Evening star., 1927-10-13

trees while the lone trooper drove
his horse forward with below OF
enraged command. A sudden flame OF
light fiared up back of her. there was
| a strange, snorting scream and a
! mighty splash, but the girl did not
! look behind her. With arms thrown
UP to protect her face from low
sweeping branches. she somehow
| found the path and sped up it until
a swift thought halted her.
| The Five of Diamondsi She was
deserving him, when he had risked
| so much for her! 1t would be better
| to be taken herself than to leave him
| to face it alone!
Mentally scourging herself for a
| coward, Janet turned and started
! back the way she had come when
| she almost collided with Durant him
self pushing his motorcycle along .he
path.
what are you doing?" he de
manded, and then without waiting
! for a reply he added: Come on
| We've got to get out of thisr'
Speechless with surprise at this sud
| den turn of events, Janet had pres
| ence of mind enough to obey and
| falling in beside him, she helped with
all her strength to push the heavy
machine.
Fortunately the path was q short
| one, ending, to her amaZement, on
| a narrow but comparatively smooth
road, with the gleam of a lamp Il ION
| the alf.shuttered window OF a mouse
nearby Durant started the motor
| and in a moment she was up be
| hind him and they were off.
The moon had risen and, although
/ entering its last quarter, the thin
| ming crescent was sufficient to show
| them the way without lights. Janet
| thought she heard the faint thud OF
a horses hoofs in the distance and in
stinctively tugged at her companion
belt.
J That's the second trooper" he
| grinned at her over his shoulder. 'IIt
won't come far, only to the nearest
| 'phone!'
"What happened to the first one
| who Jumped out at us?" Janet bent
| forward. There was a flash Of light
| and then a dreadful sort of scream!
"That was the horse, but he wasn't
| hurt, only frightened. / put a match
to a bunch of oiled waste and threw II
in his face and he took to the river
| right over the bank. They're having
| a nice swim, he and his rider! HOLD
| tight now; we've got some sharp turns
|
coming
They had started in a direction
away from the bridge, but Janet saw
| that they were working their way
| back toward it in a roundabout fash
| ion, negotiating hills that took hel
| breath away and turning at angles
which made the machine skid dan
| gerously. Then they took to rough
wagon trails again and finally came
| out on road which, though pre-
| cipitous, was wide and smooth.
The girl expected that their speed
would increase once more, but, 10
stead, Durant slowed down and, drlv
| ing well in shadow. appeared to b'
looking for something.
Had he lost his way or did he an
ticipate another ambush? Janel
wondered, but no longer with appre
hension. Five of Diamonds appeared
| equal to any emergency and she ha'
ceased even to conjecture what thel
final destination was to be, wheps al
at once, she noticed a huge darl
bulk looming up beside the road ant
saw that they had turned directly
toward it, the motorcycle wobblins
strangely.
The dark object appeared to be al
| enormous closed van of some sort ant
they halted within a few feet OF 1t
resting on the supports while Durant
without a word to her, bent forward
| and appeared to be tinkering with
something.
There was no movement fl I'M thu
van, but suddenly a voice spoke from
the blackness OF the semi.enc'osed
drivers seat.
do you know where number Seven
1 Hartsdale Road is around here, part
ner?'
The question seemed an ordinary
! one to encounter on the road. but
Janet's breath caught in a little gasp
| The Seven of Hearts?
Durant Strengthened and replied:
Fifth turning after you pass Dia
mond Hill. What are you delivering
there?"
Mine spades"
The answer came without hesitation
| and Durant dismounted quickly anC
| held out his hand to Janet.
Come. This is the Nine Of Spades
a friend was expecting"
With a numb feeling, as though
| she would be forevermOre immune tc
surprises, she advanced beside hin
| as he trundled the motorcycle, tC
i meet the man. climbing down from
| behind the wheel of the van. A tiny
| spark Of light shone out from the
| hand of the stranger and she saw
| that he was holding the front of hi:
coat open to disclose upon his waist
| coat the playing card he had elready
/ named.
| At the same time Durant showed
| the five Of diamonds and Janet rolle6
down the soft collar Of her blouse tC
| reveal her own card. 1t would have
4 ffN
| were it not for the very real dangers
| through which she had passed and
| the grim, intent look on the faces OF
| the two men, glowing, for that single
| moment, in the tiny beam from the
| ashlight-Durant'S drawn and weary
and that of the stranger pugnaciout
| and determined, with brows ant
heavy, short-clipped mustache as
| black as the card by which he was
! designated.
Then the light was snapped off ant
| the latter said:
Glad you came through all right sc
| far; 1 was getting anxious. I'll helI
| you in with the machine"
He had addressed himself appar
| entity to both of them together, and
now he led the way around to the
back of the motor van, opened the
| door and let down the small runway
"I'll try to make you as comfortable
as / can, miss; We'll all have to get
| inside for a minute and close up be
fore l dare start light. Here we
are!' a,
Motor cycle and all three crowded
up the runway and the dim moonlight
was blotted out by the closing doors
but the next moment a single lamp
shone out and Janet saw, as her eyes
| grew accustomed to its glare, that
save for the small space in which they
stood. the interior of the great truck
was heaped to the top with a varied
assortment of household goods and
furniture, all obviously the worse for
| wear.
"Phewp' Durant whistled softly
You've got splendid lot of camou
flage here! No revenue cop would