Evening star., 1924-12-22
The Ark of the Covenant
A Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
by Harper 3 so,hsn
Continued from Yesterdays star.b
BY VICTOR MacCLl
Copyright. 1924. by Harper 3 srothsrs.


somewhere near the airship--if air.
ship 1t was-on the way out. We
must have sighted the Westbury less
than half an hour after the pirates
left her. If the airship Is making
for the American continent at all, il
can hardly escape being seen, at least,
with all those police machines out"
do you think they'll be able to
send her DOWN.
1T depends greatly in what cir
cumstances they come on her. She
may be too high 10 be got at in an
open plane, and the police machines
are notoriously unsuited for high alti-
tudes. But the fellow that sees her
may be able to broadcast her posi-
tion to all aerodromes, and so get
properly equipped planes to help.
won't consider she's escaped until
dark has come on"
Let's hope you prove right" said
The old man. Things are too uneasy
TO be comfortable, and q solution of
the mystery would stave off a lot
Of trouble for the business world"
Miss Torrance and Lord Almeric
Joined US then, and we went in to
breakfast. The talk, perhaps nat
urally, was still OF the robberies,
until the two bankers fell to discus
sing some obscure financial situation.
Lord Almeric, asking his niece for
confirmation of some figures, effect
ually Isolated Dan and myself, and
It was with something of awe that
ne heard Miss Torrance talk famil-
tariy OF millions. using such phrases
as ranking pari passu." funded
loan" par of exchange" In spite.
OF her obvious efficiency, the talk
fell strangely from the lips of such
pretty girl. 1 think even my father
was surprised.
"'You have 4 wonderful grasp OF
figures, Miss Torrance" he smiled.
wonderful because of my sex, Mr..
BoonT'
mot at ALL" said my father; won
derful in any case"
My niece" Lord Almeric explain
ed, comes of stock famous in
mathematics. Robert Torrance, the
mathematician, was her uncle"
Then, Miss Torrance" Dan Lamont
butted in, you must be related to
L beg your pardon?'
He broke off in confusion and flush
ed red. Miss Torrance regarded him
with kindness.
If you intended saying that must
be related 10 David Torrance, the
physicist, who disappeared just over
s2 years ago." sne said, Il am proud
70 say that he was my father. Mr..
Lamont"
ban ereU.
did not mean to cause you pain"
You do not hurt me by recalling
the fact Of my fathers disappear
ance. never saw hiul-and he never
say me. I was born after he was
lost. Uncle Almeric Is the only father
I have known-indeed the only par
cnt-and his kindness has softened
any regrets I may have for my real
father. He was a great physicist, I
nd srg
ton about him. any praise that is
given to his work"
David Torrance was a great man"
Dan said quietly, with recovered
eQuanimity. Every scientist owes
him debt ot gratitude. and must re-
gret that he was not permitted to
work longer. The best men Of our
ttme," he finished warmly. ARE plod-
ders and half-bIind crawIers com
pared with David Torrancei"
Thank you, Mr.. Lamont the girl
murmured, and her eyes were misty
We'll spoken; Dam. said my father,
end turned to Lord Almeric and his
niece Dan Lamont" he explained.
has one OF the greatest regulations
among physicists in this country
so his opinion on such a subject is
OF some value"
-Red-faced as usual at any refer
ence to his emin ence, Dan rose in
some confusion.
III you'll excuse me, Miss Torrance
Lord Almeric." he said hurriediy,
II must be going. Some impor-
rance-sorry l was clumsy. Good
bye. Lord Almeric-'
Wait moment, Dan," said I. 'Tll
come with you"
i, too made my adieus, and we
both went off.
There was nothing new to hear in
Dams laboratory. except a lot that
was speculation and clean over my
head at that, so ! left my friend to
take OFF his jacket and plunge into
work. l could see no useful purpose
TO be served by stopping in New
york, and / went down to the Battery
where Didcot was still standing by
with the Seven.
We moored at the workshop jetty
within half an hour.
Then began q fortnight Of close ap-
plication to work. The flights we
had made on the Merlin had given me
adeas for slight variations in the de-
sign, and 1 wanted my shops to be
set as soon as possible on the task of
making Merlin II which would in.
corporate those ideas.
my hurry was actuated Oy the GER
tainty that 1 had of the raids being
carried out with new tyne Of
dirigfble. ! had that inexplicable
1eeitng, generally termed a hunch.
Ihae we had not seen the last of
tho raiders, and that before we were
zone with them there would be a
Few Merlins in the air.
was puzzled by the radfu,n, which
me PACK of my mind refused to let
q
indeed, those priceless boxes had come
from the mysterious Organization
that had carried out tho amazing
series of raids In two days, they were
no ordinary crooks that we were on
posing. The sale of the radIum, Dan
assured me. would have brought in
nearly as much money as the robbers
had stolen.
There was something underlying
Ehe raids that the mind could not
1athofn. an idea too big to be merely
criminal, too vast In conception to
snd it's limit in the affairs Of the past
rwo days
To me my side of the sob was now
plain. The menace was from the air
and the air was my element. r
had, 1 could tell myself without i'm
Snodesty, the finest weapon for air
nshting that was known to exist, and
my business was to perfect that
weapon to the best OF my ability.
To bring the position to it's lowest
estimate:
II the gifts of radium to the insti-
rutions were not the work Of the
raiders, 1t was extremely unlikely
that a criminal gang, possessed of
such powerful and effectively proved
aids TO plundering, would be content
with their present gains. It would be
hum snly impossible to resist the
termination to work the feat AGAIN