Evening star., 1927-05-20
Red Head l|
z3Tdas BY Edgar Wallace =
A Thrilling Romance of Today
Copyright 1927 by Chicago Daily News Ino.

do as I tell you?" He raised fist
threateningly.
IAN right" muttered the bruised
and bleeding man, and skunk away.
Hale looked back at the Kent
From her mainmast floated small
| union jack, an ominous sign. 1t was
her battle flag, flown only by a
| British cruiser when she is entering
| action. She was creeping up to hin
on his port. He roared down to the
radio house.
TELL them we've got that girl Stone
| in the chart house," he shouted.
Bang!
He did not see the splash cf the
| shot. but felt the vessel quiver and
| yaw invOluntariy.
| Bang!
The second gun was from the
! American, who was nearer, and this
time the Escorial staggered.
Turn a few points starhoard, p"
cried Hale hoarsely.
The quartermaster spun the wheel,
but the ship did not answer.
"Rudders gone, SIR he said.
The Escorial was yawing from
left to right, and now, taking def
mite course, circled to port, as though
it were involuntarily trying to emu
late the earlier maneuVer of its cap
tain. The rudder gone! Hale's jaw
dropped. He flung open the door of
the chat house and strode in.
You people are within three min
utes of hell" he said briefly. Get
down below. all of you boys
He bundled them out one by one,
and Bill waited.
You'll stay here" said Hale, point
ing his grimy finger at the girl.
Here you'll stay, my beauty. And
you, too" he looked down at Give.
There's plenty of time yet. We're
going round in a circle and Wen con-
tinue going round IN a circle. They've
shot away our rudder, but they can't
get any nearer. If they think I'm
going to ring the engines astern.
they're going to have another guess
coming. Getr'
I'm staying here" said Bill
calmly.
With a scream of anger the mans
fury broke forth. AS he leapad Bill
fired once, but the fury of the attack
was such that he was thrown off his
balance before he could pull the trig-
ger for the second time. In another
instant he was on the floor. with the
mans knee on his chest and the huge
hands about his throat. He struggled
desperately and might have been
killed had not the girl come to his
assistance.
'Clive. Clive!' she screamed.
Give rose to his feet and pulled at
his bonds. AS he reached the pistol
that had fallen from Bills hands,
Hale turned and saw him and with a
squeal of fear flew out of the room,
slamming the door behind him.
Bill, manacled as he was, was the
first to follow. A man on the bridge
tried to intercept him, but, lodging,
he dashed down the ladder to the boat
deck as Hale disappeared from view
in the opening of the companionway. |
He caught sight of him leaping into |
the main entrance of the saloon. A |
steward saw him and stared |
aghast.
"Where did he go-the captain?"
asked Bill breathlessly.
Down to D deck" said the man.
Before he could frame a question |
Bill had jumped to the next landing. |
He saw Hale dart into the Stones
suite and followed. The private sit
ting room was empty. He tried the
door of Stones room. IT opened and !
he rushed in. There was nobody |
there. Betty's room was locked. He
ratified at the door.
"Open. Hale! The games up
open"'
There was no reply. Putting his |
shoulder to the door he tried to burst |
it in-then suddenly everything went |
black.
When he recovered he was lying |
On the floor. He guessed he was in |
Betty's room, because he smelled the |
perfume that she used, but the port
holes were heavily covered with cur
tains and the room was in complete |
darkness. There was another scent, |
| pungent, familiar odor that he rec
ognized without being able to define.
He put his hand to his head; it was
wet and sticky, the hair matted.
When he tried to move the pain was
axcruciating. Somebody had rough
" bound his ankles together and the
were still on his wrists.
He was not alone. Though he could
hear and see nothing in the darkness,
nstinctively he knew that there was
in the room with him. He
stretched out his hand and touched
a coat. Somebody was lying in a
similar plight-worse, perhaps, for
when he pressed against the shoulder
If the man with his hands he did not
move.
The ship was still under way, still.
ne guessed, moving in circles. And
yet from time to time he could have
sworn he heard the boom of distant
guns. Perhaps it was only his i'm
lgination.
He must have swooned with weak
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