Evening star., 1924-12-08
The Ark of the Covenant
A Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
& Brothers
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
Copyright. 1924. by Harper & Brothers

mystery, romance and far-reaching
consequences has made the World
War Of 1914-1S look by comparison
like a rough-and-t tumble in back
street.
AS we droned along above the
island, 1 had little but my thoughts
to occupy me. The seaplane was
behaving splendidly. and I had none
of the trouble / had expected with
her, if I leave out little maneuv-
ering that came when we hit a pocket
in the air. In about Is minutes the
Woolworth Building loomed up on
the horizon. dead ahead, and I swung
a point or two south so that its shape
fell on the starboard bow. Next
minute I had circled and was drop
ping northerly into the upper New
York Bay. with Battery Park In
front. Under 40 minutes after my
father had wakened me / was land
ing with him at the seaplane jetty
west of the park.
There was quite a fleet OF planes
round the landing stage, mostly the
bronze-painted machines of the
water division of the air police;
speedy, sinister things they were,
but trim enough to make my old
boat look more like her nickname
than ever. l had never seen so many
police machines together at the Bat
terry landing stage before, but
imagined they were there merely
upon their lawful occasions.
The pierman, an old fried of mine
called O'Grady, gave me my moor
ing ticket and would have held me
inconveniently in gossip, but I shook
him off and legged 1t up Battery
place in pursuit Of my father, whose
impatience forbade him to wait for
me- 1t was lucky 1 overlook him,
because a Gordon of police had been
drawn around the Wall Street area,
east and west from Trinity place
to Pearl street, and. I presently dis
covered north and south from
Beaver street to Liberty street. The
police saluted the old man and would
have stopped me, but he snapped one
word at them, whereupon they step
ped back and let me pass. The pres
ence of so many policemen at such
a distance from the bank made me
begin to think that the robbery was
something of an affair.
We went right up Broadway. my
father and I. AS l walked behind
him, I realized again his great bulk
and tall as l am. 1 felt for all the
world like some faithful but skinny
pup tagging at his heels. All about
me were clusters of foot police round
the doors of various buildings. j
wanted to stop and find out what
they were doing on guard SO far
away-as I thought-from the scene
of the robbery, the National Metal
lurgical being up Broadway at the
corner of Liberty street, but 1 hung
close to my father in case l were
challenged We arrived at the dor
of the bank.
The squad OF policemen who were
strung across the doorway made an
opening for the president and myself.
and 1 followed him right into his
room We were Immediately join
ed by Jaxon. officer in charge of the
armed guard which was mounted
every night in the bank. Poor
Jaxon looked like a man who had
just come out of bout of fever.
He was in daZe.
"well?" the old man snapped.
Jaxon simply lifted his arms and
let them drop in a gesture pitiful
in its expression Of helplessness-
especially pitiful since the man nor
mally was alert as terrier and
sharp as a needle.
II don't know what to say, Mr..
Boon" he gulped. "I just can't un-
derstand it."
A quick look at the man made my
father suddenly grow kind.
"Sit down, Jaxon." he said. Lets
get to the bottom of this. When and
how did you first realize that the
bank had been robbed"
About o'clock, Mr., Boon. Il
woke up
You woke up, Do you mean to
tell me you had been asleep"
II wish ] could say musta been
doped-me and all the other five
guards"
What! All six OF you doped?"
sullenly. And what's more-it looks
like everybody in the district has
been doped-"
Rubbish" the old man barked
Talk sense, If you can. Jaxon. Who
could dope a whole district
II wish 1 kneY-and ] am talking
sense, Mr.. Boon, AS far as I can
make out, everybody between here
and Battery Park was asleep between
3 and this morning. Yes-and
what's more-ths is not the only
bank that's been robbed. The State
the Guaranty Trust. the
Trade Bank, and the Dyers' National
they've all been entered. All the
lot of them-
Jaxon slumped forward in his chair.
The old man shot look at me and
signaled to know IL I thought the
Way back there on the Argonne ] had
L.