The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-06-28

they were, they oore some very marked
characteristics.
Billy stood up straight and gave a
liquid whistle. The burrows In his
brow deepened. He carried his inves.
legations still farther afield. but to-
ward the healthy common the soil was
light, wind-blown sand that shifted
with every fresh breeze. There were
no tracks left. The seeker WIS at a
loss. s
Rilly stopped and reflected rapidly.
1T came this way. whatever 1t was
he said. But why on earth did it
and how? Let's start from the begin.
ming"
He struck across country and, break.
Ing through hedge, came out into the
blind lane where Jack the Climbers
machine had crashed on the fateful
night; the spot where he had recov-
cred the emeralds, and made acquaint-
ance with Calamity Kate's resource
| fulness.
The muddy lane still showed slight
traces, very much mixed up and tram
pied, of the place where the thieves
machine had fallen; the ruts were now
dried and hard Billy also recognized
what were evidently the hoof marks Of
the Stanhoe police.
"A herd Of steers wouldn't have
made more mess" said Billy. And
Panke found nothing after all, or he'd
have Well. can't blow much, either.
| I've been here twice since, but never
! got wise to 1t till now"
He turned back down the lane to-
ward the highway. his eyes noting the
smallest details of the ground.
Here's my track; pretty near
washed out. And here's the others.
That cycle was big Indian, by what
little I saw of it. And likely it was
half crippled when it got away. And
here 1t got on the high road, and head
ed straight on past Jervaulx again.
That's mighty queer always reck-
oned they'd have gone the other way.
Something must have turned them"
He passed along the wider lane in
the direction of Jervaulx, his eyes
scanning the ground and the ditch. A
| little distance short of the gate
through which Billy had wheeled the
Sphinx when lodging the police, he
stopped quickly and picked up scrap
| Of metal. 1t was the broken end of an
exhaust silencer.
II was rightl' calculated Billy.
Here they crashed again-or the en-
gine gave out for good. And they
came the very way l did myself. And
one of the two was lame-dead lame.
One sure thing-they couldn't have got
far that night. And If they weren't able
| to ride the thing, what did they do
with it?"
He hurried to the far end of the
field, where the last of the tracks had
failed. He hesitated, and glanced to-
wards the distant crag-pits.
"What should 1 have done myself
II I hadn't known the groundT' he
thought. "rll try here first"
Less than hundred yards to the
right was clump Of brushwood,
growing alone, little oasis on the
bare field.
The bushes masked a narrow clay
pit, twenty feet deep, that had been
delved in times past to bring up the
heavy mari subsoll and spread It over
the sandy field. 1t was now complete
ly cloaked with brambles Billy pulled
them apart, and saw something gleam-
Ing dimly at the bottom Of the pit.
| Il was the buckled frame Of q big
twin Indian motorcycle.
| With a whoop of triumph Billy
clambered down the steep side Of the
pit and disappeared through the bram-
bles. He remained below some time.
When at last he emerged and stood
on the brink, Billy's face was rather
pale, and his eyes troubled.
"Great Caesars ghostT' he said.
who'd have expected this2 Now-if
I can pick up the other track, I'll have
the game in my hands!"
He hurried in the direction Of the
distant crag-pits, then suddenly pulled
up short and glanced at his wrist
| watch.
"Aimee!" he exclaimed.
He had an appointment with Aimee
at five, and an urgent one. It was al
ready past the hour. Billy set of at
run, and In ten minutes reached the
rendezvous. Aimee was there already,
In a rough serge walking-cloak and a
Snooks hat trimmed with calico vio-
lets. In spite Of the costume she
looked vividly lovely.
"Mr. Chauffeur" said Aimee, severe
ly, II don't know If you think want
to waste my afternoon off like this.
You're late"
aAA.