Evening star., 1926-09-30

did you get here? Have they seen
you?" Gaines hand wrung Paul's
in a warm grip. You're all right?"
Where's Carolita?" Paul asked
breathlessly. up in this house with
Milana? How can we rescue her? Do
they know you're here?"
Hurriedlv Gaines told his story,
Paul listening with sinking heart.
TOO late" he muttered; too late"
I'm not so sure. I've been trapped
for 36 hours, it's true. but l have
some hopes" Gaines replied. Tell
me how you got here?"
Paul related his story as quickly
as possible and Gaines exclaimed at
the mention Of Uchita's name.
"Uchita is the hope l spoke of" he
said. THE man who took Carolita
was a Japanese
You think that he may be in
Uchita's employ"
Yes. Uchita was Mr.. Reynolds
personal servant for years. He knows
all about this affair. probably has been
doing a lot Of sleuthing on his own
account. 1t is barely possible that a
confederate of his got wind that an
ambush was being staged to kidnap p
CaroIita from Milana and forestalled
it by carrying her off himself"
Then this ambush was Walters
doing?"
Undoubtedly. 1t is not Milana S.
He has been frantic since the girl dis
appeared. and when the bandits added
themselves to our misery, making us
prisoners, he almost went out of his
mind. Losing the reward is his death
blow. He has more at stake than
any one else
Reward? For Carolita?" Paul
questioned eagerly.
AN immense reward for Carolita--
Carolita alive and unharmed"'
"Who is she, Gaines? I've pic
tured her everything from a runaway
royalty to our own much discussed
family skeleton. although l know
nothing about that beyond the fact
that Walter is the goat or the vii
lain and my fathers widow has some
connection with it. I don't suppose
you know much more about it than /
do?"
Very little. I'm responsible for the
safety of Miss Carolita Menendez.
Beyond that l can content myself
with guessing"
What do you make of Dugan' 8
yarn about Walters daughter, Gym.
thia Reynolds? Uchita swears that
he has no such daughter. It's all part
Of this tangle. l SUPPOSE
Yes; I'm trying to figure it out.
To return to the bandits: I'm sure
they We're imported from the outside
because none of them suspect this
secret passage. They swarmed into
the house. searched 1t thoroughly for
the girl, but had not the intelligence
to look for a subway. And they are
content now to keep guard upon us
from the outside, which gives me
access to the tunnel, although | don't
dare to be gone long for fear they will
miss me and start after the girl.
Moreover, they cannot have run
across the outlet OF the subway or
they would have come swarming
through quickly enough Pretty un,
intelligent. considering that the girl
was carried out through the passage
without difficulty. Makes me feel tha t
Walter Just bought up gang Of out
| laws and sent them In here"
Looks that way. But what's our
next move?" Paul was thirsting for
action-anything to divert his mental
agony.
We'll track Uchita and his pal.
Ready now? Let's crawl back and
wait at the entrance of that hut till
it's dark enough to begin our search. "
But l was warned to stay out of
that hut, Gaines, and, with so much
depending upon our safety, hadn' t
we better lie low until Uchita gives
us Signal?'
Gaines was already moving along
and Paul, following painfully, kept his
f1aShllght going, watching for the tiny
strips of linen he had left as a trail.
Gaines" he called presently, this
is not the way / came
What do you mean?' Gaines
voice, little in advance. answered.
Il left a trail and it's gone. We
| must have turned into another pas.
sage. Wait until l catch up to you.
Perhaps the pieces of linen have dis
appeared into the mud"
But although the two men examined
their tracks with infinite care no
traces of a torn handkerchief could
be found, and a careful examination
revealed that they had entered a new
| passage, one unnOticed before.
This place is so dark that there
| might be a dozen openings" Gaines
declared. Where are we now do YOU
suppose"
Coming out at the other outlet.
| Get ahead, Gaines"
Ten minutes of slow crawling, re
peated searching of the cavern walls
! and then another door was found in
| the roof of the cave.
The two men paused to hold coun
| Gil
"I'll push it up the least bit and
see what happens" Gaines whispered
and, acting upon his words, raised
| the trap the fraction of an inch. A
tiny streak of daylight, a mans voice
| chanting.
That's the mass" Gaines whis
| pered. We're in a church"