The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1922-10-27
CHAPTER "

he kitchen door and slipped inside.
Now. senorita." said Quintana
Eaily. my packet. II you please-and
we leave you to the caresses Of your
faithful gendarme-who should thank
God that he still possesses two good
hands to fondle youl Atoms. Come
them Ny packet
One Of the masked men said Take
her downstairs and lock her up some
where or she'll shoot US from her
window"
Lead out that gendarme. too" add
&C Quintana. grasping Eve by the
arm.
Down the stairs tramped the men,
forcing their prisoner with them.
In the big kitchen the glare from
the burning clubhouse fell dimly; the
place was full Of shadows.
Now" said Quintana, Il take my
property and my leave. Where is the
racket tidden?"
She stood for a moment with droop-
ing head. amid the sOnber shadows.
then. slowly. she drew the emblaZoned
morocco case from her breast pocket
What followed occurred in the
twinkling OF an eye. for. as Quin,ana
extended his arm TO grasp the case.
q hand snatched If. a smashed figure
gprang through the doorway, and ran
toward the barn.
Somebody recognized the hat and
ed bandanna:
"Salzarr' he yelled Nick Salzar-
"A traitor. by Cod shouted Quin-
tana. Even before he had reached
the door, his pistol flashed twice,
deafening all in the semi darkness.
1hoking them with s-5f-C- fumes
A masked man turned o1 S-or,uout.
forcing him back into rh- pantry at
Iistol-point. Another '- pushed
I've after him. slsmmeI the pantry
Cuor and bolted it.
Through the iron bags ot -le pan
try window. Stormolt saw a. man,
wearing a red bantaHua lied Under
his eyes. run up and aat.6 lis horse
and fling himself as-r.G- under "a
shower Of bullets.
AS he wheeled the horse and swuug
MIN into the clearing toward -ae 1oo-
q Star Pond his seat ANA ln.=eH.ai.
ship were not to be mistaken.
He was gone. now the -allop
stretching into dead run an5 QLiu-
tana's men still following. shooting
haliOing in the starlight Ike a pack
OF Ieaping shapes from hell.
But Quintana had not followed far.
When ne had emptied his automatic
he halted.
Something about the transaction
suddenly checked his fury. stilled 1t,
summoned his brain into action.
For a full minute JIG stood unstir-
ring, every atom OF intelligence III ter
-ibIe cOncentra ton.
Presently he put his left hand into
his pocket. fitted another clip 10 his
pistol. turned on his heel and walked
straight back 10 the house.
Between the two locked in the pan
try not a word had passesd. Stor-
mont still peered out between the
iron bars, striving 70 catch a glimpse
OF what was going on. Eve crouched
at the pantry doors. her face In her
hands. listening.
Suddenly she heard QUintana's step
in the kitchen. Cautiously she turned
the pantry key from the inside.
Stormont heard her and instantly
came to her. At the same moment
Quintana unbolted the door from the
outside and tried to open It.
Come out" he said colby, cor It
win not go we'll with you when my
rien return"
you've got what you say is your
property" replied Stormont. What
do you want now2"
''I tell you what want YER damn
quick. Who was he, thees man who
rides with my property on your
horse away? Eli? Because it WAS
not Nick Salzer! NoI Salzar can
not ride thees way. No, AIors?''
ct cant tell you who he was" re
Piled Stormont. That's your affair.
not ours"
mo All! Yer well. then. I
shall tell you. Senior File. He was
enc Of yours. I undestan'. 1t is a
trap. a cheat-what you call a plant
Thees man who rode your horse he
is disguise, Yes, He also IS a gen
darme, Yes! You think I let a
your gendarrne frien' that he return
to me my property. one days time,
Or send him by parcel post two nice.
fresh-out right-hands-your sweet
hearts and your ownl
Stormont drew Ewes head close to
his:
This man IS blood mad or out Of
MS mind! I'd better go out and take
a chance at him before the others
come back"
But the girl shook her head VIC
lently. caught him by the arm and
drew him toward the mouth Of the
tile down which CInch always emp
tied his hootch when the Dump was
raided.
In silence she began to unscrew It.
and he. seeing what she was trying
to do, helped her.
Together they lifted the heavy tile
ard laid It on the floor.
You open thees doorr' shouted
Quintana in a paroxysm Of fury. "I
give you one minute! Then, by God.
XIII you bothr'
Eve lifted a screen Of wood through
which the tile had been set. Under
il a black hole yawned. It was a
tunnel made Of three-fOOt aqueduct
tiles; and it led straight into Star
Pond. 200 feet away
Now, as she Strengthened up and
booked silently at Stormont, they
heard the trample of boots in the