Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Secret of C aprice , said he came from here so I gave him the message because Mr. Conway’s chauffeur was too drunk to sit up in the car. Gosh! I hope I haven’t made a mistake. It might cost me my job.” “Oh, that’s all right, ” Ward assured him easily. “I’m sorry John Drummond has gone on another spree. Pretty drunk, was her” “Yes; the big black man had to hold him up in the rear seat and another man drove the car.” ‘Well, they’ll probably bring the message down when John sobers.up: Was it impor- tant?” .. “Let me see.”’ The operator cudgeled his memory. “As I remember it, it was some- thing like this: ‘Received your wire to Conway. Conway left; should arrive Sea View 3:45 this Pp. M. Refuse to give up case > 99 Ward shrugged as if it were not of the slightest importance: “Oh,” he said, ‘is that allP Well, Mr. Conway is probably having a good time at one of the hotels before coming down here. But don’t tell any one else anything about it, will your” “No, sir.’ “Especially about John Drummond being drunk again. Mr. Conway wouldn’t like it. 9 “Very well, sir. I'll go now, I guess. Good-by.” They watched him in silence as he mount- ed his machine and started off in a cloud of dust and gasoline vapor. ped. his fingers. “Tt’s too much for me, Chief,” he said. “T’m getting dizzy.”’ “Tt’s another clue, Carl.” “T know. But I give up. I don’t want to be a detective any more: You’ve got to think of too many things at once. It gives me a headache. Who is this black man he was talking about?” “IT haven’t any more idea than you have.” “Well, do you believe John Drummond was as drunk as he says?” “T happen to know that John Drummond never touched a drop of liquor in his life.”’ “Good Lord, Chief! What are we up against anyway?” Ward scowled darkly and his fists clenched. “T don’t know, Carl,” he said. “But somebody is likely to get hurt now. When Ff Then. Carl snap- T they go for Mr. Conway, they go for me, and they’ve got to reckon with me, no mat- ter who they are.” Carl’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Do you think that some one’s after him?” “Think?” Ward swung upon the me- chanician almost threateningly. ‘Don’t you see what has been done? This black man got the telegram intended for me and learned from it the train that Mr. Conway was coming in on. He had Mr. Conway’s car and it would take a very simple story to say that John was sick and that I had sent the black man for Mr. Conway.” “Oh, geel’”’ Carl’s tone was a long-drawn mixture of delight and terror. “I’m getting your point. You think——” “T think that Mr. Conway was met by this black man and his pal,’’ declared Ward. “I think that he was made a prisoner and [ also think I know where he is likely to be at this very minute.” “Where? Near here?’’ “No,” Ward said. “Not near. But it can be reached by man or by woman in d-boat or in aeroplane; and I propose to see that it is reached at once and that Mr. Conway is freed, no matter what fool. promises I have made in my recent periods of insanity.” CHAPTER XIII ‘TE HAS KILLED MY FATHER” € 25 voice of Stephen Blaydon snarled an angry summons for Carl, and Fen- ton shrugged. “Go see what he wants,” he ordered.. “But come back here before you start away with them. Is the tender‘all ready?” “Yes, Chief. I filled the tank and over- hauled. her the day that guy came back from his fake fishing-trip.” “All right. I want you to change your attitude toward him, Carl. No matter how hard it is, you must be respectful and not let him suspect that you think him crooked. That is most important.” The mechanician left him and Ward 63° paced up and down in the tent; hastily plan-. ° ning the best way to meet this predicament and struggling hard to overcome the wild desire for immediate revenge that almost swept him from his self-mastery. By the time Carl returned, he had schooled. him- self into comparative calm. (E(0) oe \0)|;< com, yh es Li oe ve x st “ ae Sa, A yy (PS al (ie Nae oY) > 4 . ft a t aoe ns Ay NA a