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CHAPTER VII.
A Japanese at Large.
What was the girl doing out there
In mid-lake In the company of her
nemyT Orme had seen her enter the
house of her friends in Evanaton; had
hidden her good night with the un
derstanding that she was to make no
further move In the game before the
coming morning. She must have left
the house soon after he walked away.
Had she known all the time where
the Japanese was? Had she hunted
him out to make terms with him? If
that were the case, her action Indi
cated a new and unsuspected distrust '
ef Orme himself. Her failure to call .
for help when Orme and Porter came j
up In their launch seemed to show
that her presence In the other boat
was voluntary. And yet Orme could
not believe that there was not some
simple explanation which she would
welcome the first chance to make. He
could not doubt her.
The Immediate thing to do, how
ever, was to find out Just what she de
elred. Suppressing his excitement,
te called out:
"Girl!"
At the same time he turned the lan
tern so that his own face was il
luminated. "Mr. Orme!" she cried, rising from
licr seat. "You here?"
"At your service."
He smiled, and turned his eyes for
an instant on her companion. The
face of. the Japanese was a study.
Ills eyes were narrowed to thin
slits, and his mouth was formed Into
a meaningless grin.
Orme spoke to the Japanese in
French. "Maku has confessed," he
said. "He is under arrest."
The face of the Japanese did not
change.
"Do you understand?" asked Orme,
till in French.
There was no. answer, and Orme
turned to the girl and said, Jn
French:
"I don't think he understands this
language."
"Apparently not," she replied, in
the same tongue.
"Tell me," he went on, "are you
there of your own will?"
"No."
"Has he the papers?"
"I think bo. I don't know."
"See if you can manage to get
past him, and I will help you into our
toat"
"I'll try." She nodded, with a brave
effort to show reassurance.
Orme frowned at the Japanese.
"What are you doing with this young
lady?" he demanded.
"No understand."
"Yes, you do understands You un
derstood well enough when you
lobbed me this evening."
"No understand," the Japanese re
peated. The girl, meantime, had moved
slowly from her position. The two
boats were close together. Suddenly,
after a swift glance from Orme, the
girl stepped to the gunwale and
leaped across the gap. Orme reached
forward and caught her, drawing her
for a brief instant close into his arms
before she found her footing in the
cockpit.
"Splendid;" he whispered, and she
tossed her bead with a pretty smile
or relief.
Porter had been standing close by,
the boathook In his hands. "Is there
unything more to be done?" heabked
of Orme.
"Yes, wait a moment."
The Japanese had made no move
to prevent the girl's escape. Indeed,
while ehe was leaping to the other
boat, he balanced himself and turned
to his motor, as though to continue
the work of repair.
"Now, then," called Orme, "you
must give me those papers."
"No understand." The Japanese
did not even look up from his task.
Orme turned to Porter. "Give me
the boathook," he said, and, taking it,
he hooked it to the gunwale of the
other boat, drawing the two crafts
together. Ills Intention was to uso
the boathook to bring the Japanese
to terms. Dut the Oriental was too
quick. Ills apparent indifference van
ished, and with a cat-like pounce, he
seized the boathook and snatched It
from Ornie's grasp.
The action was so unexpected that
Orme was completely taken by sur
prise. He made ready, however, to
leap In unarmed, .but the Japanese
thrust the blunt end of the boathook
at him, and the blow, which struck
him In the cheBt sent him toppling
backward. He was saved from tum
bling Into the cockpit by Porter, who
caught him by the shoulders and
helped him to right himself. The two
toaU tossed for a moment like corks
tn the water.
. Whaa Crm axaln leaped to tea
if
v MIL
. i f av i . t a . . xy "
gunwaie, tne Japanese was using me
boathook to push the craft apart A
final shove widened the distance to
six or eight feet. The Jump was Im
possible. Even if the boats had been
nearer together It would have been
folly to attempt an attack.
Stepping down Into the cockpit,
Orme bent over the girl, who had
sunk down upon a cushion. She
seemed to be content that he should
play the game for her.
"What is wrong with his motor?"
he said. "Do you know?"
She answered In an undertone: "I
shut off the gasoline-supply. He
wasn't looking. He didn't see."
"Good for you, Girl!" he exclaimed.
"Where did you do It? At the tank?"
"No. Unfortunately the valve is at
the carbureter. Oh," she continued,
"we must get the papers!"
Orme turned to Porter. "Are you
willing to take a risk?" he asked. .
"Anything in reason." The life
saver grinned. "Of course, I don't un
derstand what's going on, but I'll back
you.
"This is a good, stout tub we are
In." Orme hesitated. "I want you to
ram her nose into that other boat."
Porter shook his head.
"That's going pretty far," he said.
"I don't know that there la warrant
for it."
"It won't need to be a hard bump,"
Orme explained. "I don't want to
hurt the fellow."
"Then why?"
"To frighten him .into giving up
some papers."
Porter looked straight into Orme's
eyes. "Do the papers belong to
you?" he demanded.
"No." Orme spoke quietly. "They
belong to this young lady or, rather,
It Looked as Though the Collision
Could Not Be Prevented.
to her father. This Japanese, and the
other one, there on the shore, stole
them."
"What is the lady's name?"
"I can't tell you that"
"But the police"
"It Isn't a matter for the police.
Please trust me, Mr. Porter."
The life-saver stood irresolute.
"If this boat is damaged, I'll make
it good five times over," continued
Orme.
"Oh, it wouldn't hurt the boat. A
few scratches, perhaps. It's the other
boat I'm thinking of."
"It's pretty grim business, I know."
remarked Orme.
The younger man again studied
O'rve'a face. "Can you give me your
word that the circumstances would
Justify us In ramming that boat?"
It flashed over Orme that be had
no idea what those circumstances
were. He knew only what little the
girl had told him. Yet she bad as
sured him again and again that the
papers were of the greatest impor
tance. True, throughout the affair,
thus far, with the exception of the
blow he bad given Maku, the persons
concerned had offered no dangerous
violence. The mysterious papers
might contain Information about
South American mines as little Pori
tol had suggested; they might hold
the secrets of an International syn
dicate. Whatever they were, it was
really doubtful whether the necessity
of their recovery would Justify the
possibility of slaying another man.
Perhaps the girl had unconsciously
exaggerated their value. Women who
took a hand in business often lost the
sense of relative Importance. And
yet, she had been so sure; she had
herself gone to such lengths. Then,
too, the South Americans had hired
a burglar to break into her father's
house, and now this Japanese had
abducted her. Yes, It was a serious
game.
Orme answered Porter. "I give you
my word," he said.
' Porter nodded and tightened his
lips.
"At the very least, that fellow has
tried to abduct this rouni lady." added
IBililiii
IHpiNi
orme.
"All right" said Porter. "Let her
go."
The other boat had drifted about
EO feet away. Orme called out: j
"Hello, there, Japanese. Will you
give up the papers?"
No answer came.
"If you won't," cried Orme, "we are
going to rani you."
"Oh, no!" exclaimed the girl sud
denly. "We mustn't drown him."
"We shan't," Bald Orme. "Dut we
111 give him a scare." Then, In a
louder voice: "Do you hear?"
The only reply was the tapping of
metal on metal. The Japanese, it
seemed, was still trying to find out
what was wrong with his motor.
"Well, then," Orme said to Porter,
"we'Jl have to try it But use low
speed, and be ready to veer off at
the last minute."
"He'll try to fend with the boat
hook," said Porter.
"If he does, I'll get him."
"How?"
"Lasso." Orme picked up a spar
painter that was stored under the j
seat, and began to tie a slip noose, j
The girl now spoke. "I suppose we
shall have to do it," she said. "But I
wish there were a less dangerous, a
less tragic way."
Hardly knowing what he did, Orme
laid his hand gently on her shoulder.
"It will be all right, dear," he whis
pered. If the word embarrassed her, the
darkness covered her confusion.
Porter had started the motor, set
.ting it at a low speed, and now he
was steering the boat In a circle to
gain distance for the charge.
"I've lost the other boat," exclaimed
Orme, peering into the darkness.
"She's off there," said Porter. "You
can't see her, but I know the direc
tion." He swung the launch around and
headed straight through the night
"Hold on tight," Orme cautioned
the girl, and colling his lasso, he went
to the bow.
The launch moved steadily forward.
Orme, straining his eyes in the en
deavor to distinguish the other boat,
saw it at last. It lay a few points to
starboard, and Porter altered the
course of the launch accordingly.
"Make for the stern," called Orme,
"and cripple her propeller, if you can."
Another slight change In the course
showed that Porter understood.
As the lessening of the distance be
tween the two boats made it possible
to distinguish the disabled speeder
more clearly, Orme saw that the Japa
nese was still tinkering with the mo
tor. He was busying himself as
though be realized that he had no
hope of escape unless he could start
his beat
Narrower, narrower, grew the Inter
vening gap of dark water. Orme
braced himself for the shock. In his
left hand was the colled painter; in
his right, the end of the ready noose,
which trailed behind him on the deck
ing. It was long since he had thrown
a lariat. In a vivid gleam of memory
he saw at that moment the hot, dusty
New Mexico corral, the low adobe
buildings, the lumbering cattle and
the galloping horses of the ranch.
There he had spent one summer vaca
tion of his college life. It was ten
years past, but this pose, the rope in
his hand, flashed It oack to him.
Now they were almost on the Japa
nese, tor the moment ne seemed to
waver. He glanced at the approach
ing launch, and reached uncertainly
for the boat hook. Yet It did not
seem to occur to him to yield.
And then, as for the hundredth t!m
he laid his hands on the motor, he
uttered a cry. It was plain to Orme
that the cause of the supposed break
down, had been discovered. But was
there time for the Japanese to get
away? It was doubtful. He opened
the feed pipe and let the gasoline
again flow In. The launch was now
so near that Orme could almost have
leaped the gap, but the Japanese bent
his energy to the heavy fly wheel, tug
ging at it hurriedly.
The motor started. The boat began
to move.
Even now it looked as though the
collision could not be prevented, but
the Japanese, seizing the steering
wheel, turned the boat so quickly to
starboard that the stern fell away
from the bow of the approaching
launch. There was no crash, no hard
bump; merely a glancing blow so
slight that in that calm water It
scarcely made the boats careen.
Then Orme threw his noose. The
distance was less than ten feet, and
the loop spread, quick and true, over
the head of the Japanese. But, swift
though the action was, the Japanese
had an Instant to prepare himself.
Ills right arm shot up. As Orme, Jerk
ing at the rope, tried to tighten the
noose, the hand of the Japanese push
ed it over his head and it slid over
the side Into the water. In a few
seconds the swift boat had disap
peared in the night.
Tightening his lips grimly, Orme
drew the wet rope In and mechanical
ly coiled It There was nothing to
say. He had failed. So good an op
portunity to recover the papers would
hardly return.
Silently be turned back to the oth
ers. Porter had swung the launch
around and was heading toward the
distant lights of Evanston. The girl
was peering in the direction whence
came the sound of the receding boat
Thus, for soma time they remained
silent
At last the girl broke Into a laugh.
It was a rippling, silvery laugh, ex
pressing an infectious appreciation of
the humor of their situation. Orme
chuckled la spite of himself. If she
could laugh Ilka that, be need not stay
In the dumps. And yet tn his mind
rankled the sens of failure. He had
mad a poor showing before her and
vnti aa taugmng. Again me corners
of his mouth drew down.
"1 suppose the notion is amusing,"
he said "a cowboy at sea."
"Oh, 1 was not laughing at you."
hhe had sobered quickly at his words.
"I shouldn't blame you. if you did."
"It is the whole situation," she went
on. "And It wouldn't be so funny, if
it weren't so serious."
"I appreciate it" he said,
she went on. "But truly, Mr. Orme.
I am glud that we did not damage
that boat. It might have been ter
rible. If he had been drowned " her
voice trailed off in a faint shudder,
and Orme remembered how tired she
must be, and how dcepty disappointed.
"Now, Girl," he Bald, bending over
her and speaking in a low voice, "try
to forget it Tomorrow I am going
after the papers. I will get them."
She looked up at him. Her eyes
were Boftly confident "1 believe you,"
she whispered. "You never give up,
do you?"
"No," he said, "I never give "up
when I am striving for something
which I greatly want." There was
meaning in his voice, though he had
struggled to conceal It. She lowered
her eyes, and said no more.
Slowly the lights of shore grew
brighter. After a time Orme could
distinguish the masses of trees and
buildings, grajiy Illuminated by the
arc lamps of tbe streets. He spoke
to Porter in an undertone.
"Can you land us some distance
south of the life-saving station?" he
asked.
"Sure. I'll run In by the Davis
street pier."
"I'll be obliged to you." Orme
sighed. "I made a bad mess of it,
didn't I?"
"Oh, I don't know." replied the life
saver. "We got the lady."
Orme started. "Yes," he said, "we
rot the lady and that's more im
portant than all the rest of It."
Porter grluned a noncommittal grin
and devoted himself to the wheel.
They had saved the girl! In his
disappointment over the escape of the
Jananese Orme had forgotten, but
now he silently thanked God that Por
ter and he had come out on the water.
The girl had not yet explained her
presence In the boat. In her own
good time she would tell him. But
Bhe had been there under compulsion;
and Orme shuddered to think what
might have happened.
He stole a glance at her. She was
leaning back on the seat. Her eyes
were closed and her pose indicated
complete relaxation, though it was
evident from her breathing that she
was not asleep. Orme marveled at
her ability to push the nervous ex
citement of the evening away and
snatch the brief chance of rest
When at last the launch ran up
under the end of a little breakwater
near the Davis street pier, she arose
quickly and sprang out of the boat
without help. Then she turned, -as
Orme stepped up beside her, and
Bpoke , to Porter. "If you and Mr.
Ornio had not come after me," she
said, "thero's no telling whether I
should ever have got back. I should
like to shako hands with you," Bhe
added; and bending down, she held
out her firm white hand.
Then Orme laid his hand on the
life saver's shoulder. "You've ione
a piece of good work tonight," he
said.
Porter laughed embarrassedly. "I
only I an the boat for you," he began.
"You took me at my word," said
Orme, "and that's a good deal in such
a case. Goodby. I will look you up
before I. go baek east."
At the side of the girl, Orme now
walked slowly through the deserted
streets. It was some time before she
spoke.
"After you left me at the home of
my friends" she began at last.
"Don't try to tell about it" he in
terrupted quickly. "You are tired.
Wait for another time."
They were passing under a street
lamp at the moment and she glanced
up at him with a grateful smile,
pleased apparently by his thought of
her.
"That is good of you," she exclaim
ed, "but my story is easily told. Let
me go on with It I explained myself
to my friends as best I could and went
to my room. Then it suddenly oc
curred to me that Maku and his friend
might have come to Evanston by
boat."
"Just as, later, It occurred to me,
"I tnougni tnai me oimn "
might be waiting for Maku. The mo
tor car that we heard there was no
good reason for thinking that our man
was in it."
She paused.
"I know," he said. "I thought of
those things, too."
"It flashed on me," she went on,
"that if I could find the man, I might
be able to buy him off. I didn't be
lleve that he would daro to injure
mo. There are reasons why he Bhould
not. My car had been taken In, but
I had them bring It out, and I told
them well, that part doesn't matter.
Enough that I made an excuse, and
went out with the car."
"You should have taken some ono
with you."
"There was a likelihood that the
Japanese would run if I had a com
panlon. As long as I was alone he
might be willing to parley, I thought,
At least, he would not bo afraid of
me alone. So I went north on Ehcrl
dnn road to the upper end of the low
er campus. There Is a cross-road
there, you remember, cutting through
to the lake, and I turned in. I left
the car near a house that is there, and
walked on to tbe edge of the bluff.
"Moored to a breakwater below was
a boat, and a man was standing near
her. I called out to him, asking what
time It was. He answered, 'Don
know,' and I knew him at once to be
foreign and. probably, Japanese. Bo
I went down toward him.
"' Wcr:. he saw tnat I was routac,
he got into the boat He seemed to
be frightened and hurried, and 1 In
ferred that he was about to cast off,
and I called out that I was alone. At
that he waited, but he did not get out
of the boat and I was standing at
the edge of the breakwater, Just
above htm, before he actually seemed
to recognize me." (
"Did you know him?" asked Orme.
"I never saw him before to my
knowledge; but he made an exclama
tion which Indicated that he knew
me"
"What did he do then?"
"I told hiin that I wished to talk to
him about the papers. His answer
was that, If I would step down Into
the boat, he would talk. He said that
he would not leave the boat and
added that he was unwilling to dis
cuss the matter aloud. And I was
foolish enough to believe his excuses.
If he wished to whisper, I said to my
self, why. I would whisper. I never
felt bo like a conspirator."
She paused to look up at the street
sign at the corner which they had
reached, and turned to the right on
a shady avenue.
"Well, I got into the bont," she con
tinued. "I told him that I my tather
waa prepared to pay him a large sum
of money for the papers, but he only
ehook his head and said, 'No, no.' I
named a sura; then a larger one; but
money did not seem to tempt htm,
thniieh I made the second offer as
largo as I dared.
"'How much will you take then?'
I asked at last Instead of answering,
he bent down and started the motor,
and then I noticed for the first time
that while I was talking we had boen
drifting away from the dock. I made
ready to Jump overboard. We were
near the shore and the water was not
deep: anyway, I am a fair swimmer.
But he turned and seized my wrists
and forced me down Into the bottom
of the boat I struggled, but It was
no use, and when I opened my mouth
to scream, he choked me with one
hand and with the other pulled from
his pocket a handkerchief and tried
to put it In my mouth."
She gavo a weary little laugh.
"It was such a crumpled, uncleaa
handkerchief. I couldn't have stood
It. So I managed to gasp that if he
would only let me alono I would keep
quiet"
"The brute!" muttered Ormo.
"Oh, I don't think he intended to
hurt me. What he feared, ns nearly
as I can make out, is that I might
have him intercepted if he let me go
free. That must have been why he
tried to take me with him. Prob
ably he planned to beach the boat
at some unfrequented point on the
North side and leave me to shift for
myself.
"When your boat came, of course
I didn't know who was In it I never
dreamed it would be you. And I had
promised to keep still."
"Hardly a binding promise."
"Well, bofore he stopped threaten
ing me with that awful handkerchief,
he had made me swear over and over
that I would not call for help, that
I would not make any signal, that
would sit quietly on the Bent. When
you recognized me, I felt that all need
of observing the promise was over,
"Naturally," muttered Orme.
She sighed. "It does seem as though
Fate had been against us," Bhe said,
"Fate is fickle," Orme returned
"You never know whether Bhe will be
your friend or your enemy. But I be
lieve that she is now going to be our
friend for a change. Tomorrow
shall get those papers."
To be continued.
COUNTY WILL SUE THE
CITY OF MOUTH
From Wednesday's Dally.
Cass county has a grievance
against the city of Plattsmouth, aris
ing over the bills filed regularly by
the county against the city for the
board and commitment of city pris
oners. The bill for the month of
December in the sum of $64. 8u was
sent to the claims commfrtce, com
posed of Messrs. Dovey, Sehulhof and
Dwyer, which recommended the al
lowance of the claim In part, allow
ing only 29.80 of the amount at tho
last meeting of the council, which
seems to have been unsatisfactory to
the county board, and this morning
County Attorney Taylor-filed with
City Clerk Bernard Wurl a notice of
the appeal of the case to the district
court. Tho matter will probably romo
up for trial at tho April term, unless
some sort of settlement Is affected
before that time.
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Hoi-ho Shoring.
John Durman desires to Inform
those who need his services that ho
has opened a shop at tho Ora Dawson
place for shoeing horses. Satisfaction
assured.
Constipation Is the cause ot many
ailments and disorders that make life
miserable. Take Chamberlain's Stom
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ELY BROTHERS, 56 Warren St., New York.
NTERTA1NED AT THE
HOME OF MISS W0HLFAR1IL
From Wednesday's Dally.
The young ladles of Mrs. u. w.
Cade's Snuday school class of the,
Presbyterian church met at the home
of Miss Clara Wohlfarth last evening
and enjoyed another evening which.
will long be remembered. Whenever
Invited to the home of Miss Wohl
farth every one expects a Jolly good
time and expectations were fully real
lzed in the entertainment ot .last
evening. An hour or so was devoted
to the Bible Question card game,
which made the time pass all too
rapidly and which has become so
fascinating that a number of the
members ot the class, we fear, hav
been refreshening their memories,
and searching for some of the an
swers to questions given at the for
mer meetings. The young ladles en
tered Into the game with much In
terest and enthusiasm, If not, moro
so, than In previous games. Miss.
Helen Chapman, on account of her.
unlimited brilliancy and memory,
when it comes to names of charac
ters and the like in the Bible, cap
tured the largest numlber of the card
last evening. There are to be ten.
games and the one having captured
the largest number ot the cards at
the close of the ten games, will re
ceive a prize. There was some de
lightful music, both vocal and In
strumental, after the Bible Question
game, contributed by a number ot
the young ladles present, which
assisted In making this entertainment
such a splendid one. The young ladles
also indulged in an old-fashioned
taffy-pull, which was also a pleasing;
feature of the entertainment Some
delicious candy was the result of .
hard and lengthy pull. There were
a large number of tho members ot
the class In attendance, who wer
very much Indebted to Miss Wohl
farth for her hospitality and the de
lightful social time.
ENTERTAINED AT THE
E OF MRS. D. C.
The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Pres
byterian church were entertained la
a most delightful manner at the coaf
home of Mrs. D. C. Morgan yesterday
afternoon. First, the regular busi
ness session was held, after which
the time was Bpent In a social way.
some of the ladles plying the busy
needle, while sociability reigned;
supreme. At tbe proper time a dainty
luncheon was provided, which the
ladles thoroughly enjoyed. Ther
were a large number of the ladles lni
attendance.
Luke Wiles went to the land show
at Omaha this afternoon, and also
looked after business matters which,
demanded his attention in the big
city.
TRUSSES
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Telephone 378 White, Plattsmouth.
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