THE REE: OMAHA, SUNDAY. DECKMDT-'.R 25. 1921.
j f
By Henry C. Rowland
Tnunf Maltha; Holm' ieH boat la wracked
bile be U oo hla iu io Ituml hi untie. Jeremy
Taylor. In patrol An emoruietwr. Landing at
In - Old fuloey plane." he le arreted by inn
ferortoua don and a turty. myafa-riou forcifuf,
and turns tha exiinfulthrr upoo all four, (sun h
la Ukm away in a recn car elloled by ooa Bill
InvKa, who ha IhrUIInf mi. Sylvia Oataa,
dauyhUsr of Fliram Galea, lb millionaire, and
Banc of frrdille Orlicom hae disappeared while
out In bT canoe. Mu-b to hie eurprla. Mall la
reeled eordlahy by Unci Jerry, wbo baa rtaen from
hi aupnoard death bed and married May Upton,
hi pretty nans. Mutt ba been to diafavor with
both tocnum, ernei-tlnf to Inherit Uncle Jerry
fortune, ba had behaved befitted an heir. But
now l'n-lfl Jnrry retard him a a raw-uar, bsrau
beautiful Nanry. bit wife uter, la " runninr ilia
plew." Naii'7 appeare to aril of Sylvia' tfiaappe.ir
an a, and aha and Unit prompt'y rlub la a bulla
of wit. Nancy believe Sylvia either ha been
drowned or hi eloped with Ham Spracuo, tba ehlp
billl'lrr. Matt bohfly aucrta aha baa been kid
naped, and ao atoutly defend hi theory that NinT
whiak him over to tha Galea plwe, where they
leant S100.000 reward ba been offered for Sylvia
ante return. That nlaht Malt, convinced tha oiy
tenon forelroer of th Putney place are tha kid
naper, loada bia fir extlncul'her Into a motorcycle
and la Juil atartlnc out when up bob fancy, earuif,
"I'm (uin(, too." Tbey aet out.
TIIIKD INSTALLMENT.
; The Trail Crow Warm.
THE plan was therefore put Into Im
mediate execution. Uncle Jerry started
for the house In a somewhat crum
pled manner, brusquely declining
Watt's assistance and stating; that the stab
of lumbago would quickly pass. Nancy
. and Matt walked down to the garage,
the girl with a chip on her shoulder, as one
might say, and Matt with the amiable In
souciance of a dog fox trotting warily be
side a new made vixen acquaintance. Ar
rived at the edifice, which was new and spa
clous and boused at this moment a sedan car,
also new, a touring car of some years' earlier
model, and a Ford for marketing and domes
tic service, Matt's eyes lightened a little to
discover also a motorcycle with a side car
standing In a corner.
" Whose perambulator Is thatT he asked, '
"Mine," aald Nancy, and added a little
shortly, " a graduation present from May and
Mr. Taylor." Her blue eyes brimmed sud
denly again. " Sylvia and I came here from
college with It"
" Used to ride a motorcycle myself," said
Matt, "More fun than a car, but wearing
it anything gets out of whack." '
"We'll take the sedan," said Nancy, and,
stepping Into It, seated herself at the wheel,
They rolled out upon the road, and, after
having covered some furlongs In silence,
Matt ventured to remark In his pleasant
Yolce, " Uncle Jerry seems astonishingly fit"
" Why shouldn't he be? " replied Nancy.
"He's got the best care that Is humanly pos
sible and a companionship that he always
secretly longed for and " she turned and
fixed Matt with a challenging stare, "and
Jove."
"That," said Matt, "Is undeniably evi
dent," and at the kindling look In the girl's
blue eyes, he added, " Why ' not? Uncle
Jerry is not really old, and underneath his
affected harshness he Is kind and lovable,
and he la and was and always will be a cul
tured gentleman and very much of a man."
Nancy's red lip curled a little, but the
hardness of her eyes appeared to soften. '
"That sounds well from you," said she,
"when a few months ago you hoped that he
would die."
"I did not hope that he woild die," said
Matt evenly. " I was Informed by the high
est and most expert authority that he was
dying, and I made my plans accordingly.
' Anybody would have done the same."
" Then," said Nancy, ignoring his remark,
"you tiled to prevent his marrying May."
"I plead guilty," said Matt " It was Im
possible for rne to know that May might be
able to save his life and I was unable to
perceive the sense or juBtlce of a death bed
marriage. I considered that as his nearest of
kin my expectations from him had more eth
ical right than those of his trained nurse,
Whatever her merits."
" May knew that she could get him well,
and that the doctors were wrong," said
Nancy.
"Well. I didn't? Matt retorted. "A lay
man Is more apt to take the assurance of
leading specialists than of a nurse espe
cially when the latter doesn't see fit to offer
any."
" Tou might have gone about It more de
cently," Nancy murmured.
Matt sat up very straight " That'll do,
Nancy," said he. "Now, see here. Suppose
Uncle Jerry were to die suddenly, and May
find herself a very rich widow. Then what
If she got 111 and the doctors gave her up
and on her death bed she wanted to marry
some young cub of a medico, that had been
detailed to her bedside care. What would
you do about It?" '
"I'd I'd- " she stopped.
" Say it out" said Matt " Honestly, now,
what would you do? "
"I don't know," said Nancy coldly, then
the corners of her Hps curled up a little.
They quivered as though wrestling to hold
down a smile. " But whatever I saw fit to
do I'd make a better Job of It than you did."
" Quite so," said Matt " Until today I
, have been telling myself that the only thing
to criticize about my efforts was then- dismal
failure."
"Why until today?"
"Because I've changed my mind," said
Matt. " I'm glad now it all turned out pre
cisely as It has."
i Nancy glanced at him with disbelief.
' "Why?" she asked.
, " Because for the first time I believe what
, you say, that May really loves Uncle Jerry,
, and I'm rather fond of the old boy myself.
I'd really a lot rather have Uncle Jerry than
his money. But when I believed it was all
up with Uncle Jerry it seemed to me that I
had a right to the money instead."
' Nancy looked at him again, flushed,
frowned, took another look, and did not ap
pear to be convinced.
. " I wish that I could be stir you are tell
ing the truth." said she,
Matt's eyes hardened. It's not at all nec
essary," said he, "and, after all. I doubt If
you would be able to manage It"
. " Why? " Nancy asked.
"Because," said Matt deliberately, "It is
practically impossible for an individual whose
honescy holds the slightest flaw to believe in
the truth of anybody."
Nancy turned this maxim in her mind, and,
to Judge from the expression of her face and
the slowly rising flood of crimson which
swept over it found it absolutely indigestible.
" I think, Mr. Holmes," said she, " that
after that we have nothing more to say to
each other." '
"As you like," said Matt indifferently; .
" only permit me to point out that you sked
for it and you got it"
For about a mile there was no noise save
the purring hum of the machinery. Then, as
though having gradually worked herself up
to a sublime gesture of self-immolation on
the altar of Justice, Nancy turned to Matt
and said:
" I apologize, Mr. Holmes."
"I have the honor to accept your apology,
Miss Upton," Matt answered cheerfully. " I
beg, therefore, to retract my own last obser
vation." " And you really believe that May married
him because she loved him and was sure that
she could make him well again?
" Of course I do," said Matt heartily. Tott
see, Nancy, while the blending of May and
December is generally acknowledged as a
treacherous combination, it does not apply
in the case of your sister and my uncle. He
is still a far cry from December, and she is
June rather than May. O, come," he went
on In his pleasing voice, "Uncle Jerry is
only fifty and odd, and his wife about thirty,
I should say."
" " Thirty-two," Nancy murmured.'
"Well, that's a couple of years better.
Uncle Jerry is a big, strong man who per
haps because of his very vitality managed to
stand off the slam that most concentrated
business men of his sort get in the forties.
He's In September rather than December,
and you get lots of June days In September."
" If you could write as well as you talk,"
said Nancy grudgingly, " you wouldn't have
to take up selling flre extinguishers."
" Thanks," said Matt, always ready to
drink gratefully the milk of the cocoanut and
disregard tha rough husk, " but perhaps my
smooth talk might sell more extinguishers
than my faltering pen did books. Besides, it
Is a more elevating profession selling extin
guishers, the deut protectria of the home,
the guardian genii of the little ones while
they sleep. The defender of life and prop
erty against the fire devils and the confusion
of the sneaking hound with arson In his
heart and the rampant Red with his bran
dished torch. It is hard to think of anything
nobler than the distribution of extinguishers
like mine." "
With such pleasant converse Matt sought
to distract his companion's mind from her
anxiety until they reached the newly preten
tious Gates estate. Nancy and Matt parked
the car behind a string of others and went
to the front door, where Nancy was Informed
by a man servant stationed there as a sort
of sentry that Mr. Gates was in his study
In consultation with an aviator who had
arrived and was to be sent out, to skim the
surface of the Bay.
The young aviator came out as they were
standing there, Mr. Gates following him, and
at sight of his daughter's chum the harassed
father held out both hands.
" Can we speak to you a moment privately,
Mr. Gates?" Nancy asked. " This is Mr.
Holmes, Mr. Taylor's nephew."
"Tes, come right in," said the stricken
father, giving Matt a limp hand and a nod.
He led the way Into his study and offered
them chairs, then sank into one himself.
"This strain has nearly finished me," said
he "but I can't rest until something definite
is reported."
Nancy leaned forward. " Has any one sug
gested tBat It might be a case of kidnaping?"
"O, yes." he answered, wearily. "That's
all been threshed out and thrown in the dis
card. In the first place, Sylvia would have
kept close' under the lee of the shore with
that puffy breeze coming off the land, and
as the night was fine after the shower in
the afternoon people were moving about and
somebody would have heard her scream.
She's a big, strong girl and could not have
been grabbed up like a child without a
struggle." He looked at Matt "As you
probably know, the properties adjoin along
the shore and the houses are not far apart
Besides, if she's been kidnaped the chances
are that we'd have got some knews of it in
the course of the day and been warned not
to interfere until a ransom had been paid.
We fear the worst" He slumped down In his
chair with a haggard, mottled face.
JVJ'. !l &jHJ tsst
"But she's such a splendid swimmer and
so used to her canoe," Nancy protested.
" The best of swimmers sometimes come to
grief," muttered Mr. Gates.
" But the canoe, sir," said Matt
"What we fear is this," said .Mr. Gates.
"When the wind happens to be strong or
puffy, Sylvia was In the habit of putting a
souple of sand bags in the bow to trim it
down and keep it from blowing off. We
think that she may have broken her paddle
while making a vigoroas stroke and pitched
overboard, capsizing the canoe, which filled
and sank. Then in swimming ashore she
may have been taken with cramp, for the
water is still very cold and she had Just
eaten a hearty dinner."
Matt shook his head. " I -don't believe It
sir," said he. "If what you describe had
happened, the canoe would have spilled her
out and righted itself. I know something
about canoes. And a girl In such good train
ing as your daughter would not have got a
cramp." , ,
Mr. Gates seemed to revive a little and
looked at Matt with a sudden interest. " Then
what do you think?" he asked.
" I am positive that she has been kid
naped, sir," said Matt, and forgetful for the
moment that the sum of his worldly pos
sessions would not have constituted a very
interesting "wager, he added, " I'd bet my
last dollar on it."
" Well," said Mr. Gates heavily, " let's hope
and pray you're right. But If you are, we
ought to learn something about It within the
next few hours. Of course, it's possible that
she may have broken her paddle and been
blown off shore, but in this case it is almost
certain that the swarm of boats out there
would have picked her up or the canoe If
she had fallen out of it But on the off
chance of her having been abducted, I have
Just issued an offer of fifty thousand dollars
for her immediate return and no questions
asked, and her fiance, Freddy Grlscom, has
backed it with another fifty."
"I think that money will be collected, Mr.
Gates," said Matt and there may have been
some curious inflexion to' his voice, for both
the stricken pareat and Nancy looked at him
with a quick, puzzled inquiry. Matt leaned
forward in his chair. " I base this belief
on my own knowledge of canoes and canoe
ists," said he. "As I have Just pointed out,
the mere fact of there being ballast in the
canoe would whip it up instantly before it
had time to fill If your daughter had pitched
out of it. And although you hear a great
deal about cramp, it is actually rare and
usually happens to thickly muscled people.
Take my word for it, Mr- Gates, your daugh
ter is alive and is going to be restored to
you."
There was such a ring of cosjviction in his
voice that the face of the father showed a
sudden gleam of hope. He thrust out his
hand the tears gushed into his eyes.
" By Gad, my boy," said he, " you bring
back my hope."
Nancy rose. She was looking Intently at
Matt, and her expression was far from ap
proving. "I think we'd better go, Mr.
Holmes," said she. "Tou seem to know
what you're talking about and I trust you're
right But if you are, we ought soon to
know for certain, as Mr. Gates has Just
said."
They went out and walked In silence to
their car. As they moved away Nancy burst
out explosively.
"It's all very well to be optimistic, Mr.
Holmes, but when a man has begun to adjust
his mind to a terrible blow, I question if It's
right to offer so positive an assurance as
you did. It makes the final knowledge of
the truth even more fatal."
" But I am positive." said Matt " I was
never more positive in my life about any-
Matt and Nancy could
dittinguith tha dusky,
wolfish forms a they
circled warily about
. . . Matt aimed
the extinguither and
stepped forward.
thing of which I did not have the actual
proof."
" I don't think you've got enough to go on.
"I do," said Matt grimly, and lapsed into
a silence which was unbroken until they
reached the garage. Here Nancy got out
rather sulkily and, ignoring Matt's presence,
started to walk up to the house. Thus aloof
she did not observe Matt's lingering to in
spect the motorcycle nor his pausing at the
door of the garage to slip off one of the
three keys from the ring which was pendant
from the padlock. Then, stepping to a work
bench Just inside the door, he ran his eye
along a rack of tools and, with a look of
satisfaction, selected from these a small
' crate bar," which is a Jimmy with a hooked
end, and dropped it Into the side car of the
motorcycle.
If Matt's host or hostess or fellow guest
observed his preoccupation at dinner, they
ascribed it to the tragedy which had cast
its shadow on them all. Matt had no sup
porters of his sanguine theory, perhaps be
cause it was based partly on the fact that as
a sort of amphibian himself he knew better
than they the capabilities of an expert swim
mer when dished accidentally into the water,
and partly because he had withheld another
and stronger reason for his kidnaping theory
and one which also explained the problem
which had so baffled him in the early after
noon. ;
Twice In the course of the evening Nancy
called up the Gates home to Inquire if there
had been any fresh developments, receiving
a negative reply. Then, as none of them
had the heart for such amusements as cards
or billiards or music, or even conversation,
they retired early. The elderly butler,, an
old friend of Matt's, had supplied him with
some of his uncle's things, and after wait
ing until it seemed to him that the house
hold had quieted for the night and taps
sounded, as one might say. Matt partially
undressed, then clothed himself again in a
suit of dark gray golfing tweeds.
- His next maneuvers might have puzzled
the spying eye, had there , been one. He was
thoroughly familiar with the house from
former pleasant sojourns there, and he now
went out into the hall and made his way to
the housemaid's closet, flashed an electric
torch about and immediately found that
which he sought a bottle of household am
monia. Returning to his room, noiselessly as
he imagined, Matt unscrewed the top of the
extinguisher and replenished its contents to
the mark with the pungent cleansing fluid.
What he failed to observe, however, not
having eyes in the back of his head, was a
door thtt opened softly at the end of the
hall a little beyond the housemaid's closet
and a piquant face which peered out while
a pair of bright blue eyes watched his maneu
vers in mystification.
A few minutes later Matt with the extin
guisher under his arm, slipped out of bis
room again down the back stairs, through
the pantry and dining room, where, opening
one of the long French windows, he stepped
out into the night It was dark and still,
with no moon, but stars twinkling brightly
through the clear soft summer air. Matt
started across the lawn for the garage,
reached in his pocket for the pilfered key
with which he had provided himself, unfast
ened the padlock, and entered. And, scarcely
had he done so when another dark gray fig
ure slipped through the same long window,
flitted silently acros3 the lawn, and, coming
to the garage, ambushed itself behind a
farther corner.
Matt wheeled out the motorcycle, then
turned to close the door to the garage. As
he did to Nancy stepped out from behind
the corner, and as Matt turned he repressed
with difficulty a startled TlP t ftndlnf that
be was not alone.
Well." aaid Nancy In a voice which would
havw been sharp If not suppressed, " what's
the meaning of this? Arc you Raffles or
holdup or something Just starting off to
work, or have you kidnaped Sylvia your
self?" Something In the side car caught
her eye, and. glancing Into It, she saw the
satlngulsher and crate bar. "Well, upon my
word," said she. "Tou choose an odd time
to peddle your wares, and I must say I like
your nerve in helping yourself to my motor
cycle. Bo you are a crook after all! "
Matt groaned. "I might have been
warned," said he. "Uncle Jerry told me
you had your pug nose In very thing." '
"That's a peculiarity of pug noeee." re
torted Nsncy, "Now, suppose you tell me
what you're up to."
Matt's resolution was quickly taken. " I'm
going to collect that hundred thousand dollar
reward for the recovery of Sylvia Gates,"
said he. '
. Nancy gave a gasp. "Then you had a
hand In it?"
, " No," said Matt " but I shall soon have
both hands Jn It unless my deductions are
all wrong."
" Do you think you know where shs Is? "
"I shan't go aa far aa that but I think
I know who grabbed her. I'm going to see
what I can discover."
"I'm going, too," said Nancy, promptly.'
" Tou'll do nothing of the sort," said Matt
" Tou might get croaked."
" Now, see here," said Nancy. " Either I
go with you or else I go to the telephone
and call up the Gates, where there's no doubt
a policeman or two, and tell them that I've
Just caught you sneaking off with my motor
cycle and that you have admitted knowing
something of the whereabouts of Sylvia."
Matt suppressed a groan. " If you do that,"
said he, "you might spill the whole Job,
and there's no telling what might happen
Sylvia."
"Then let me go with you," said Nancy.
"Tou're pretty sure to bungle It alone, and
If you were to get croaked yourself you
might never learn what happened Sylvia."
"There's something in that", Matt ad
mitted. "All right, I'U take you on then.
Tou can wait with the machine while I rec
onnoiter. We'll call it a fifty-fifty Job."
"I'll waive that part of it," said Nancy.
Are you armed? "
"Well, rather," said Matt. "I've got the
makings of a gas attack. It wouldn't be the
first time today that I've advanced through
enemy country and covered my retreat with
. the good old extinguisher. And I've put an
added kick in it."
Nancy sniffed. "'So that's what you wanted
In the houesmaid's closet," said she.
"Quite so," said Matt. "What did you
think I was after, the vacuum cleaner? "
"Well, for all. the inspired Idiots," said
Nancy, " give me a writer of modern fiction.
Are you always like this?"
" I try not to neglect any opportunity for
romantic adventure," Matt answered. " Last
time it cost me my watch and roll, and I'd
like a chance to get even. Hop In."
" You'd better let me drive,", said Nancy. ' ':
Matt turned, and, hooking his thumbs In
his belt, surveyed her sternly. "Now, look
here," said he, " before we start on this expe-
ditlon In quest of the Silver Gates and which
may land me at the threshold of the Pearly
Gates, I want one thing distinctly under
stood. You take your orders from me or it's
all off. At least it's all off so far as you're
concerned."
There was no mistaking the tenor of this
ultimatum.
" All right," said Nancy. " I agree."
" Then come on," said Matt, and started to
wheel the machine out of the grounds. It
occurred to him that since Nancy's coOpera-
tion had been thrust upon him, this might
not perhaps be without its value. He did not
know with how desperate a band he might
have to deal, and should there be some am
bush set, Nancy waiting some distance down
the road might at least report his failure to
return and bring up reinforcements.
A hundred yards beyond the gates they
started the motor and set off, Matt driving
and Nancy In the side car, nursing the extin
guisher. It did not take them long to cover
the stretch of road to the old Putney place,
but within a quarter of a mile of this Matt
cut off the motor, and there being declivity
in their favor, they coasted smoothly almost
to the limit of the estate before coming to a
stop.
They got down and Matt wheeled the ma
jhine into some thick bushes at the side of
:he road.
. "But that is the old Putney place," whia
, pered Nancy.
"Quite so," Matt answered, "but the old
Putneys are not living there, Just now. A
gang of bandits have rented it, and I have
reason to suppose that they are the ones who
have kidnaped Sylvia,"
" What sort of reasons? "
" Three big dogs and a well dressed greaser
looking cuss that tried to prevent my landing
when I hit their beach in my sinking
launch."
" There is' no longer any question," said
Nancy, "about what I have suspected all
along that you are stark, staring mad."
"I was this afternoon when this swine
tried to keep me from using his garaga
phone," Matt retorted. " So were he and the
dogs before I got through with them."
"Hopelessly insane," sighed Nancy.
"These people are South American diplo
mats." " The one I saw didn't show much diplo
macy," said Matt and reached in the side
car for his weapon.
"But they are prominent, distinguished
people, silly."
"He looked extinguished tone In the last
fleeting glimpse I caught of him. Now, look
here, I'm running this show, and you agreed
to obey orders."
"All right" said Nancy, "go on, then, to
.your destruction. .If you'd only told me what
your crazy idea was I wouldn't have lost
my sleep.' But hen I might have lost the
motorcycle, when you get pinched for at
tempted burglary."
" If I'm not back in an hour," said Matt
"you may ride back home and dismiss all
thought of me as a transient episode in your
- young life. Or if you have sny of that sense
which I cannot help but feel lurks beneath
your superficial flippancy, you may stop at
the Gates and report another member miss
ing from the mess," and picking up the ex
tlnguisher he started to walk to the junction
of the front and side barriers to the old Put
ney place. But be had not gone far when
he heard a flutter behind him, and turned
disgustedly to find Nancy following on.
Matt halted.
"Do you call this obeying orders?" he
growled.
"I can't help it." said Nancy. " A man as
crazy as you ought not be let wander about
without a keeper. There's no teltlnf What
might happen some perfectly harmless Pr
son,"
O. all right, then," said Matt desperately.
"Come along, and try to remember that
Hence is golden In awful momenta like this."
At the angle of th wall Matt clambered
up, then reached down an aiiistlng hand to '
Nancy, who scorned his aid, whipping up
and over with the agility of a boy or girl
scout. They started to steal through ths
psrk, but had not proceeded far when they
heard a sudden rush and scurrying from the
gloom ahead.
Matt stopped In his tracks and laid a warn
ing hand on Nancy's arm.
" The dogs! " be whispered.
For a moment or two they stood tense and
listening. The night was absolutely still,
Not a light shone from the big house, which
bulked darkly through the trees. Then Matt's
hypersensitive ears caught a rustle to the
left, and, swinging about he perceived first
one, then two pairs of small dlacs which
shone with a green, lambent light He knew
at once that the perfectly trained police dogs
had effected their stealthy approach with the
nolselessness which waa the herbage of
their lupine ancestors, and that he might
expoct at any second a swift and deadly
rush.
Twice the dogs circled them, drawing in a
little as it seemed to Matt, though still be
yond the range of fire darrip and cleansing
fluid. For some reason the big Harlequin
Dane was not with them, the great brute
possibly guarding the Interior of the house
Then suddenly the movement of the dogs
ceased, and, straining bis eyes. Matt eould
see their bodies crouched close together di
rectly between where be and Nancy stood
and the corner of the house. Not daring to
attack a human creature whom they had
learned to be provided with so foul a means
of defense, tho protectors of the place may
have decided that at least they might chal
lenge his nearer approach. Or they might
be organizing for a swift attack and deter
mined to force the Issue, Matt aimed the
extinguisher and stepped forward.
The result was precisely as he had antici
pated. There was a low growl, almost in.
audible, and the sudden scurry of feet as tha
two animals launched themselves in his di
rection. Suppressing a yell of excitement
Matt shoved down the piston rod of the ex
tinguisher with a slight lateral motion of its
muzzle, exactly as, not so many months be
fore, he had, as a United States marina,
played his machine gun on an enemy attack.
And In the present case the result was no
less gratifying. There came a series of muf
fled strangling coughs and sneezes and chok
ing gurgles as the contents of the admirable
Invention, reinforced by the potent fumes of ,
Btronger ammonia, found their objective.
' For a moment Matt was afraid that hit
reinforcement of the latter might spoil It all,
as one of the dogs showed such symptom
of distress that It seemed as If his wallowing
and choklngs and thrashings about In tha
laurel bushes could not fall to be audible t
any within the house. Matt, heretofore an '
ardent dog lover, though with this generous
emotion somewhat strained by the events of
the day, could not help but admire the splen
did disciplinary tralulng of the .dogs taught
the constant observance of silence.
But the paroxysm was quickly over. It
was, in fact, precisely similar to that of s
dog trained to the extermination of " var
' mints " about the premises of their first en
counter with a skunk. In such event not
even an untrained dog ever lingers to bark
at his antagonist as he might at a curled
hedgehog or porcupine. He has tasted of Its
savor, and it is enough. The canine victim of
so unfortunate an experience seldom goes so
far as to return to Its master with a plea for
sympathy or succor. It appears to find It
self not only discomfited but disgraced, and
might even, from a distance which assures a
large margin of safety, watch the polecat
continue on its way to the chicken house la
disgusted silence. It desires to eradicate that
particular episode from its dottier of animal
record. ...
Such now appeared to be - the casuistry
which governed the subsequent behavior of
the "chiens policiers." They dissolved Into
the gloom, like the silent dusky wraiths
which had emerged from them", and Matt felt
convinced that all danger from this source
was at an end. He turned to Nancy with
a stifled chuckle.
" Don't ever try to knock this admirable i
Invention again," said be.
A quavering voice replied to this Injunc
tion. " Lunatic what next?"
" Follow me," whispered Matt "Hold on.
I'll squirt a little of this Elixir of Life on
your clothes, so that if we get separated you
will be. immune from all danger of canine
violence. This stuff Is sure bad medicine for
dogs."
' They continued on their furtive way. Then,
within fifty yards of the big brick house
Matt stopped suddenly and reached back
with a warning gesture. His hand fell on
Nancy's face and he snatched It quickly
away as if through the association of recent
ideas he dreaded a bite.
" Ssh! Ssh!" he whispered. There was no
need of this warning, for the faint sound
which had struck Matt's ears became sud
denly a noise. There came a sort of muf
fled clatter, as though an oar had been
dropped or a plank end or something of the
sort Then through the trees they saw a
flicker of light from one of the boathous
windows. It vanished instantly in a manner
to suggest the brief use of an electric torch
or possibly a dark curtain from within
brushed tor a moment aside.
It had been Matt's Intention to force on
of the windows of the house with his crata
bar, get Inside, and overhaul the building
from attic to cellar, even at the risk of a per
sonal encounter with the inmates.
Matt's xeal was by no means wholly In
spired by the big reward which Mr. Gate
had mentioned. The sight of his parental
suffering had deeply affected Matt, naturally
kind of heart But a highly Important fac
tor was Matt's conviction that If be should
succeed in rescuing Sylvia Gates through hla
own acumen and daring and unaided by tie
police, then hla relations with Unci Jerry
must be restored on foundation so solid
that no domestic Influence could henceforth
unseat them.
Uncle Jerry end Hiram Gates wer friend
from boyhood, and Unci Jerry felt a good
deal toward Sylvia as he might have toward
a daughter, hence May' withholding of th
news. So Matt felt certain that to accom
plish his object must surely restore him in
Uncle Jerry s affection and in hla will. ,
: :. ,t .,:... .
Copjrifht : By H.nry C Rowland.
