Evening star., 1923-02-23
CHAPTER XXXVI.
FACE TO FACE,


few dimly burning and widely scat.
tered lights; then. short distance in
front OF the halted car. three electric
flashlights glowed suddenly, like
dark lanterns in the hands of bur-
glars. These moved slowly in the di-
rection of the machine.
we get out here. captain said
casey quietly, rising and stepping
from the vehicle. Rennison followed
MIN. AS he alighted the beams of
the three flashlights were concen-
trated on his face. Behind them the
features and figures Of their bearers
were only family discernible.
uncertain concerning what next was
ficer. manifesting no sign Of curiosity,
nervousness or impatience. stood still
one OF the three light-bearers led
casey aside and exchanged with him
a rev words that failed to reach Rem
Come on. boys" Casey directed in
| a low voice
Scarcely were the words spoken
when the rays of the three lights fell
to the floor in such a manner that
they indicated the course along which
| the army man was to move. With
out speaking. and walking as quiet
| ly as II they were about to enter
sickroom, the Ave men strode slow
| y so~oio tHe IdItneF enu OF tne
dark and silent wharfhouse. Their
| course tended toward the right and
brought them finally to a door which
the rays Of the flashlights showed to
Do set In a wooden partition.
At this door Casey, the leader of
the group. halted and glanced over
himself that his four companions
had kept pace with him: then. with
out out Knocking: he opened the door
moments he reappeared and. with a
gesture. directed the others to enter
A light-bearer laid a hand on one
Of Rennison's arms.
You're first" the stranger said
grufiiy. Step in. Keep right on-with
Casey. The rest of US won't be going
much further than the door. guess"
Rennison nodded and passed
through the doorway. From that
moment all thoughts of the three
men with the flashlights were gone
from his mind.
The Army man now stood at the
| lower end Of room about fifty feet
long and twenty feet wide, ow-ceil-
the wharfhouse. Walls and ceiling
| were constructed of unpainted boards
that had become splintered and
brown. Three overhead lights sent
feeble rays into the smoke charged
the room a fourth light, with a dis
| colored green shade, stood on a
small. rudely constructed table. To
the left of the table was an open
about three feet of a ladder.
These details were quickly OBJ
served by Rennison in the course Of
the apparently casual glance with
which he swept the room. Scarcely
rec'ed toward a group Of four men who
stood at the farther side Of the table
One OF these, leaning against the end
wall. had telephone receiver at one
iaware OF the entrance Of the Army
| man. Two Of the others were un-
known to Rennison. The fourth man
was quickly recognized, however He
was Forney Kerfoot, that agent Of
the brotherhood who had taken Miriam
Warburton from Washington to Balti-
more.
Laying a hand on one Of Renni-
sons arms, Casey muttered:
Wen have to wait a bit, captain
Glancing at the speaker. Renni-
son saw that a strange change had
como over him. His face was pale
and wore a puzzled expression. His
manner was Indicative OF hesitation,
his eyes OF newborn anxiety.
tbs Looking king again sn sosd toward the table:
change in Casey might be regarded
as rejecting the attitude OF Kerfoot
and two OF his companions behind
the table. Kerfoot's features. too,
at Rennison. the distrust and menace
in his gaze were unmistakable. The
men beside him, tense featured anu
anxious. darted swift. furtive gIances
be listening to what was being said
over the telephone by the fourth
member Of the group. The man at
the telephone. however. did not turn
his face from the instrument When
he. spoke into the transmitter his
voice was SO low that Rennison was
unable to distinguish his words.
For moro than two minutes Renni-
son, avoiding the sullen, distrustful
and questioning glances Of the other
near the door through which he had
entered.
At length. with a muttered exclama-
| ton, the man at the telephone re-
turned to its hook the receiver he
had been holding to his ear. Turning
slowly, he confronted Rennison.
Not for moment, while he stood
waiting. had Rennison been in doubt
| concerning the identity Of the man
! who, with averted face. had been
speaking into the telephone. The tall,
broad -shouldered. long-limbed figure,
| with the curling black hair, a little
| gray over the temples, had been de-
scribed to him. And now. as the
stranger turned, thus revealing a pair
OF dark, hashing eyes and a we'll
| ured by a deep scar on the left
| cheek, tho Army man knew that the
! greatest crisis of his adventurous life
had been reached. He stood face to
| face with Seafalcon!
Each. without speaking. regarded
the other grimly. The features Of Rem
| nison were inscrutable; Seafalcon's
were family expressive Of curiosity.
! Without waiting for an. invitation.
the Army man moved slowly toward
the table.
| Seafalcon's gaze was the first to
| table, he said, half-abstractedly:
| And SO, Rennison, we have you
here"
"At your service sir" tho Army
.At our service. perhaps, but not
| in 1t. I should say" Seafalcon re-
torted, speaking rather moro sharply
| than before and once more fixing his
gaze on the face OF his visitor.
"That remains to be determined.
ssi liable. as he halted In front OF the
| Sitting on a corner Of the table,
| Seafalcon folded his arms across his
chest and looked at Rennison spec
ulatively. There was a pause. then
Rennison added:
"The propositions submitted
through Mr.. Horsford are before
| you"
| Again the gaze of Seafalcon fell.
True" he said reflectively. "Unless
there has been an error in trans
mission. the proposition you have
| made to US Is this: Subject to GER
tain conditions, you will cause to be
| delivered to me certain sheets taken
l by you yesterday from a sword cane
| belonging to your friend. Hayden
Storrow. These sheets, according to
| the understanding OF both Of us, con-
| tain the plans and qualification of