Part 48 (1/2)

A heated argument followed until finally a corporal of the guards was called and led off the tramp toward the headquarters.

It was only a few minutes before Woodward was convinced of the ident.i.ty of the tramp with his friend, Professor Arnold. At the head of a squad of cavalry, Woodward and the tramp dashed off.

Already on the qui vive, Elaine heard the sound of hoof-beats long before the rest of us crowded around her. For the moment we all stood ready to repel an attack from any quarter.

But it was not meant for us. It was Woodward at the head of a score or so of cavalrymen. With him rode a tramp on a horse which was strangely familiar to me.

”Oh,” cried Elaine, ”there's the man who saved me!”

As they pa.s.sed, the tramp paused a moment and looked at us sharply.

Although he carefully avoided Elaine's eyes, I fancied that only when he saw that she was safe was he satisfied to gallop off and rejoin the cavalry.

Around the old hotel, in every direction, Del Mar's men were searching for the tramp and Elaine, while in the hotel another search was in progress.

”Have you discovered anything?” asked Del Mar, entering.

”No, sir,” they reported.

”Confound it!” swore Del Mar, going up-stairs again.

Here also were men searching. ”Find anything?” he asked briefly.

”No luck,” returned one.

Del Mar went on up to the top floor and out through the open scuttle to the roof. ”That's how he got away, all right,” he muttered to himself, then looking up he exclaimed under his breath, as his eye caught something far off, ”The deuce--what's that?”

Leaning down to the scuttle, he called, ”Jenkins--my field-gla.s.ses--quick!”

One of his men handed them to him and he adjusted them, gazing off intently. There he could see what looked like a squad of cavalry galloping along headed by an officer and a rough looking individual.

”Come--we must get ready for an attack!” he shouted diving down the scuttle again.

In the laboratory dining-room, his men, recalled, hastily took his orders. Each of them seized one of the huge black rubber newly completed gas bombs and ran out, making for a grove near-by.

Quickly as Del Mar had acted, it was not done so fast but that the troop of cavalry as they pulled up on the top of a hill and followed the directing finger of the tramp could see men running to the cover of the grove.

”Forward!” shouted Woodward.

As if all were one machine, the men and horses shot ahead, until they came to the grove about the old hotel. There they dismounted and spread out in a semi-circular order, advancing on the grove. As they did so, shots rang out from behind the trees. Del Mar's men, from the shelter were firing at them. But it seemed hopeless for the fugitives.

”Ready!” ordered Del Mar as the cavalrymen advanced, relentless.

Each of his men picked up one of the big black gas bombs and held it high up over his head.

”Come on!” urged Woodward.

His men broke into a charge on the grove.