The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-06-05
~-\ / @ ! CHARLES
 R001A .'

scheme, perhaps, was behind the abduction.
 Le Balafre's reason for being near the house at all looked equally inexplicable Parados was La cote and Lacote was dead, killed, presumably, by the convicts them selves.
 Why, then, should le Balafre come back, since their revenge was con- summated? An idea occurred to me Was it possible that le Balafre and Bee had not killed Parados and that they had not known until this evening that he was dead? The in cvitable question followed. If they had not killed Parados, who had? And then was back where I had begun.
 A fant tic notion suddenly brought me up standing. That af ternoon on the ridge above the village Caroline had been sure she had seen some one move on one of the wllarves below us I had laugh ed at her, Had she been right?
 And if she had been, was it one of the French convicts whom she had seen? Perhaps! No one ever went there. The village would have made an ideal temporary headquarters. But above all, were they taking Caroline there now?
 It was desperate hope, but enough to send me flying along the jetty toward the foot of the cliff trail. I could think of half a dozen reasons why le Balafre and Bee should not go to the village and none why they should. If my hunch was sound, I'd have plenty of time afterward to think of Messieurs le Balafre and Bees reasons for re- turning to the village.
 My feet were in bad condition by. the time reached. the top of the trail. Fortunately I had another pair of shoes in my suitcase. As I limped up the outside stair I tore off my wet coat and shirt, replac- ing them with a light overcoat I had brought with me. I didn't dare take the time to change another garment. My flashlight was broken.
 I had supposed that the house was empty, but as I ran down the stair to the hall I heard a small noise that might have been a sob or groan. It seemed to come from the vicinity of Miss Jahries room.
 The door was shut I knocked. There was no reply, and I pushed into the room, turning the light switch. Manning lay across the bed, her head buried in pillow.
 Get up" I said. This is MT. Hunt. Where are the others?"
 She screamed at the sight of my face, which was not surprising, as l must have been a gory looking object. A valuable minute was lost in reassuring her.
 Where are the others?" I repeat ed sharply.
 T don't know, sir. don't know anything" She began to weep hys- terically. They haven't come back. I heard Miss Brent's voice upstairs and another voice-a mans"
 What did he say2" I shouted
 T don't know I don't know any thing. Oh, he had funny voice like-like MT. Flique's And he said he said something about village oh, Mir. Hunt, you are hurting my arm-ohl'
 Was that all you heard?"
 "Yes, sir. Oh. my arm!"
 Pull yourself together and listen to what I say" I shook her vio- lently. You aren't in any danger. Try to find Flique or Samuels-any of them. Tell them I've gone to the old fishing village-that Miss Brent is there. You understand?"
 She nodded stupidly and I left her. The house behind me, I head ed for the slope at a shorp trot. The trail belted the waist of the island, rising crookedly to a sad ale in the slope and dropping steep ly to a point half a mile or so south of the deserted village I had perhaps four miles to go. the launch eight or ten, according to the contour of the coast. The launch would arrive first, knew perhaps it was there already-but did not force my pace. My sharp trot would get me there sooner in the long run.
 | did not speculate. My job was to get Caroline out of the hands of those two maniacs. If I failed again, l should not have the cour- age to go on living. I saw no sign of any of the others. This was not surprising, as the island occu-