Evening star., 1927-11-29

though the other were cropping around
on his hands and knees. The peal of
laughter came again; and then the
old maniac's voice in a triumphant
scream:
I've got it, I've got it! Money!
Money, Millions! Millions! Millions!
It's all here! I've got it! It's ALL"
The voice was dying away in the
distance. Locke laughed a little with
grim, painting breath. Whether it had
been dropped or had been snatched
from him in the first attack, old Mar
lin had now obviously recovered his
package of bank notes. He was gone
now-running to hide 1t again, of
course. In any event. the old maniac
and his money were safe, and
His antagonist had wrenched free
an arm. Locke's head jolted back
suddenly from a wicked short-arm
blow that caught the point of his chin.
A sensation of numbness seemed to
be trying insidiously to creep upward
to his brain-but it did not get
that far-not quite that far-oniy
it loosened his grip for an instant and
the shadowy form that he had held
appeared to be floating away from
him. And then as his brain cleared,
he shot his body forward in a low,
lunging tackle. The other almost
eluded him. but his hands caught and
clung to the mans arm-both around
one of the others arms. The man
wrenched and squirmed in a savage
frenzy to tear himself free. There was
sound of the ripping and rending of
cloth-something showed white in the
darkness-the others sleeve had torn
away at the armpit
A white shirt sleeve! It was a
beacon in the blackness. The man
would not get away now There was
something more tangible than a
shadow-something to see. In flash
Locke shifted his hold, and his arms
swept around the other, pinioning the
mans hands to his sides-tighter-
tighter. Neither spoke. The only
sounds were hoarse, rasping gasps for
breath. Tighter! He was bending the
man backward now-slowly-surely
a little more. No-the man was too
strong-the pinioned arms were free
again, and Locke felt them grip
together like wise around the small
of his own back.
They lurched now, swaying from
side to side like drunken men. The
mask! To get at the mask They
were locked together. the chin of one
on the others shoulder-straining un-
til the muscles cracked. Locke began
to raise his head little. The hot
breath Of the other was on his cheek
now-and now his cheek rubbed
against the others mask.
An oath broke suddenly from the
man-quick, muttered, the voice un-
recognizable in its labored breathing:
ana the other, seeming to sense his
grip, snatched for a throahold instead.
and. missing, began then to tear at
Locke's arms in an effort to break
away
And then Locke laughed again
Srlmly. 1t would avail nothing to
snatch at the mask and get it off in
the darkness here, if by so doing,
with his own hold on the other gone.
the man should get away. There was
another way to get the mask off-and
sIiIi maintain his grip upon the other!
Ihey were holding now, seemingly
as motionless as statues. the strength
OF one matched against the other in a
supreme effort. The sweat broke out
IN great beads on Locke's forehead:
ms arms seemed to be tearing away
from their sockets. He could feel the
| muscles in the others neck, as it
| nugged against his own, swell and
stand out like great steel ridges. And
| tnen slowly. inch by inch, he forced
ms own head around until his face
was against the others cheek. He
| could just feel the mask now with his
| iips-another inch-yes, now he had
this teeth closed on the lower edge
or the mask, chewed at 1t until he
had a still firmer grip-and then he
suddenly wrenched his head backward
The mask came away in Locke's
teeth. He spat it out. The other was
a man gone mad with fury now; and
with new strength that fury brought
ne strove only to strike and strike
agaln-but Locke only closed his hold
the tighter To strike back was to
take the chance of the other breaking
loose. It was too dark to see the
mans face. though the mask was of
now-but it could only be a few yards
along the path to the open space OF
the lawn out there-and the moon
would not always be fickle-it would
break through the clouds, and
They were rocking, lurching, twist.
ing, swaying in their mad struggle
and now they circled more widely
and branches snatched and tore al
them, and broke and fell from the
itrees at the sides of the path. And
here Locke gave a stet, and there an