Part 5 (2/2)
If I give the word to fire, you are dead men!”
”Dr. Bird!” cried Carnes in amazement.
The fleeing man in the beam of Dillon's light paused.
”Drop your gun!” cried Carnes sharply.
There was a moment of hesitation before the man's gun fell and his hands went up.
”Get him, Carnes!” came Dr. Bird's voice. ”I've got another one held out here. I hope one of them is the man we want.”
As Dillon slipped handcuffs on his prisoner, Dr. Bird came forward, driving another Russian before him. In his hand was a piece of iron pipe.
”Cuff him, Carnes!” he said.
The detective slipped handcuffs on the man while Dr. Bird bent down and examined the face of each of the prisoners with his light. He straightened up with an exclamation of anger.
”These are nothing but tools,” he said bitterly. ”We had the arch-conspirator himself in our hands and let him escape.”
”The arch-conspirator!” gasped Carnes. ”You don't mean Saranoff?”
”Yes, Ivan Saranoff. He was here on this marsh to-night. There were four of his men and we got two, letting the most important one get away.”
”You've got four, Dr. Bird,” said a guttural voice from the dark.
Dr. Bird whirled around and shot out the beam of his light. A third Russian was revealed in its gleam.
”Hands up!” cried the doctor.
”I'm willing to be captured, Doctor,” said the Russian. ”Your search for Saranoff is useless. He has been gone for an hour. He is not one to risk his own skin when others will risk theirs for him. He fled after he left the cave.”
”Do you know where he has gone?”
”I wish I did, Doctor. If I knew, we'd soon have him, I hope.”
The Russian's voice had changed entirely. Gone were the heavy guttural tones. In their place was a rich, rather throaty contralto. Carnes gave a cry of astonishment and turned his light on the prisoner.
”Thelma!” he gasped.
The Russian smiled.
”Surely, Mr. Carnes,” she said. ”Congratulations on your ac.u.men. Dr.
Bird saw me for half an hour this evening, but he didn't recognize me.
He even knocked me out with his fist back in the cavern.”
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