Evening star., 1927-12-09


himself. 1t being established that
the old maniacs hiding place was
here under the boathouse, a hiding
nlace that was opened by key, and
that EXCEPT at low tide. was mac
cessible, the precise location OF that
hiding place became obvious even
TO a child. The row of little piers
that supported the structure at the
sides and front were all individually
too small to be hollow-and there
was absolutely nothing else here eX-
cept the big center support
With Runnells beside him now. ne
becan TO examine this center pier
under the ray of his fiashlight. he
walked once completely around 1t,
making a quick, preliminary exam
ination. The pier was some SIN OF
seven feet in height. and the con,
crete construction was re-en1orceo
with massive iron bands placed both
horizontally and transversely ne
tween two and three feet apart, the
small squares thus formed giving
sort of checkerboard effect to the
mass. The lower portion was green
with ea-slime. There was no ap-
parent evidence of any opening. :,
But Can't. Francis Newcombe had
not expected that there would be- =.
Look for little hole. Runnells.
he said. Anything. for instance,
that might appear to be no more
than a fault in the concrete. ana
look particularly above high water
mark. The opening is below be-
cause the old man could only get
in at low tide; but the Keynote Is
more likely to be above out OF tne
reach Of the water because IT must
be watertight inside"
They made a second circuit OF the
pier. but carefully now, searching
minutely over every inch OF SUR
face. 1t took a long time-a very
long time-a quarter OF an houf-
a half an hour-more. .
And still there was no sign OF
either keyhole or opening.
strike me pink" grumbled Run
nells. TT looks like it was sticking
to us tonight. This Is what cans
rotten luck"
And / was thinking that it was,
excellent-even beyond expectations.
Runnells," said Capt. Francis New
combe smoothly. "The old man has
done his work so we'll that 1t is GER
tain no one would stumble on 1t.
Therefore, when we get away, we
do 50 with the absolute knowledge
that an empty hiding place will never
he discovered. You follow that. don't
Won, Runnells? No one except you
and me will ever know that the
money was ever founder taken:
Yes" said Runnells gruff1y; pu.
we ain't got it yet. And we must
have heen at it a good hour already
and the tides coming back in now:
"Quite so." said Capt. Francis
Newcombe evenly But If we don't
oct n tonight. there is tomorrow
night-and the night after that again.
There are always the woods, ana
your ability as a thief guarantees
MS plenty to eat. Meanwhile, Wen
stick to this side here fronting the
sea - it's the logical place - one
couldn't be seen even from under
the veranda back there. GO over
every bit of iron work now
Another quarter Of an hour passed
in silence-save for the lap OF the
water that. with the tide on the turn
now. had crept up almost to the base
of the pier. The fiashlight moved
slowly up and down and to the right
and left as the two men croucneo
there, bent forward. their nngers.
sugmenting the sense of sight. feeling
over the surface of the cement ana
iron that here was barnacie- -coateo:
and there covered with festoons OF
the green slime.
TITS no good!" said Runnells pessi,
mistically at last. Lets try arouno
on the other side, and get out or the
water-Tm standing in it now.
"It's here-and nowhere else" said
Cant. Francis Newcombe doggedly.
"And. furthermore, I'm certain It's
one of these squares inside the inter-
secting pieces of iron. 1t would pe
iust enough to allow a man to crawl
in and out--and not too big or TOO
heavy for one man to handle alone.
1t can't be anything else. Wnat-
ever's here the old man made him-
self-no one helped him, understand,
Runnells? His secret ts.t woalcn' nass Ge ee
on-hunt!"
But Runnells, instead had suddenly
II thought I heard something out
there like-like a loud splashing,
he said tensely.
Can't. Francis Newcombe paid no
heed. He was laughing, low. jubi-
lantly, triumphantly.
"I'ye got it, Runnells!" he cried.
"Here's a bit of the iron down here
that moves to one side-just a little
niece. Look. And the keyhole un-
derneath! l was wrong about the
keyhole being above high water-it
isn't, or anywhere near it-but wei
: see how the contrivance works. He
thrust his hand into his pocket
brought out the bronze key, fitted
It quickly into the keyhole. and turn
ed it. A faint click answered him
''Push, Runnells, on that square just
above the water-it's bound to swing
inward-these iron strips hide the
joints"
But he did not wait for Runnells
to obey his injunction. He snatched
the key of the lock again. and even
as he saw the piece Of iron swing
back into place covering the keyhole
= he was pushing against the concrete
inward from its upper edge with a
sort of oscillating movement. HIS
f1ashlight bored into the opening
2 Slever. The old maniac had had the
cunning of-a maniac. 1t was quite
clear. Old Marlin had cut away the
square and fitted it with new block
YES, he could see!-the interior
would, of course have been foodee
at high water while the old MAD
man was preparing the new block
hut that made no difference-the
place would always empty itself a
low tiGe again because the flooring
or base, in there was on the same
level as the lower edge of the open
ing-and 1t would be when 1t wa'
empty of water. naturally, that tht
new block would be fitted into place
and thereafter 1t would remain
empty.
He was crawling through the open
ing now--the weight of the swing
ing block causing it to press asains
his shoulders, but giving way easil,
LII 1v,n
room to squeeze through. Very in
genious. The walls were a goot
foot to a foot and a half thick. Thu
]ockbar worked through the side 0
The pier wall into the middle of tn
edge of the movable block so NJ
water could get in that way; and thu
gaskets against the inside Of the irol