Part 50 (1/2)

”I saw her on the rocks just now. She happened to stumble on the bomb which you left there to be placed.”

”And then?” demanded Del Mar.

”She took it with her in her car.”

”The deuce!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the foreign agent, furiously. ”You must get the men out and hunt the country thoroughly. She must not escape now at any cost.”

The diving man dove back into the panel to escape Del Mar's wrath, while Del Mar hurried out, leaving his valet in the library.

Quickly, Del Mar made his way to a secret hiding-place in the hills back of the bay. There he found his picked band of men armed with rifles.

As briefly as he could he told them of what had happened. ”We must get her this time--dead or alive,” he ordered. ”Now scatter about the country. Keep in touch with each other and when you find her, close in on her at any cost.”

The men saluted and left in various directions to scour the country.

Del Mar himself picked up a rifle and followed shortly, pa.s.sing down a secret trail to the road where he had a car with a chauffeur waiting.

Still carrying the rifle, he climbed in and the man shot the car along down the road.

On the top of a hill one of the men was posted as a sort of lookout.

Gazing over the country carefully, his eye was finally arrested by something at which he stared eagerly. Far away, on the road, he could see a car in which was a girl, alone. Waving in the breeze was a red feather in her hat. He looked more sharply. It was Elaine Dodge.

The man turned and waved a signal with a handkerchief to another man far off. Down the valley another of Del Mar's men was waiting and watching. As soon as he saw the signal, he waved back and ran along the road.

As Del Mar whizzed along, he could see one of his men approaching over the road, waving to him. ”Stop!” he ordered his driver.

The man hurried forward. ”I've got the signal,” he panted. ”They have seen her car over the hill.”

”Good,” exclaimed Del Mar, pulling a black silk mask over his eyes.

”Now, get off quickly. We've got to catch her.”

They sped away again in a cloud of dust.

But even while Del Mar was speeding toward her, another of his men had discovered her presence, so vigilant were they.

He had been keeping a sharp watch on the road, when he was suddenly all attention. He saw a car, through the foliage. Quickly, his rifle went to his shoulder. Through the sight he could just cover Elaine's head, for her hat, with a bright red feather in it, showed plainly just over the bushes.

He aimed carefully and fired.

I had been out for a tramp over the hills with no destination in particular. As I swung along the road, I heard the throbbing of a car coming up the hill, the cut-out open. I turned, for cars make walking on country roads somewhat hazardous nowadays.

As I did so, some one in the car waved to me. I looked again. It was Elaine.

”Where are you going?” she called.

”Where are YOU going?” I returned, laughing.

”I've just had a very queer experience--found something down on the rocks,” she replied seriously, pointing to the square package on the floor of the car. ”I took it to Lieutenant Woodward and he advised me to take it to Professor Arnold on his yacht. I think it is a bomb. I wish you'd go with me.”