The evening world. Newspaper, February 18, 1914, Page 17

leatLer case f had given him, and extracted from it a long hair of a beautiful red-gold color. “Look at that! I found it in the spruces above there. Plang took it gently in his great fingers. He was visibly much moved. For a few seconds he held it without speaking, then, "That grew on Vir- ginia’s head sure onough, Joo. In it . bossible my girt ts alive?” » “She is, sure! Don't be afeared, you'll soon have news of her. I can promise you that, Mr. Planx. This wasn't no case of murder. It's just an abduction. They'd never be such fools on to kill her! ‘They're cuter than that. Jen't she your ay ot if ‘They'll hold her to big ransom, their game.” An ugly look came inte Plant's eyes. “That's their game,Bs it? I'm not A man that it is to milk | Oe tne See rom ime was ing too dark for Joe to work any longer. crossed the lake with Planx, and night Joe and I camped near the end of Loar orem sg Lake, where a stream flowed it. CHAPTER V. ‘We're not far from the little water- own ie near je Jand. Case of Miss Virginia Planx. said Joe. “I want to get. back “ AD Mise Virginny any jew- {" ber, we and this @iry on her?” asked Joe. But after events altered bis inten- “A wateh and a neck- tions. . * At dawn, while we were having mee 2 oy broakfast, Joe stood up and stared ‘What vatue' into the trees that grew thick behind “Beven or eight hundred dollars.” us. As he called out I looked back “Hoh,” ead November refiectively. and saw the indistinct figure of “and what aid you do after finding 414 jeckoned and we approached him. her hat?” T saw he was young, with a pale f We trailed the two villains until and rather shabby town-made cloth: got on to eome rocky ground. Peas Me you remember Walter Cal- they y, November?" he said, hi Tt was too dark then te do more, #0 jig ‘hand. “I was with you and Sr ‘we returned. Ed (he’s the Lenphaereced ind—and—her last year in the of my two guides) got away rhe he ‘Huh, yes, and what are you doin te eee if he couldn't puzzle out the ),.,. “yt,” Caivey? asked Joe shake 4 for your place.” re * “We've only three hours daylight soe °UY® 7° cause to fret yet.” ead “they're not ‘Which we did, the huge Planx, for ut with you, and if we can find all his unwieldy build, keeping up wonderfully well. word for oe’ In about an hour we reached the Me @ roguish look. “Why, I've got a river, A man was standing on tho She's not dead! Take my jut. Rive me a hundred dollars for!" Hi “any luck, Ed?” shouted Planz. of house and see if thero’s any any one could read them—the slender It was easy for ‘The same fest of the victim and the larger do that,” added Calvey bitteioe ne” °° ten to this febtprints of the two men. The fisa- 0 out and start into business 7 advised Joe. “I'll wend you the girl had tried to defend herself could induce Calvey to leave us, #k made one or two casts up and down fig a hand in spiriting away Vir~ the bank, hovering here and there ginia, Presently 1 asked him. gald Too, while Planx stood on the top of the Joe shook his head. “He couldn't “fT: Planx?” “Bhe started fishing about an acre heots and his clothes—he was bred | Nrom the twion, and the necond time lost ber ginny's choice for all fly, She had a fish on after that, but alnrt now, Mr. Quaritch, just whe: “You hi never Innded it,” watd Joe in reply. T found that bit of gold caught in a a can “Bah! How do you know all this?” branch that hangs over the little cul Planx. stroam up above there, You see, she “First time her tracks show where jopt her hat, and @ ohe dinengaged her hook from a tree; tot of hair, next time I sce the hook sticking in & no tracks. of the lig! has a splendid and the rasp for they come down the returned by h. Firnt nho runs upstream, as high as her head. I gu . (eee ticwn, then up again, then back be link guessed she'd of the hut. bit of no circleo—must have been pranch.’ a about like th Now let's got to tho we heard the voice of Planx roaring door, November literally nosed his way jing along at an extraordinary pace in pered Planx. two men showed faintly here and there on the softer parts of the ,14,, ground. tot! me- “Looks as if thoy was toting so} He held a long stick or wand in his visor maske, ried her. Stop! They set her down sitoiiy split, and a scrap of paper moccasins, a opel. natather foment brought us over #t oi ae clare: “Eventn’, the rise and in sight of Mooseshank Lake. 1 halted involuntarily. ‘The lake lay black and still upon the knees of a great mountain, For- esta climbed to the margin and looked per down into its depths on the one aide; a A ‘ or the water lapped In slow You must pay to get your fing her, wi eastions ‘on a beach of stones, that daughter back. If you want our looking for To this no Hiackguards must have coi 1h ‘ht and put it there. hat have they said in the pa- make you an Giifts. Sunshine yet blazed upon tho on Black Lake to-morrow night. pang. '. The place seemed up, sure. Don't try to track u Sided tor the soane ‘ote tragedy. or we will make it bad for her, the canoe, ‘Tho decp slide of a Moc «ho ground Indian fashion,” sald T, Q2c hat prt tamined foot In the mud seeined 10 for t had geen letters of Indiana made *“orngss ure Joe touched the — «T conjectu “pregging? ‘There's no use 4rag- the canoe handy.” , that water goan plumb down to ends of the wand veyed Inst year by Wilshere's people, — “There's plenty of spruce like that jv and they could get no soundings. right here,” objected Planx: “why do After that we wont round to the you say it’ was cut near their camp?” other aide of tho lake, and saw the “ “1'g cut and split with a heavy axe, eached canoe, The two rete Of puch as no man ever carries about moccasined tracks showed clearly with him. Well, we'd best do no more volver, But of a two-year-old stony landslip over to-night, thon?” said Planx, pointing after Joe, "You some five miles from Wilw can hear it." us hie plan of apaign, Jt was a Without ints. on the mud. “Those were made render of his d fyll-atzed \ of shooting t kidnappers if they a thunde ald Joe, ‘maybe T can tell refused or demurred. Joe, about’ that later. But IF “There are three of 1 them easy," sald i. " ber Joe shook his heag. to wonder at wehter under threat died awa: se + rock. match in Canada! Tell me"— with his silent, Indian-like guide, Pianz turned to Joo. “Five thou- " “I can't wait to tell you and you Movements as inaudible as those of eand Gollare if you lay hands on can't ‘wait £2 ‘hear. Light out now. muddeniy Tyrene ont in ithe But and man - them,” he said. “You, Ed, go back heathy for one ee mane te Oe dJoo's volee called us. . “You're right! He hat: we entered e door saw Joe ‘won't marry Schelpere ct the, had kindled a lantern and was point- the Combine, He hasn't let ing to a piece of paper which lay was already at work By nd more thane erie on the rough-hewn table, @ my partner in busi- Planx seized upon it. enal off toward the top Arai ‘ oe a middie joint, had been lett Word first thing i know for certain”, ‘tout. If you agree to this, wa: where it had fallen. It seemed as if But it wan some time before he {he lantern three times on. the with it. After he had gone I wondered You sive zon, oath to let us come > 1 ‘ xd and go freely.” When he oxamined this spot, Joe whether Joe suspected him of hav- fr told you they were no fooln,” “What's the ordera now, ireen spruce Wood, an oasy questt A Ven of the world, It was sur- out near their camp,” he suid, Planx in Sits slow tones, “In fact and we can November faced the storm with 5 entirely placid aspect until I near such big fools as ” “y , you think them,” he remarked. left,” ead Joe, “Let's travel.’ “What? When they've killed her! 7 "we had stopped on some high ground in the shelter of the woods, from Shieh wo ont (od the PE janx took a look round with gray eyes BaV© his fold glass, thing hore in ‘3 “No sign of life anywhere,” he so'd. . fred Role aoe youd in fact, when we approached it hold the red-gold hair ug to the light after darkness had fallen, the place rising sun. fecnee sctlie ly cecer tat pif Sa k from hei 4 lens, Joo signed to us to wait while he “Couldn't find another sign among You coulan'y ‘aod ite Went on to reconnoltre, He vanished his writing as before, Lis- and gloomily watchod him. have done it if he wanted to! He's . Planx handed Joe the lantern. “Go Now and then he asked a question. a good young chap, but look at his ®"d wave the lantern. door of the hut wo line hung rir. Watched November an he walked downstream, fot her hung UP on @ pavement, but he’ Mite down to the lake, At the third swing voice hailed him. ar?) They were waiting In "eaid Planx to me. “That's te.” Then followed the splash of padding of the frosted rushes an ind so when I could find the canoe took the shore, Joe had this timo and hung up . As to the fish, it’s plain hed of the stream—I searched ‘bout the lantern so that it lit the whole Then the three of us to catch her hair in & wtond together at one side of the a heavy fe eee made her move put we had hardiy started when Our visitors hesitated outside the in the wood below us. He was com- “There are only two of them,” whis- along. The moccasined tracks of tho goite of his ungainly, rolling stride. As he spoke, a short, bearded man, aw: “You were right, Joe, Virginia fe in a thick overcoat, stepped into the It Is a case of abduction, See light, followed by a tall and strongly what T have here.” bullt companion. . Both wore black with fringe covering tho thing,” said Joe, “They must ‘a car- jong ne ton of the wand was mouth. I noticed they were shod in said the tall man, who was throughout the spokesman. one made any reply, a0, after a second or so, he wont on. “My partner and me is come to offer, Mr. Planx. We've sked November. got your daughter where you'll nevor re you'd never dream of @tretohed beneath bare and towering terms, come to the old log camp “Don't be too sure of that,” growled treeto; but the inke was already No tricks. We have you rounded The tall man passed over the re- mark without notice. “If we agree on &@ bargain, she alk November had pushed on to the Joe took the stick and examined It 1,9 rot, spot where footprints and other niga with care, trom the time, the price tn paid over, showed where the men hud entered = "phoy meant to leave It struck in And that price is one hundred thou- our terms. The question fen of the effort it required to svt conspicuous In this way by lonely fap ee era Our terms. n SOR Ri erabarked. hanks of rivers and other places ter, urde younot?’ vor anuse ey took her out on the lake and where wandering hunters pass, ihe haxé ineitent wae ai awitt an murdered her!” groaned = Fianx. — phoy meant to do that, but found i: was unexpected re that is something of n to answer,” said On the word he slipped out a re- quick as was Planx's hand to carry out the impulse of his brain, Joe's was quickor. He knocked on the strip of mud by the water, but tracking till we nee the chaps that ‘Me revolver from Pianx's gra the tumbled debrin } me “You treacherous dog, Planx!" erled ware neon lost tn the has Mise Virminny. I'e Black Lake ow, ildnepper, “Is that how you keep trailing appeared quite Impos- Yen, ty e by the alder swamp falth? Well, we have ua reply to that, Tible ‘November was busy about thin that's went of Wilshere’s place suid £00. We offered to ive up the girl landing place for a longer time than ianx, for one hundred thousand dollars, T expected, then he crossed the land- He stayed talking for a while, and NOW we make the price une hundred alide at right angles and disappeared nfter he was gone we shified our 4d fifty thousand!” . fvom our view. camp to a mor mvenient spot ana Ui never pay u cent of it!" shouted “There's u stream over there comex waited for the evening. Plans, fm a little waterfall from the cliffs.” Biack Lake lies at a «i of “When you come to change your nd mind,” replied the kidnapper quietly, fg “just hang a white handkerchief on That wan all the conversation that hut had been built for the conven- One of the trees at the edge of this ed between un until Joo returned. fence of the occasional Aahermen who Wood. Then put the money in notes je came hurrying toward us, Vinited it, Starting early, we came in i that tin on the whelf, Leave us “Say, Mr. Planx," be began, sight of the lake while the glow wan two clear days and you'll get your what in it?” still in the western aky. wirl back safe, Hut if you monkey, dead.” * On the way, Planx made known to !t will be the worge for her.’ nore words the two then, like the explosion of orm, Plunx opened upon his patience. But D and followed har tracks to that littis fatr came on and he Test, an ja" rac) on ve me no waterfall stream, Sas ENING. WORLD found the golden hair. So far, you ee, he is so clever he wo see, everything fitted in together as my bills, no matter how Neary te geod as the jaws of a trap, and the ho nover let ine have more than 9 meseage on the bit of paper about a ta my pocket, so that 1 was helplens. ransom carried it further on. So did I could never see Walter, nor could the talk we had with Harper—it I hear from him, and ail the time must have been him did the speaking Schelperg was given the run of t ~Mwhen t knocked up Pi Nove “When inocked up Planz's re- November was audibly Na dl 1 si) wruseertsy sorry to have and so waa I, LA baobab das to do It, it @ protiise is a promise, “Then ono day this notion came to and he'd passed his word for a safe- me, I planne: Gondust. “After, when my eyes fell to help ns en ut and Got Hank upon the trail by Harper's part- “Yo sher, I knew er done right smart at it, Mise Vir- better act ginny! fn my hte.” “E arranged the broken rod, and “Explain, Joe Hfank and his brother carried ine to. “That trail showed ma I'd been the canoo, then they got out on the wrong in my notions of the business, other wrong from beginning to end.’ up near ne? you said your- to put the police or whoover self, it fits in all Ad be nont after me off my trail. “Did you take any notice of that hurt I didn’t deceive you, Joe.” trail?” inquired Joe. “But you did right through—till you “It seemed an ordinary trail, with como to Back Lake,” Joo assured her. nothin “But did you not recognize mo ; “Wean't thereat It ye em . then? pie cried, “and Ta put on a can tel uu, i ! pair of lank’ ee, ail the weight waa in the middie {racknt” hess cata aedbnucitalntia the moccasin, The heels and toes = November explained, and added the a stor; of Win cinininnal by Planx. “Well, it's Incky you were there, pecting me to see the meaning of this anyhow, or we'd have had poor Hank peculiarity, but I ehook my head. shot. That fixed me in my determin- “It meant that the foot inside the ation to wet the money. I want it for moseaain was a. es poo Coo good Waite T want to make up to him for “you can't : t per a my father has made him “Yon,” joe. “The recon se Oi . gon at Black Lake wasn't a man at toun es idl Nl oan ill J all, but just Mise Virginny herself! “If you mean that he knowe any- “Well, 1? that was so, why, she had bout it, you're absolutely the game in her hands then—she had exclaimed Virginia pasaion- OF lee fhe knew, do you think he'd Joe interrupted me. evor take the money? It'n going to Here was another sort of game. ie pont to him without You see, I'm pretty sure that Mine Pe i ie commas teoae rake Nirginny has kidnapped herself, oF toe ia ng strafgnt n man am yourselt,” ei * ghe added, proudly. “You know him, je waited for this amazing state. and yet vou sunpected him! ment to sink in before he continued. T didn't way T did. 1 was asking “The minute I come to that fact T for information,” said Joe, submis- knew that my notion about her being Mivery. “But you haven't got the covered with their rifles at the lake money yet of the lake and I trait.” hands, : ; ‘ a “No! But I'll get it tn time,’ “Did he I heard about Virginia—how could WWHESKETH PRICHAROs Rod all (OAL wae Orone. Paced. 8 alla pte al aah He bad not returned when Tatart- 1 keep away after that?” exclaimed AI) oG Hbe had just paddled found and joing! 4s ai ond alien Virginia trl- come to think over it careful, I saw wmphed. She received her ransom in at last he spoke, the other fell dumb, how I might raise the name of the full, and it Is to be doub it Mr. as if Joe had struck him. man that was helping hi Tanx ever had an idea of the trick ‘That's settled, Mr. Planx. You've does not look an easy thing to played on him. And I'm Inclined to done with me, and I've done with think Mr, Walter Calvey tm still in you. Now, quiet dow id out!" the dark, too, as to the Identity of his Planx opened his lips as if to speak, camp «nonymoua friend. But two things but, seeing Joe's face, he changed was anything of Miss Virginny's are certain: Miss Virgina Calvey hin mind and rushed from us into missing from her room. Sho sald happy wom ind Hank Harpe the darknoss, there wasn’t. Then I saw my way # doing well on a nice two-hundred At once Joe put out the light. “We bit. I was in the woods with acre farm for which he pays no rent. can't trust Planx just at the moment. Virginny last ¥ He's fair mad. But i have him mighty particular perso CHAPTER Vi. back in half an hour to show him the things. 1 don’t believe she could live way to Wilshere’s,” he remarked with a day without a sponge and a comb, The $100,000 Robbery. a chuckle, and most of all without a toothbrush Sh fat And in fact this was exactly what —none of them high-toned gals can. 66 WANT the whole affair happened. It was a subdued but atill Isn't that so?” % kept unofMcial and secret’ ® very resentful Planx whom we ‘Yes, that in sc but”—— isp said Harris, the bank escorted through the dark woods, On ‘Well,” went on November, “if al maaaner our way back to our camp Joe made went of her own free will, as | w * a detour to examirie the tracks of the thinking she did-—or else why did s! i J kid) ashy | the ht of the lantern come to Black Lepper lt as Mess a4 Ho wan neated on the ex- getty orale ttn bile lctas wag right In iny notion: cidnepper treme edge of a chair in the mana- case = de out the plans and kidnapped ee % or Herself. the man who was with her ger's private office, looking curtously “7 would be only just her servant, in & out of place in that prim, richly fur- died them for a long time. manner of speaking. And I was cer- Jisned room. ” tain that one of the first things sho'd "'", . ea he ath ee mete “ee veiee do would be to send him to some ‘The truth is," continued Harrin, oe Moccasina— here are the foot- store to buy the things she wanted “we bankers cannot afford to have prints of one of the same men as wo most. She couldn't get her own from our customers’ minds unsettled. There % 5 Planx's camp without giving herself et gat) 4. Sal EMS es away, 90 she was bound to a vend Hanke jae fapcel, et eee aerting Morea. oe Se aee ei aae hen ie rural districts, who would be @oared rom “What happened then?" out of their seven senses if they ay were he ‘rejeined arm Sena in “1 started in on the stores round- knew that this infernal Ceci! James fe then ever. I've got to find Miss about this country, and with luck | Attersun had made off with a hun- re.” stepped into t if it ff and asked if any one had been buy- trust us again. ‘ Cin tretiuer'to Plana? 4 ing truck of that kind. ‘They told me “A hundred thousand dollars te a ‘“Phat's so, and I bave another rea- Hank Harper. I asked just what. wonderful lot of money,” agreed Joe, gon agin’ They said a hairbrush, a comb, @ “Our reserve ia over twenty mHil- baa t ie it? couple of toothbrush ind some oth- fone, two hundred times a hum “phat I'll be speaking to Miss Vir- er gear. That wan enoigh for me. thousand,” replied Harris grandilo- herself before to-morrow ey weren't for Mra. Hank, who's’ quently. said Joe quietly, nor, having a half-breed woman, and don't al. | Joe smiled in his pensive manner. dramatic announcement, ways remember to clean herself o' “That fo? Then | guess the bank would S y more. Saturdays.” wea be hurt if Atterson escapes,” The next morning Joe was early «7 gee," said I. oe 0. ¢ shall be bitterly disappointed if “The things was bought yesterday, Mian t6 Ne poegete te hat are you going to do to- ay {t all fits in, and there's no more you permit him to te ee te . left to find out but why Mise Vir. part m going to find out the name of ginny acted the way she has, - eer wae Mare hae Qua bial | elf ali ar sedis manager of the Quebeo Branch of the ritch, I'll come back as soon ae I've Tt was well on toward 10 o'clock re one oF Cangde, bad Tene oie done it. You've got your rod and that night before we hed Harpe! at tha tina bullding ng Caine port there's plenty of fish in the lake.” cabin on Otter Brook. At first we aca che ce ay ercmartian YT eaee ‘With that I had to be content. knocked and knocked in vain, but at Joo a telegram, with the reunit that ‘Through the pleasant morning hours length a gruff voice demanded an- Within five bourse of tte padiang Ar | I fished, but my mind was not on ly what we wanted. -o. walked the twenty miles Into Quebec the ‘aport. Instead, [ was pusaliing ‘Tell Mise Virginny Planx that No- ond was now with me at the bank over the facta of the disappearance vember Joe would like a word or two joa4y to hear Harris's account of the of Miss Virginia Planx. Before start- with her.” robbery ing, Joe had lald a bet with that On the wordn the door opened and a "n8'h anager cleared his throat and he would come back with the name vivid, appealing face locked OUt. began with a question: inde! con in, dear Joo,” said a honeyed geen Atterson?” ‘aloe. “Thank you, Miss Virginny, I will,” J trail of the two men and the golden said hair, very little more. Yet November We entered. A lamp and the fire had committed himeclf in the matter, lit the interior of a poor trap- and he was not a man to talk until per'e cabin, and lit up also the tall he could make good bis words. im form of Miss Virginis Planx. must own the hours passed very She wore a buckskin hunting skirt up a fresh batch of slowly while the sun reached and belted in to her waist, and her hart dollar and five-dollar bills, av we were then began to decline from the genith, ous heir hung down bay eg ae short ‘About 2 o'clock I beard November thick and heavy plait. je held o It happened that in the same wat hail me. Dar Pane te Oe. ne to give me away, (eale, was a number of bearer, uD 2" 1 called on 8 + curities, erson soon broug! Sen hn ethio eewas® alle donr Joe, are you?” wald abe, fell fYou pay, Mr. Quaritch,” said Joe. | "You've given yourself away, haven't yyy, ‘That was about noon on Hat- “Why, who Ie it, then?” you, Mise Virginny?” in the Uday. We closed at 1 o'clock, Ye “A fellow called Hank Harper.” Dee eeca "k ean tbat terday, Monday, Atterson did not turn i " dot him. He passes a up. 1 went down he strong YT tan of Bis ls 1 haven't. But can I speak before room and found that over $100,000 in for a man of high character.” {hin gentleman?” Joo laughed, “All the same, he's ‘Nin Benton | ouch for my dle- pete and bearer securitice were mise- the chap who done it," said he. “ expect he'n got her up at bis cabin on cretion. while Hank, Harper nursed 1 communicated at once with the Otter Brook.” nround, where also one could discern Police and they started to make in- “Look here, November,” I said. tie dark face of the half-breed “uiries. I munt tell you that Attor- “You tell me Hank Harper is tn the gitiew #08 lived in « boarding house behind kidnapping business, and I belleve "40%, 5 . Mra, the Frontenac, No one had seen him Hecause Ive never known you pyaccerae 6 shoes two, plone. MON on Hunday, but on Saturday night a ak without solid facts behind were drinking it she told us her fellow-boarder, culled Collings, re- ; but I think you owe me the orte Attersun as going to bis room hole yarn.” rd of old Mr, Schel- @bout 10.30. Hoe was the last person Joe pulled out his pipe. “All right, pore, of the Combine?” she began, Who suw him. Atter poke to Mr. Quariteh, We've some time to but ‘ay’ father wanted to force me ta him and said he wae off to spend in, anyway, before we need ars ‘° inarry tim. Why he's fifty by the Sunday on the sopth shore, From go to Harper's, and Fo pene one me look of him, and. . I'd much that moment Atterfon has vanished in showing y i how ‘ fon Tee 4 rather drown myself than marry Didn't the police find out anything begin at the, Dennnae: ‘it ars _ further?” inquired Joe, “I s'pose they two of them. One's this nan Harper, “There's younger and bet ok- wired to every other pollee station I don't know who the other is, and it ing boys around, I surmise, Mise Vir- within a hundred miles?” Gon's muah matter. 18 we Oud Harper kdnny?" returned November, mean- “They did, and that {a what brought we ner. ingly, " “Why, Joe, it's no use blinding you, ried her off. I've already told you for you remember Walter Calvey, that a man t happened until they took to the "t you? tion of Atterson was seen by a farm- noe, They paddled across the taki jure! fo it's him, That'n good, ar walking along the Stoneham ron On previous night Harris, the < “Anyways, she wasn't when she simple one, He would get the men imasked men left the hut, and before ana the two men fot out, leavi . passed here. ; into the hut, and speak them fair long wo heard the sound of thelr Mien Virginny in the cance to paddle Via went’ pe wa out of hin busty [nd heading north, on Munday mora “Then where are hor tracks?" de- till a favorable moment presented Paddles upon the water. For a tow herself round and land elsewhi plielty, “Then let's get back to the robbery. Planx, pointing to the foot- itself, when he would demand the sur- momet we listened until the noise But surely she could have es- “I must tell you all, or you won't Why are you so plumb sure Atterson caped," I cried. undoratand what I did or why I did done it?” “she was under their rifles, and it. My father ruined Waiter, because “The notes had to do exactly whi there on Baturda; ft where she’ do you 5 ‘@ my business to know. I saw ) and it was there I T could not etand it any longer. You them myself.” that would anyhow put off our ma: riage. Thon, when November Joa nodded, t big store at Lavette dred thousand dollara, They'd never 80! # Lhad sent bim for with the According to November, the thief By Hesketh Prichard.4.3 AUTHOR OF “DON Q, bt i “Huh! © © © And go ong else down, re wae ae te the agp deny oh nein, ight, " reon. second clerk-- w ustac! ~ it is a rule that no employee may tw days’ eroeth ot bee : nef fa | vieit the Cog room alon ~~ Pele aunk upon his chest in aire, tu of th do.” “And it was never out of your poa- We crept upon him. wenston?” leapt foPward and, indeuffs of the man‘ er.” “How long has Atterson been with cri the bank?" t il Atterson, T° “Two years odd.” 4 Atterson sprang Mee Rt fae “Anything ag'in’ him before?” wire, hin face went dead white “Nothing.” stood quite still for a moment. At thia point a clerk krfaeked at dased, thon he said in a the door and, entering, br in voles; some letters, “Harria stiffen he “Got me, Agen the writt Ay! one of them. m 7 le cut it open and, when the clerk that vouiee: was gone out, he read aloud: rrying, ‘answored Hoban Dev resign ‘There wan another pause, al my eplendid: and Iwerative port: Ry the I'd like to heat" eae tion in the Grand Ranks of Can- actly what I'm charged % ada. It ina dog's dirty life; any- A ali. way It ts go for a man apirit. said Hobson, You can give the week's acrew know! Theft of one hundred hat's owing to me uy milk dollars from the Grand Ganks, Mi and bath buon for the next meet- as well hand them over und put ing of directors, i Yours truly, ™ i can take all the troub said the prisoner, ui junday, 9.30 A, M. Hobaém plunged his band “It looks Uke Atteraon’s the thief,” terson's pockets and searc! remarked Joe. thoroughly, but found nothf Rate. always been sure of it!" cried = “Th jarria. “Try his pack.” 1 i yen wen ee lt he ae From the pack November T'm inclined that way becanse “At- brea salty metab. OF wmuttoe Y tergon had that letter posted by & was alli: Pet) 4 > con—con-—what's the word?" "where have you hidden the ett 3 sondederate ?" Hobeor. “You've got lt. He wan seen here tn oavaoeny ‘Atterson la ' 3 town on Saturday, at 31.80, andi te | + he couldn't have posted no letter in Ki- hepa. * ay owe dows. oa bom, thes in ee io the Mi A.M. pnd and I'm glad they've been hit by 3 junday wn’ x ne there on the Tovclock exprera on Baturday eve. One, tong I'm not the man. ning. Yes, Atterson’s the thief, all right, And if that wan he they saw Stoneham ways, he's had time te get thirty milon ef bugh between us and pie, ane hwy hes rinh' oy he’ on the Labrador, douht you'll see your hundred thousand dollars again, — |,No. I'm Atterson, right enourt.” “Rah! = peat chance Is to show us you've bid he stad. Your eounest nook ty ena. Pe you wae beets ut that in your favor at your © on hie traci could,” ea! +) he, “but up there in the Laurentides “I'l not taking any advise ; he'll sure pinch a cance and make ®w, thank you. I have said & Me way, I'll have you and them, wrongful arrest with violence.” be turned to us, {You two en08. “Do deny you're Cecil. ta ban, 0, long a waterway.’ nothing of the robbery.” coughed Harri@. “My dii- | Hobson looked him up and Sewn, won't Want to’ pay” you two “You'tt sing-another gong by ’, day for nothing.” a@he said ironically, "We may a “Two dollars n day?” sald Joo th startin how, Joe, and find his gentle voice. “I shouldnt ‘a’ cached shat packet.” thourht, the two hundred timen November was fingeria: hundred thousand dollars cétld stand ‘pack which lay open on the a strain like that!" 3 exe. it and its content ‘Then I'll sell your services to Mr, concentrated attention. Ati Harrie here for Ave dollara a. you fail, and 10 per cent. of the you recover [f you aucered.” Hobson and a7 leaned are with wide eyen, amination of put he said nothin, yards brought to the ‘Well, Harris, ja 1¢ on or offf" I Atterson’s trac! ne anked. + o ” aro 0%,,T SovPON, comfmund.gou!” cont Teta an pretty: slean November looked at bath of wa with ih Was ioe at. an 9 @ broad amile. F ell oo, this,” The i ° ° 6 ) v Ie iak Mo’ weateied beds of te Twenty hour® tatet, Joe, a police’ and the scare of several trooper named Hobso ope tae Yee,” hi ntinued, “t! pin the 8. jad hi ie, But the trouble is uned to interview. the farmer d then had’ passed down the old di ed roads until at as it not a0 No ber locally called, the 7 ‘couple of caste dawn. are you bending for?’ tob- river, made @ fire, put on the i . had asked Joe. and lit his pipe. Atterson, from am “Red River, because i¢.it reatly was his tree, watched the proceedings Wit. | Atterson the farmer saw, 1 guess he'll a drowsy Inck of interest th pt ° me particularly well simulat “Why do you * At pe Hobeo: “Red Rive aoc Lake, and th N ‘There'p none of Age treppere ae how’ id July month, so ha can ateal canoe och, Peiean Sinan Dy a so at form with lis hand—“trait nuit alwe: J he knows, and you heérd Mr. Harri’ feet Lace slopt.. He never may how Atterson had fished Red River two vacations. Hesides"—hore Joe ntopped and pointed to the ground —“them's Atterson’s iseaes” he sald. “Leastways, it’s a black fox to a lynx on pelt they are hia,” ice trail.” “But you've never seen him, Whet “Tha: ‘And what 06 8 demand “pcivig to ao next? ed Hobao 1 r “When firat we happened on thenr ey pe ys one He, tone about four hours . haok, Sek a Ue evieatet ‘moved (0 take Wan lightin’ your pipe,” repli 10%. of tea over to Atterszon, ‘they come out of the bush “Na, you dan't,” ort when we reached near Cartier’s place: Atterson neither ents mor they went hack Into the bush agaln. waan here and Qiletec a Then a mile beyond Cartier's out of eonfersen where he han the stuft nd the bush they como on te the road “We'd heat be going now,” he eons: again. What can that clreumventin’ tinnet) ae November, shrugging, ho made the tracka hack to the fireside. “You two in. § boots, on and | get a word quiet rubber heels. the prison: fe aa ah im atayto: re,” sal I will not attempt to deserihe our “Whe for?’ cried Hobson. his: journey hour by hour, nor tell how ‘I'm employed by Bank November held to the tral, follow! Herris to recover stolen it over areas of hard und and replied Joe. rock, noticing a scratch and “But.” @ broken twig there, The trooper, Hob- terson’s tra fon, proved to be a good track- he slept. There are no other ti reader, #0 nO one could have visited hi We nlept that night bealde the trail think he's got the bi'ls and wan now net many hours ahead of us, Everything depended upon whether he coult reach Red River " and a canoes before we caught ‘yo with him ible nnd Viteke mine. I reckon Pil to follow a confexsion out of him before we perforce we camped, The néxt morn- Quebec. He's a pretty tired ing November wakened up at daylight he don't rest nor sleep, no, once more we hastened forward. down, till he's put me wine a ‘or some time we followed Atter. where ho hid the stuff he stole.” ..., son's footsteps and then found that — ‘tHe won't ever put you wise,” they left the road. The police oMcer Jor definitely, went crashing slong till Joe stopped Why do you any that?” him with a gesture, ‘Canes he can’t. He don’t ten!” he whispered, welt.’ We moved on quietly and saw Rah!" was all Hobson's that, not fifty yards ahead of us, a he turned on Ris heel, man was walking excitedly up and (To Be Continued.) ‘Next Week’s Complete Noveri THE SKY MAN | 33 303 By Henry Kitchell Webster whl WILL BEGIN IN NEXT | Monda s Byoning World