Adventure, December 1914 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

The Stolen War Secret forward nervously and pointing almost directly ahead of us. We strained our eyes. Perhaps half a mile from the Seaville House we could dis- tinguish a power-boat moving swiftly in and out among the craft at anchor, trying frantically to reach the open water. “Cut them off!” ordered Kennedy. Sinclair swung his helm just a trifle so as to cross their course as they came down toward us and crowded on all the speed his speedy hull could make. With the muffler cut out we awakened the echoes of the hills as if it had been an international race. “That ought to throw a scare into them,”’ approved Kennedy. “Keep it up.” INs583; SAA ( THEN followed as wild a dash WS) across the harbor as I would care to take, day or night. The spray from the Streamline rose in a cloud, and the wind taking it drenched us. But Sinclair did not care. He had fallen into the spirit of the chase and, as now and then a wild shout was wafted to us from the shore, he knew that all eyes were on him and that Westport wanted to know what the famous little craft could do. Kennedy had not reckoned without a knowledge of psychology. It was only an instant that the people in the power-boat might have doubted that they were our object. They saw us and they saw at the same time that there could be only a ques- tion of seconds when the Streamline would be up with them. The phosphid bombs were holding out splendidly and, as the power-boat came be- tween one of them and us, we could just distinguish the people in it, though at the distance it was impossible to recognize them, of course. ‘There are five of them besides the man managing the boat,’’ muttered Kennedy, ‘“‘and one of them, at least, seems to be a woman.” “They’re turning,” interrupted Sinclair with just a touch of pride and satisfaction at the compliment they paid his boat. “Swing around—and beat them to it whatever they head for,” exhorted Craig. The power-boat had turned as short as its pilot dared and was now retracing its course in the direction of the Seaville House. We had evidently caught them in the nick of time, for a few minutes longer and they would have been down the bay and perhaps 47 out of reach of the phosphid glare that be- trayed them. Apparently their idea was to gain the pier of the hotel, where at least they would be on an equality with us, for their boat, whatever might be its cruising radius, was simply no match in speed for ours. “Can Burke intercept theme” I asked anxiously as I reasoned out their plan. “He has Sinclair’s car which we left at the club,” replied Kennedy. ‘He ought to.” eae “Look over the shore-road,”’ put in Sin- clair. ‘You ought to be able to see if there is a car there.” Sure enough, where the road ran for some distance along the very edge of the bay, shaded by a few sparse locust trees, we could catch a glimpse of a car tearing along at a breakneck speed, its siren horn warning others at the curves in the road and adding one more feature to the excitement. Would Burke be able to get there? Could he do the distance in time? The Seaville House was not far from the club, but at one point the road bent back, away from the bay, and we now no longer could distinguish Burke. Sinclair was speeding the runabout to the limit, even here where the shipping was thick. On either side of us I could see the boats at anchor rocking wildly from the waves that we plowed up in huge furrows. They had reached the dock of the hotel, and we could see them pile out and run up it. It was only a moment later when Sin- clair shut off his power and with a daring flourish, regardless of the varnish of the Streamline, brought us to the opposite side of the float. Kennedy sprang ashore ahead of us and sprinted up the dock, through an excited crowd that had gathered to witness an event that they did not understand yet could fully enjoy. “Which way did they go?’ we cried breathlessly. The bystanders pointed up the hill beside the hotel, as if that were quicker than words. Panting, puffing, perspiring, we followed the directions, Kennedy several yards ahead of us. As we turned the corner of the roadway, we came upon the hotel garage, deserted by the employees in the excitement on the bay. One of them came running toward us. MICLOOOK C©