger dashed impotcntIy up and
down his cage. as Doris chung to Ram,
say. who caressed her rcassurinEly
Before tho arched door of the den
OF the Hidden Hand stood woman.
knocking for admttance.
II am the Countess Sonia" she In
formed the priest ON ssary who Sill
open the panel. as the Hidden Hand
herc?"
He closed the panel and turned down
a dark passage.
In the den Veftla was with the Hid.
den Hand the explosive packet be-
fore them. when the priest-emtssary
announced the Countess. AS Vcrda
heard the name she became greatly
excited.
"Don't trust her" she pleaded with
the Hidden Hand. "Once for money
she said Doris was the girl OF the