Part 27 (2/2)

All this had taken only a very short space of tier could be seen, although that carrying Jack--or, at least, what they took to be his boat--was still offshore, though close to it It looked like a little dark blot so the landward base of the peninsula On that horn of land, all felt assured, the fugitives had landed, and along it weretheir way to shore

Jack's boat now reached the shore Lieutenant Sulass, spied Jack and his quartette leap to land Then he searched the spit of land through the glass An excla Haures running along the peninsula towards him Pull your hardest, lads, and we shall soon be up with them”

The two sailors and Bob and Frank bent to the oars with a will, and the boat fairly leaped through the water Their backs were towards the land and they could not see the develop, perhaps, the anxiety of the chuave them occasional bulletins Jack and his party had taken cover, apparently, for they could no longer be seen Lieutenant Summers was of the opinion, however, that their presence was known to the enemy It could not well have been otherwise, as the latter must have seen Jack's manoeuvre to cut the out

”Pull your best lads Almost there,” cried Lieutenant Su pull and we'll be up on the sand”

There was a soft jar The boat's nose tilted upwards Then, disregarding footgear, all leaped overside into the shalloater, and six pairs of hands ran the boat well up on the sand

”This way,” cried Lieutenant Su ahead

The others followed on the run No further shots had been fired But the sounds of panting ed body to body in the brush came to them As he ran, Lieutenant Suht at the edge of the trees the two parties were engaged But the fugitives were outnuainst thele came abruptly to an end

The first upon whoht fell was Jack, astride a forht fell on the fallen man's features and a cry broke from Bob's lips

”Why, it's Mr McKay”

CHAPTER XXV

MCKAY'S STORY

After all, the Mystery Was Easily Explained; The Mystery as to the identity of the lers The explanation of the whole situation was unfolded by Captain Folsohts later at the Temple home He had come from New York City at the invitation of Mr Temple, whose curiosity was aroused by the tales of the boys, and anted to hear a connected account of events In this e, overnher Up Higginbothaent This man, one of the wealthiest realty operators in New York, was a born gae in a venture that would bring hi returns on his investment In his realty operations, this quality had earned hihteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution was adopted--the prohibition amendment--he watched develop up In this he was not mistaken New York becareat su liquor into the country in defiance of the law, the thought caht be united by a strong and ruthless man, their methods improved, and a vast fortunethis control

It was McKay, said Captain Folsoht liquor across the Canadian border into Northern New York to a distributing center, a night's run to the South, whence it was sent across the land by express as china and glassware frolassware e A plant did exist, but it was nothing e warehouse at which the oes

Police protection was needed, of course, and police protection McKay obtained The factory so-called was in the open country, on the outskirts of a tiny village The local authorities were bribed All along the route from Canada, money was liberally spent in order to prevent interference frohway of Grease (”grease”bribery) led around all such, for in them usually the police were incorruptible

It was McKay, too, who organized the airplane carriage of liquor from Canada to points outside New York City and to Stamford, Conn One of his planes only recently, explained Captain Folsom, had fallen in a field near Croton-on-Hudson, with a valuable cargo of liquor aboard after a night's flight from Canada