Evening star., 1925-01-07
The Ark of the Covenant
A Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MCCLURE
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
opyrtrht, 1924. hy H.rpsr a Rroth.r,

Whitcomb. Look to il that you
answer as straightly.
THE LEAGUE OF THE COVENANT" !"
"The madness OF it," muttered the
President. do they think that
nations can be reformed by the turn
of a hand? And yet the bigness of
1t! Man, man--if i were only fore
man to God Almighty"
He broke off and paced up and
down the room.
TT is a great object If sincere" he
said, as if we had not been there,
but these are not the means to ac-
complish it. VIII earthly fear drive
out that sin which not the fear of
God can subdue? No, no! No wrong
can right another. 1t Is a menace
piles nearer to war than further from
1t. 1t is menace"
He turned to Danny and me. but
though he looked at US with blazing
eyes, he seemed to see beyond US.
"I will not turn back" he said
thickly. Your task remains, James
Boon. Find me the nest of these Wis
ionary pirates, and let US test their
hoasted powers. these evangelists
who do not scorn TO fill their pock cts
as they preach. Roust me them out,
James Boon. You have behind you
the whole of the United States. To
1t, my SOM"
YES, sir" 1 said quietly. for 1 saw
with surprise that he was not him
self. Goodbye, sir""
Good bye. Jimmy. Goodbye,
Dan"
He turned to finger the paper that
still lay on the table, while Kristen
came with us to the door.
Don't leave your uncle, Kirsteen,"
1 whispered. He is not himself"
He is better alone" she replied.
He is so terribly self-willed that he
hates being dictated to, and he is mad
with anger at the indignity of having
The raiders must be caught and
punished. Goodbye. Dan. Good
luckm She held out her hand to Dan.
who grasped it for moment. then
ran down the steps. Goodbye,
Jimmy. God speed your
I retained her hand for a moment
"Kirsteeni" I blurted, I caught
you as you fell. 1 know I can't do
without you. Is there any chance for
me?'
Jimmy, Jimmy" she said gently
You have mans task before you
yet"
But there was that in her voice
made my heart leap. I laughed, and
stopped to kiss her hand.
Well" 1 said. its a mans task
to tell a girl he loves her"
I ran down the steps after Dan.
CHAPTER TWELVE: The Plateau Of
the Red Scar
AS we made our way down to the
basin on the Potomac Dan Lamont
and 1 came on a number Of people
still lying unconscious from the gas.
They were at about the end of their
sleep. and the night was warm and
mild, SO they could not come to
much harm. We stopped, therefore,
for no attempt to bring the sleepers
round.
At the landing stage everything
was placid and quiet. The arcs were
burning brightly, and by their light
we could see mechanics walking
about or working here and there.
Milliken was fast asleep in the Merlin's
cabin, and when we woke him we
found that no news of the raid had
yet reached the aerodrome. The mes
sage to the President had been picked
up by the radio, and on receipt of it
several pilots had gone up to make
for the position given by the Pershing.
Il thought il was bit like shut
ting the stable door. myself" said
Milliken, seeing that the radio ar
rived over two hours after the doping
of the battleship. When you didn't
turn up, l thought to myself that
the plan had been changed, and that
you were after some other game. So
1 just turned in and had a sleep"
while you were sleeping, Milli-
ken" said ], Wa shington was being
raided."
He sat up at that.
"Jinksr' he exclaimed. There
wasn't a whisper of it round the
aerodrome."
] turned to Dan.
Looks as if the folk that made
the hubbub and blew whistles just
before the gas caught US must have
been doped, too" / said.