Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-09
Valentine West Secret Agent By Percy James BEeene

reflected IL in wondrous colors.
The visitor started back In astonish-
ment, almost in awe, and the three men
watched him. Again he glanced at the
window
Il have lived 10 set my eyes upon IT,
Now II goes back to the god
The old man nodded.
''When?"
AT the appointed hour and in the APP
pointed way" was the slow answer
ut is easier now this merchant, Bran
don, has declared your stone TO be the
one he lost
stone.'
said it might be-
yet there Is danger, great danger
said the visitor eagerly. DO you
know a man called West-Vaientihe
West?"
The three men started to their rect
You do. There is the peril. This
Valentine West had seen the mer-
chant days ago. The detective toid
me-, hoping to make me betray nyselI
and give him information. rms west
has had days to plot and prepare
Listen! Even now there may be spies
about the house"
The stone lay on the table; no one
touched it, There was tension ana
excitement in the four faces
Did l hear a sound? listen! ROOT
steps surely! You Will be suspected
while IL do not count. Shall l take
the stone and go, Then when they
come"
"A thief" cried the old man sud
denly. his hand shooting out 10 take
the gem He was a fraction of a sec
ond too late, and the next instant was
struggling back from glinting re-
volver barrel,
Don't move. any of you the Wis
itor cried, and then with sudden
rush he had thrown himself at the
window He had already calculated
the strength of the frame. There was
the crack of wood and the shattering
of glass A bullet sang by his ear,
and a knife, deXteriously thrown
quivered in the rail of the Veranda as
he vaunted over it, Running in zig
zag" fashion in order to be a. difficult
target the Hindu sped across the ILL
kept garden, not toward the gate
where some watcher might be sta
toned but toward the wooden fence,
which divided one part of the garden
from the lane.
The pursuit was hot upon his heels,
and more than three men followed
him. There had been others in the
house, ready and eager to do the
bidding of the three in that room.
and they ran fast, confident that their
quarry was trapped that he was run
ming blindly, that the high fence
would stop him and cause him to
double on his tracks. The fugitive
ran straight on, and gathering him.
self together sprang at the fence,
lifted himself at the expense of torn
hands. He rolled over into the lane
as another bullet struck the fence
just where his body had hung the mo-
ment before. For just an instant ne
paused to satisfy himself that his
booty was safe, then he ran up the
LAME.
The sound of that last shot reached
Amos Free as he sat at his wheel, and
= he turned to look down the lane. He =
was alert and ready. When 1t came
to shooting seconds Were recious. He
looked to see his master come in
hurry; instead there came the niger =
with other niggers behind him in pur-
suit. Probably his master was be-
hind somewhere. Would he wish him
TO stop the fugitive? He could easily
do it, could run him down IL neces-
sary.
Before he could make up his mind
on this point the runner swerved the
road and sprang into the car.
Here! Get out, you---'
The car began to move as a bullet
struck it.
Not too fast, Amos. Keep your
head down. Keep going. but pretend
difficulty. Give them hope of catch
ing US. / want TO draw them out of
the lane
Another bullet hit the car.
Rotten shooting, but IL tire goes.
Amos, keep going. Yonder lamp is
the end of our danger zone"
Amos drove as II the car might
break down at any moment. AS he
approached the lamp indicated he
asked:
do keep on?"
Yes" was the answer as a whistle
sounded by the roadside. and several
men sprang erect and ran back In
the direction of Well lane. Keep on,
Amos, Home. Let her rip. The no-
lice can do the rest"
A paragraph in the papers concern
ing some trouble with Indian students
on Hampstead Heath attracted little
, notice. There happened to be n sensa-
tional divorce case on at the time. and
those who did chance to read the
paragraph never guessed how great
sensation lay behind II. a plot which,
had 1t succeeded. would have shaken.
perhaps destroyed. the foundations of
the empire.
All the public was told was that
half a dozen students had been ar
rested for interfering with the police
In the discharge OF their duty. and