Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-06-08
CHAPTER Nv

lie was DenulnR uOWH, ldoAAIB IHS
wrists and ankles of the unconscious
man with strips of handkerchief torn
to serve as ropes. When he straight
ened up there was no sign Of Anita
Weston. She had disappeared, van
ished utterly in the night.
Niles lifted himself as rapidly as
possible over the wall, ran across
more roofs and came to one where the
skylight trap gaped open. The girl
had tricked him. She had fled under
cover of the battle on the roof and
it would be impossible to locate her
again. "And what will that mob do
to her for her failure to land the
ace?" he asked himself with an odd
uneasiness. Too often there was only
one punishment for a flop in gang
business. His lips frightened. The
girl might be a crook and the ally
of crooks but he did not intend to
see her done in. He meant to fol-
low the trail of the ace of spades to
the finish.
He let himself through the open
trap and closed it behind him, feeling
his way down. 1t was not long there
after that he stood in the dim YES
tibule of another brownstone front,
peering out along the street. The
curtained limousine in which the gang
sters travelled was only short dis
lance away, facing the opposite di-
rection. Quite soon the gunner who
were ransacking his flat would reap
pear and go off in it. Where would
they go? They would have to make
a report to whoever had sent them
to capture the card Of mystery. Niles
slipped out from his concealment and
took to the asphalt of the empty side
street. Closer and closer he was APP
preaching the car and finally he stood
unseen, in the shadow cast by it.
A wide rear bumper and spare
tire-the risk was tremendous but it
could be taken. In his present mood
he felt that it should be taken. He
put up OIlc 1OOI, SOI q 6AiP VII SH~
tire and swung himself into position.
He meant to ride the back of the
limousine and find out where it was
headed for. Almost at once he heard
the slither of feet and the door open
ed and closed. Two men, perhaps
three, had entered the car.
"Got away, d-n him." said
voice. "Head for the doctors joel"
Niles gripped the tire on the back
with desperate clutch. The big car
started instantly and was rolling for
the east at high rate of speed. The
engine under it's hood must be of
tremendous power. He had no idea
where he was going but it must be
to some rendezvous of the mob. That
was what he was looking for. If all
went well blue uniforms would smash
in and there might be gunfire. But
the secret of the ace of spades, he
mentally promised himself, should be
solved that night. He knew what
would happen if he were caught rid
ing the rear of the gang car. Gunflre
would blast out Immediately.
At this hour streets were almost
deserted and the car was swerving
around corners and taking block after
block without pausing for traffic. 1t
was getting over onto the East Side
in the Eighties and coming close to
the river. Now and then Niles caught
the tones of muffled conversation COM
ing from the interior, but they taught
him nothing. Then a voice spoke,
harshly and with note of command:
"Stop in the middle of the block, Joe.
Pull out as soon as you drop u.s."
The car jolted over the rough paw
ing, slowing down for the first time,
and Niles saw that they had reached
a quiet side street He braced him
self for an instant and then let go,
falling safely on his feet. Not far
area and he raced for it, knowing
that everything depended on the rap
idity with which he moved. The linn
CUISINE was curving toward the curb
not more than fifty yards dis
tant and it stopped in front of a
tall house with a wide balustraded
stoop. Three men got out and two
of them went swiftly down the street
and out of sight, while the third
mounted the steps and vanished.
THAT will be the nest Of the gang"
Niles told himself softly. "Well, it's
due to be broken into here and now"
He estimated the number of the
house, marked it by pair of stunt
ed. iron-circled trees and slipped from