Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-04-27
The Running Figure Was a Woman

his skin. The woman passed him
within seventy yards, walking rapidly
She was no longer carrying the bundle
When she had passed, Billy peeped
after her. Though he could not sec
her face, he had not the slightest
doubt who she was. She disappeared
round the bend of the pits.
Billy extricated himself cautiously
from the bush and waited for some
time on his knees, staring in the di
tection she had taken. There was
nothing more to be seen of her. Then
snringing to his feet he sprinted tC
the spot where she had first vanished
With the bundle.
The bushes partially cloaEed the
mouth IF one of the many crag caves
the entrance was not difficult to fine
when one was close to it. Billy walked
in without hesitation. He found pre-
eiselv what he expected.
On the floor Of the cave, stretched
upon a couch of dry bracken, lay a
man. He was not a spectacle which
in any way gladdened the eye.
He was big and lusty of limb; what
little could be seer of his face through
z weeks growth of brown stubble was
haggard. His beak of a nose jutted
between two fierce deep-sunk eyes. One
Of his legs was extended, and swathed
from foot to knee in dripping-wet cal
leo bandages that looked as if they
had been ripped from a woman's gar
ment.
Billy found himself looking down
the muzzle of a small repeating pistol,
held in a hairy but very steady fist.
"Stop right where you are" said the
occupant of the cave, reclining on one
elbow. Don't move a step forward,
nor yet a step back. Get meT'
Billy stopped o%bediently. He cal
culated the distance between them to
be a dozen feet; there was no likeli-
hood of capturing the pistol before
the bullet struck him. The eyes OF
the man showed that he meant bust
ness. He was in fact, less like a man
than a crippled wolf.
"Jack the Climber" said Billy
blandly, 81 am pleased to meet you.
I've been looking for you quite a
while.'
"Don't give me that fool name!"
snarled the caveman. MY name Is
Jake"
Anything to oblige. Mr.. Jake,
there's the little matter of the Jer-
vaulx burglary against you, among
Others"
What are you gisin' mel" retorted
Jake.
"The bluff doesn't CO." said Billy.
"Your motorcycles yonder in the
clay pit. All the cards are out"
The mans face twitched.
"Are you the police?"
"No," said Billy.
Jake stared at the tall form in front
of him, and emitted a startled oath.
81 b1ieve you're the guy that
slugged me, last Saturday night" he
said.
"Quite correct"
you're on your own, eh?" Jake's
head craned forward, his eyes on
Billy's face. "And alone, l guessl"
DO you take me for a fool?' said
Billy calmly.
The man shivered. The expression
in his eyes was dreadful.
"See here!' he said ~sullenly.
you've got me set. 1 can't move.
I'm up against it. know they'll pull
me. Well, I'll take my dose. I'll
throw my hand inl"
"Wise of you"
But" said Jake with devilish fe-
rocity, 1--we got you, too" He raised
one knee, and rested his pistol hand
on it. "If 1 give up to you, there's
somethin' Pm goin' to have you do
first. You'll take my terms an do
what 1 ask-or I'll drop you, right
there and now"
There was not the faintest doubt
but hat he meant what he said. A
glance into his eyes told the listener
that.
Nothing doing" said Billy quietly.
81 don't take orders from a malefac-
tor. Least of all at the point of a
gun"
"Then," said Jake thickly, you're
cold meat. I guess it's the best way.
1t gives me a chance yet"
'They don't electrocute in this
country" said Billy, "they hang. But
they do it very efficiently. You can
shoot me in the back though, if you
want to. I'm going to see about your
exit"
He turned deliberately and walked
to the mouth Of the cave. Jake's
finger trembled on the trigger.
"Come back !" he said hoarsely.
There was something so broken and
piteous in the tone, that Billy turned
his head. Jake flung thu nistni